01:06Turkey: US aircraft land at Incirlik Air Base
The first batch of US-owned aircraft arrived at the Incirlik Air Base, Monday, after the Turkish government granted the USA access to the base to carry out airstrikes on Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) targets in Syria and Iraq. The remainder of the US detachment is scheduled to arrive in the coming week.
The US Department of Defense announced that it had transferred six F-16 fighters, a Lockhead C-5 Galaxy, a KC-135 Stratotanker and about 300 US Air Force personnel to the Turkish military airbase. These aircraft are part of the 31st Fighter Wing usually stationed at the Aviano Air Base in Italy. The US requested to use Incirlik Air Base for operations against the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) because of its close vicinity to key IS positions.
Turkey and the USA are part of a coalition currently conducting airstrikes as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, which is designed to eliminate members of the Islamic State and the threat they pose to Syria, Iraq, the Middle East and the world as a whole. The US-led coalition conducting the airstrikes is made up of 62 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
01:06The first batch of US-owned aircraft arrived at the Incirlik Air Base, Monday, after the Turkish government granted the USA access to the base to carry out airstrikes on Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) targets in Syria and Iraq. The remainder of the US detachment is scheduled to arrive in the coming week.
The US Department of Defense announced that it had transferred six F-16 fighters, a Lockhead C-5 Galaxy, a KC-135 Stratotanker and about 300 US Air Force personnel to the Turkish military airbase. These aircraft are part of the 31st Fighter Wing usually stationed at the Aviano Air Base in Italy. The US requested to use Incirlik Air Base for operations against the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) because of its close vicinity to key IS positions.
Turkey and the USA are part of a coalition currently conducting airstrikes as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, which is designed to eliminate members of the Islamic State and the threat they pose to Syria, Iraq, the Middle East and the world as a whole. The US-led coalition conducting the airstrikes is made up of 62 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.