Photo: BBC
UK launches first Syria air strikes
Michael Fallon: "I can confirm that four British tornados were in action attacking oil fields in eastern Syria"
Check videos here: http://tinyurl.com/h96yqxa You will see that the combined Tornado and Typhoon II force is supported by the newly aquired A400M
RAF Tornado jets have carried out their first air strikes against so-called Islamic State in Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
Four Tornados took off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus shortly after MPs voted to approve bombing.The strikes targeted the Omar oil fields in eastern Syria, which is under IS control, and were "successful", Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said.
He had personally approved the targets ahead of the Commons vote, he said.
On Wednesday, MPs voted by 397 votes to 223 for UK military action against IS - also known as Daesh - in Syria after a 10-hour Commons debate.
The first Typhoon jet fighters have left RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, to join the air strikes.
Mr Fallon said the Ministry of Defence would be assessing the damage done by the bombing later, but the aim was to strike "a very real blow on the oil and revenue on which Daesh depends".
- UK air strikes on IS in Syria: Live updates
- Key quotes and clips from the debate
- Syria air strikes: What you need to know
- How did your MP vote?
Analysis
By BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, in CyprusThe first pair of Tornados took off from RAF Akrotiri just over an hour after MPs authorised military action.
We watched the orange/blue glow from their engine afterburners disappear into the night sky. Each aircraft was carrying three 500lb Paveway bombs.
Less than an hour later, they were followed by a second pair loaded with the same weapons.
We waited for the first pair of Tornados to return to base. They landed after just over three hours in the air. As they taxied on the runway, it was clear to see their bombs were missing.
They returned to base shortly before 03:00 GMT. The second pair arrived back just before 06:30 GMT.
The jets used their Raptor pods - special long-range photography equipment - for surveillance, before dropping the Paveway bombs, our correspondent understands.
An RAF Reaper unmanned drone was also in the air to provide intelligence, he added.
What is a Paveway bomb?
Image copyright RAF These "smart weapons" are the most modern and accurate precision-guided munitions in the RAF inventory, and are commonly used against static targets.
Tornados can also carry Brimstone missiles - a radar and laser-guided weapon with two warheads that can be against vehicles and multiple targets.
It has what is known as a "fire and forget" capability, which uses a wave radar seeker to lock on to a moving target.
The MoD said 93 Brimstone missiles - each costing more than £100,000 - were fired in the year to September in military operations in Iraq.
Read more: Coalition weaponry
Mr Fallon said the there was a "very rigorous" process by which targets were chosen, and all British military action would adhere to "very strict rules of engagement".
Asked how long the UK might be involved in the coalition campaign against IS in Syria, he said it would "not be quick", but argued it had not been right to leave bombing to other air forces.
On the issue of ground forces, he said the Prime Minister of Iraq had made it very clear he does not want Western troops on the ground to fight IS.
But the UK could still achieve "plenty from the air", including cutting off IS sources of income such as oil fields, he said.
Following the vote, Prime Minister David Cameron said MPs had "taken the right decision to keep the country safe" but opponents said the move was a mistake.
A total of 66 Labour MPs sided with the government as Mr Cameron secured a larger than expected Commons majority.
How events unfolded
22:30 - MPs vote for airstrikes23:30 - Two Tornados take off from RAF Akrotiri, each with three Paveway bombs
00:30 - Two more Tornados take off with same payload
02:45 - First two Tornados return without bombs
06:30 - Second pair of Tornados return
Approximate times GMT
Welcoming the Commons result, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain was "safer because of the actions taken by MPs today".
He added: "Military strikes alone won't help Syria, won't keep us safe from Daesh. But this multi-strand approach will."
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