Tony Abbott has spent the day defending his decision to go back to the war in Iraq after the revelation that Australian war planes will drop guns and ammunition to Kurdish forces in the country's north
AN AUSTRALIAN C-130 Hercules transport aircraft came under fire from Islamic militants during a humanitarian mission over Iraq.
News Corp Australia can reveal the aircraft was lucky not to be hit when fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacked it — as it swooped in low to drop aid packages to civilians in the town of Amirli in northern Iraq — with heavy machine guns and small arms last weekend.
Under threat ... the aircraft was lucky not to be hit by ISIS fighters as it dropped aid packages to civilians. Picture: News Corp Australia. Source: News Limited
The drop took place at night so the rebels would have been firing by noise rather than sight as the darkened planes flew below 300 metres to make the delivery of 15 bundles of water, biscuits and hygiene packs.
Troubled nation ... the Australian plane was dropping aid to the town of Amirli in northern Iraq, where a tense battle is being played out between Kurdish troops and ISIS militants. Picture: AFP. Source: AFP
US fighter jets flying top cover for the mission responded to the enemy attack with maximum force after being guided to the ISIS fighters by a high flying US Air Force J-Star spy plane fitted with powerful ground attack radars.
Aussie help ... a loadmaster conducts a final check of the C-130 Hercules before it dropped aid supplies over northern Iraq. Picture: Supplied.
"The top cover provided by American aircraft was very effective," a source close to the operation told News Corp Australia.
The biggest risk to Australian aircraft comes from man portable shoulder fired missiles, but a lucky shot from a rifle could potentially bring down an aircraft. Military aircraft are fitted with effective missile counter measures.
A huge Australian C-17 jet transport plane is expected to land in the nearby Kurdish city of Erbil within 24 hours carrying the first load of weapons for Peshmerga fighters who are holding the ISIS militants at bay.
Help on way ... an Australian C-17 jet transport plane is expected to land in the Kurdish city of Erbil within 24 hours. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: News Limited
The four-engine transport aircraft is a much bigger target than a Hercules and it will also be provided with top cover by the J-Star and fast jets.
It will also carry a detachment of elite RAAF Airfield Defence Guards (ADGs) from the Amberley base near Brisbane supported by a small contingent of SAS troops.
Neither the ADGs or SAS troops are defined as 'combat troops' or 'ground forces'.
The attack on the C-130 highlights the high risk faced by Australian aircrews and troops undertaking the humanitarian and weapon supply missions in support of thousands of civilians under siege by the brutal ISIS rebels.
Fear factor ... the attack on the C-130 highlights the high risk faced by Australian aircrews and troops. Source: Supplied
Those missions are likely to be stepped up in coming days to support a counter offensive by Iraqi and Peshmerga forces following the swearing in of a new government in Baghdad on 10 September.
The RAAF has about 400 ADGs based in Number One and Number Two Airfield Defence Squadrons with a mixture of full-time and high-readiness reserve personnel.
Unlike regular troops the ADG mission is to defend rather than to take ground.
That means operating in small teams of between four and 10 with similar tactics to special-forces units.
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