Canada deploys helicopter squadron to Iraq anti-IS battle
Canada deploys helicopter squadron to Iraq anti-IS battle
Anti-IS coalition boosted by tactical helicopter squadron as Iraqi forces continue to gain on the Islamic State group in Mosul.
2 min read
The 408 Tactical helicopters will provide support to Canadian and coalition forces [AFP]
Canada has deployed a tactical helicopter squadron to Iraq that will join coalition forces in the country as they battle against the Islamic State group.
The deployment, which is comprised of sixty members of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (CAF) 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, left for Iraq on Monday.
"We provide air power that integrates with and supports our CAF and coalition partners. The tactical helicopter detachment is a crucial component of this commitment,” Major-General Christian Drouin, Commander 1 Canadian Air Division, said in a press release.
"430 Squadron has done a tremendous job over the past few months, maintaining a level of excellence that I know 408 Squadron will continue."
Members of the squadron will have four CH-146 Griffon helicopters at their disposal, which will be used to provide tactical transport to Canadian troops near the northern city of Erbil.
According to Maj.-Gen. Christian Drouin, commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, squadron will also support coalition partners in Iraq.
At present, there are around 830 Canadian military personnel based in Iraq and Kuwait as part of Operation Impact.
Canada's new deployment comes as Iraqi forces continue to push forward on the ground against the IS group in Mosul, after launching the country's biggest military operation in years exactly six months ago.
Iraqi forces are currently planning an advance on the al-Nuri Mosque in western Mosul, where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed the creation of the new "caliphate".
IS has lost most of its Iraqi territory that it held since 2014 and now retains about 6.8 percent of the country.
More In News
