In photos, First Canadian Hornets air strike on ISIS in Iraq

Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets have conducted their first combat mission supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. And here are some interesting shots.

On Oct. 30, RCAF CF-18 Hornets took part in the first air strikes against ISIS targets in support of US-led Operation Inherent Resolve.

The images in this post were taken as the Canadian Hornets were refueled by a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, over Iraq.

On their first air strike the aircraft carried 3x GBU-12 LGBs (Laser Guided Bombs), 2x AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles at the wing tip launchers, 1x AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile), and 2x drop tanks.

Interestingly, the Hornets carry the drop tanks on the right hand wing and on the centerline pylon (as the U.S. Navy Hornets), so as the Sniper ATP (Advanced Targeting Pod), carried on the left hand side of the fuselage, is not obstructed.

Image credit: U.S. Air Force

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About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.