The German parliament voted to support the anti-ISIS coalition by sending six Tornado jets to fight ISIS in Syria from the Turkish airforce base Incirlik. The planes will be used for reconnaissance missions.
Berlin will support the long-time and most important European ally France as well with a the fregatte ‘Augsburg’ (230 seamen), a tanker jet and satellite support.
700 German Islamists are fighting with ISIS, soon 1200 Bundeswehr soldiers against this terror organization.
The step follows sharp criticism by France, which had lamented Germany’s passive behavior regarding the fight against ISIS.
The main arguments in the German debate were solidarity with Paris and the threat of ISIS for Germany as well.
Still no grand strategy has been formulated, merely the statement that peacemaking needs other elements too.
The Tornado, which was first commissioned in 1981, and has since been used in several missions, from Kosovo to Afghanistan is an extremely maneuverable jet that can fly at extremely low altitudes. It is therefore perfectly suited for use in scouting missions.
The German government had long tried to stay out of the conflict in Syria, concentrating its engagement in Norther Iraq. Here, around 100 German military advisors are training Kurdish and Yazidi fighters.
Soon another 50 instructors are scheduled to arrive. Germany is also supplying rebels with weapons and equipment. So far 20.000 rifles have been delivered together with 1000 Milan anti-tank missiles. The Kurds would like to have more, and their wish will likely be granted.