0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
US deploys helicopter gunships in battle against IS in LibyaMilitary officials step up attacks in Sirte, using Cobra attack helicopters based on the amphibious assault ship USS WaspThe United States has begun using attack helicopters to target the Islamic State (IS) group in Sirte, a defence official said on Tuesday.American jets have since the start of August been helping fighters loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) retake the coastal city of Sirte, conducting dozens of strikes on IS fighting positions and equipment.Anthony Falvo, a spokesman for the US military's Africa Command, said Marine Corps AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters had in recent days joined the operation."The Cobras provide additional precision air strike capability," Stuttgart-based Falvo told AFP in a phone interview. "It gives us a little bit more flexibility."SuperCobra gunships are based on the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship in the Mediterranean.Continued: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-deploys-helicopters-gunshps-battle-against-libya-1006406112