RAF Tornados and Joint Rivet surveillance aircraft are flying missions over northern Iraq to track Islamic State militants as Britain joins fight to stop advance of extremists
Britain's mission in Iraq will last for months as RAF Tornados and surveillance aircraft are being deployed to help "stop the advance" of Islamic State extremists, the Defence Secretary has said.
Michael Fallon revealed that the Britain's mission in Iraq has changed from ending the humanitarian crisis to joining the "fight against terrorism" and supporting the new government in Iraq.
He said that Tornado bombers and an advanced Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft are now flying missions deep into Iraq and relaying intelligence about the movements of Islamic State extremists to Kurdish forces.
He also disclosed that British regular troops have already been deployed on the ground in Iraq for the first time since the crisis began as they helped to "prepare the way" for Chinooks to mount an evacuation.
He also confirmed that Britain is flying ammunition and arms including machine guns from former Soviet bloc countries to Iraq to re-supply Kurdish forces, adding that Britain could supply body armour and night-vision goggles directly.
Mr Fallon warned that British jihadis fighting for Islamic State forces will pose a "very direct threat" to Western Europe if Britain does not intervene.
He said: "If we don't deal with this terrorism and help the Iraqi government confront it then we are going to have those IS fighters eventually returning to western Europe. There is a very direct threat to western Europe."
It comes after David Cameron said in an article for The Sunday Telegraph that Britain will have to use its "military prowess" to help defeat "this exceptionally dangerous movement" to stop terrorists from the region targeting Britain.
While Britain has ruled out deploying troops on the ground in a combat role and so far declined to join airstrikes, his intervention led to renewed calls from Conservative MPs for Parliament to be recalled to debate Britain's involvement in Iraq.
Many are supportive of the government's approach but are concerned that significant decisions about Britain's role in the conflict are being taken without MPs being consulted or a vote taking place.
Mr Fallon this weekend spoke to RAF pilots and personnel during a visit to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where the British operation in Iraq is based.
He said that despite the end of the crisis in Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq, where tens of thousands of refugees escaped following US air strikes supported by British surveillance, the "mission isn't over".
He said that operations in Iraq will continue for "weeks and months ahead" and warned that the humanitarian crisis has been worsening, despite the intervention by Western forces.
He said: "It has been a fantastic operation, you have saved lives this week [and] I want you to understand just how much that is appreciated back home. This mission isn’t over. The refugee problem is getting worse [with] half a million displaced people.
"There may well now be in the next few weeks and months other ways that we may need to help save life [and] protect people and we are going to need all of you again and the surveillance you are able to give us. Thank you very much for all you have done this week."
In an interview this weekend, he disclosed that Tornados and Rivet Joint aircraft have been operating outside Kurdistan for the first time to carry out surveillance on refugees and Islamic State forces.
He said: "We want to help the Iraqi authorities and the Kurdish forces build up their picture of where IS is advancing. We are dealing with a very fast moving IS campaign... we need to know where the threat is coming from next.
"We want to help the new government of Iraq and Kurdish forces. We want to help them stop the advance of IS and stop them from being terrorised. It is important that we get behind the government now and do everything we can to stiffen it in the fight against terrorism.
"This is not simply a humanitarian mission. We and other countries in Europe are determined to do what we can to help the government of Iraq combat this new and very extreme form of terrorism that IS is promoting."
Pilots involved in the operation gave their first interviews described each mission as a "step into the unknown" amid concerns that British aircraft could be targeted by IS fighters.
One Hercules pilot confirmed that ground fire had been spotted as British aircraft flew over Iraq, adding that pilots make a "trade off" between flying low to supply aid and keeping out of harms reach to "avoid people who want to shoot at you".
Mr Fallon said that British forces have not identified a threat from surface-to-air missiles "so far", and declined to comment directly on whether Britain will join the US in carrying out air strikes.
He said that if Tornado aircraft are attacked they "have a right to defend themselves", although one of the pilots said that they are not armed.
Mr Fallon said that the situation in Iraq has been "very fast moving" and disclosed that soldiers from the 2 Yorks brigade were deployed at Erbil airfield ahead of a planned evacuation.
He said: "We were ready to send Chinooks into Erbil to help with an evacuation that in the end didn't prove necessary. They were already there at Erbil airfield ready to prepare the way for the Chinooks."
The soldiers were later flown back to Cyprus but Mr Fallon said they are ready to be redeployed back to Iraq if they are needed.
He confirmed that Britain has been airlifting arms from "former Soviet Bloc countries" into Erbil to supply Kurdish forces. He said: "At the moment the focus has been lifting supplies of arms, small arms, ammunition, machine guns. They have been identified, particularly in
Soviet bloc countries. They need to get to Erbil as quickly as possible, we will play our part in that."
Britain has said it is prepared to supply arms directly if asked to by Kurdish forces, although to date no request has been made. Mr Fallon said: "We are looking at where the gaps are. There is protective materiel like body armour and night vision goggle and so on."
Sarah Wollaston, a Conservative MP, yesterday said that Parliament must be recalled before Britain commits to further military intervention.
Mark Field, a Conservative MP and a member of the Intelligence and Security committee, said British soldiers will eventually have to be deployed.
He said: "I think we may well have to deploy relatively significant numbers of troops at some point. But it is welcome that the government is beginning to level with the public about the extent of our involvement and the time frame. Our involvement will be measured in years, not weeks."
Yesterday Kurdish forces, backed by US air support, were on the verge of retaking the Mosul dam after it was taken over by Islamic State extremists. US forces conducted 14 air strikes during the offensive, their biggest intervention to date.
It came as IS militants were accused of massacring at least 80 members of the Yazidi religious minority in a village in Iraq.
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