The announcement that 12 (Bomber) Squadron will be kept flying for a further year was made by British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon during a visit to Baghdad on August 3.
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Following the first UK air strikes against Isis last September, David Cameron announced that they would carry on for an extra 12 months so they could continue in their specialist ground-attack role.
“ISIL terrorists pose a threat to security of Iraq, Syria, the wider region and to the streets of Britain”.
In July, defence analysis group IHS Jane’s said the RAF could be left with just 127 combat jets by the end of the decade – its fewest number of fighter planes since 1918 – as 87 Tornados and 53 Typhoon jets were due to be retired.
“We want to ensure we maintain this crucial operational tempo, and so we will extend the lifetime of 12 (B) Squadron for a further year to March 2017”.
The British defense chief ruled out the deployment of ground forces in the US-led anti-ISIL campaign and said Iraqi leadership had not approached the UK with this request.
The second extension for the fighter bombers would ensure the RAF retained “the essential precision firepower, intelligence and surveillance” capabilities needed for operations against IS, Mr Fallon said.
For their current missions over Iraq, the Tornados carry Raytheon Paveway IV precision, guided bombs, MBDA Brimstone air-to-surface missiles, and are equipped with an internal Mauser BK-27 27 mm cannon.
The move will help the RAF to stay in the fight despite a shortage of fighter-bombers.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Nick Houghton told an air power conference in London last month that the RAF’s deployment domestically and overseas had “put us at the very limits of fast jet availability and capacity”. “It is clear that the requirement for fast jet precision strike and intelligence gathering shows no sign of diminishing”. They can also carry the Goodrich DB-110 Reconnaissance Airborne Pod Tornado (RAPTOR) pod.
The US-led coalition has conducted dozens of air strikes in Iraq and Syria in recent days, as it seeks to weaken militants who have seized large swaths of both countries as part of their drive to create an Islamic caliphate.
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During his visit to Baghdad, Mr Fallon held talks with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other senior Iraqi government figures.
