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RAAF completes combat mission

Australian armed forces have completed their first air combat mission in Iraq but have not expended munitions, Defence Force Chief Mark Binskin confirmed this morning.

“2 F/A-18F completed 1st armed combat mission in Iraq. No munitions expended. Returned safely to base,” Mr Binskin announced on social media.

• Are Aussie forces just a window dressing in Iraq?

The two RAAF Super Hornets took off from the Australian support base in the United Arab Emirates shortly after 2pm local time on Sunday (2100 AEDT).

“Good luck boys,” said a RAAF officer as the two grey-painted aircraft climbed noisily from the desert runway into the afternoon sky.

Watching this long-awaited takeoff was a group of personnel from the Australian headquarters at the base.

A few minutes earlier, a RAAF KC-30A airborne refuelling aircraft also took off to support the mission.

And also over Iraq on Sunday was the RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.

It wasn’t specifically supporting the Australian aircraft but directing coalition aircraft in what appears to be increasingly crowded air space.

The Australian Super Hornets are joining aircraft from the US, UK, France, UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain which have all conducted attacks against Islamic State forces inside Iraq.

Both aircraft were armed with a variety of weapons including GPS-guided bombs.

However, no bombs were dropped, a defence spokesperson told AAP.

The aircraft were assigned to a combat air patrol, to be called on if needed. They weren’t needed.

All aircraft returned safely to base later on Sunday night.

This follows a decision on Friday by the cabinet national security committee giving the go ahead for combat missions to proceed.

The government also gave the go-ahead for deployment of Australian Special Forces into Iraq to advise and assist Iraqi forces.

Defence insisted that no details of the mission be released until after midnight local time to allow for safe return of all aircraft.

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