News Corp Australia can reveal the aircraft was lucky not to be hit when fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacked it — as it swooped in low to drop aid packages to civilians in the town of Amirli in northern Iraq — with heavy machine guns and small arms last weekend.
Under threat ... the aircraft was lucky not to be hit by ISIS fighters as it dropped aid packages to civilians. Picture: News Corp Australia. Source: News Limited
The drop took place at night so the rebels would have been firing by noise rather than sight as the darkened planes flew below 300 metres to make the delivery of 15 bundles of water, biscuits and hygiene packs.
Troubled nation ... the Australian plane was dropping aid to the town of Amirli in northern Iraq, where a tense battle is being played out between Kurdish troops and ISIS militants. Picture: AFP. Source: AFP
US fighter jets flying top cover for the mission responded to the enemy attack with maximum force after being guided to the ISIS fighters by a high flying US Air Force J-Star spy plane fitted with powerful ground attack radars.
Aussie help ... a loadmaster conducts a final check of the C-130 Hercules before it dropped aid supplies over northern Iraq. Picture: Supplied.
“The top cover provided by American aircraft was very effective,” a source close to the operation told News Corp Australia.
The biggest risk to Australian aircraft comes from man portable shoulder fired missiles, but a lucky shot from a rifle could potentially bring down an aircraft. Military aircraft are fitted with effective missile counter measures.
A huge Australian C-17 jet transport plane is expected to land in the nearby Kurdish city of Erbil within 24 hours carrying the first load of weapons for Peshmerga fighters who are holding the ISIS militants at bay.
No comments:
Post a Comment