“The Government of Canada has chosen to stand with our international partners to combat the terrorist threat posed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). As the Canadian Armed Forces now prepare to deploy increased assets to the region under Operation IMPACT, I had the opportunity today to sit down with coalition partners in Washington, D.C. This meeting focused on the planning and implementation of coalition strategies to combat ISIL. We look forward to providing further information on the planning of the mission later this week.
Over all, more than 40 nations have pledged to support coalition efforts to conduct targeted air strikes to degrade ISIL networks. This coalition includes close allies like Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States; other NATO allies like Belgium and Denmark; and Arab countries like Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
As announced by the Government of Canada on October 7th, Canada’s contributions to air strike efforts in Iraq will include six CF-188 Hornet fighters, one CC-150 Polaris aerial refueller, two CP-140 Aurora aerial surveillance aircraft, and air support personnel.
This deployment builds on the work that Canada has done to help Iraqi forces to blunt the ISIL offensive on the ground. In addition to the Canadian Armed Forces members who are advising and assisting Iraqi forces, our aviators have flown in 1.6 million pounds of Allied military equipment for Iraqi forces.
This mission demonstrates Canada’s resolve to stand with our partners and make positive contributions to international peace and security. It also demonstrates the high degree of agility and readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces.”
General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff
