Three additional Armee de I'Air (French Air Force) Dassault Rafales were deployed to Base Aerienne 104 at Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates on October 5. The aircraft are from Escadron de Chasse 1/7 'Provence' and 2/30 'Normandie-Niemen' at St Dizier. The aircraft bolster six examples from Escadron de Chasse 3/30 'Lorraine' already based there to undertake sorties against ISIL forces in Iraq as part of the French Operation Chammal. France announced its first strikes on targets in Iraq on September 19. Two Rafale fighter-bombers were reported to have attacked and destroyed a logistics depot in northeast Iraq. The Rafales were armed with 500lb (227kg) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. Tanker support was provided by a French Air Force Boeing C-135FR Stratotanker, which deployed to Al Dhafra on September 14. French Navy Dassault Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft, from Flotille 23F based at Lann Bihoue, deployed to Al Dhafra at the beginning of September and provided post-strike assessment.
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