Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the Chief of the Defence Staff, has visited British military personnel that form part of the US led coalition, in the fight against Daesh in the Middle East.
During the visit, Admiral Radakin was given a full brief on current air operations and was shown the live feeds of ongoing activities. He then met some of the British contingent who explained the specific UK contribution to ongoing Air Operations against Daesh that are being conducted in the region.
“Operating in a coalition headquarters such as this, is one of the best places in the world for Royal Air Force personnel to develop and apply their ability to command and control the air.
For the last decade the RAF has been the service that has been most active at the sharp end of operations against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. It is now contributing to our situational awareness at a critical time for regional and global security”.Admiral Radakin
Chief of the Defence Staff
After his operational brief, Admiral Radakin met some of the British personnel based in the region and was able to give some insights into his views of how Defence as a whole will develop under his leadership. He then took questions from the assembled service personnel.
“Visits such as that of CDS are hugely important as it allows those of us serving here to hear in real time what is in the minds of our political and military senior leadership. Of course, they are fully aware of the Royal Air Force’s role in the region through their regular briefings of the situation, but such visits enable us to share our day to day experiences of working within the coalition”.
Group Captain Hannah Bishop
Commander of 83 Expeditionary Air Group
Admiral Radakin’s visit concluded with a private meeting with Brigadier General David Mineau, the Deputy Commander, US Ninth Air Force and the Deputy Combined Forces Air Component Commander for U.S. Central Command that leads the overall International Coalition in the fight against Daesh in the Middle East.
