ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Pentagon spokesman has said the US military is supporting the Iraqi offensive against ISIS in Mosul with AH-64 Apache helicopter gunships, which are reportedly targeting explosives-laden vehicles ISIS is using to slow the Iraqi offensive. These Boeing-manufactured helicopters are being used “with significant effect” in Mosul, Peter Cook told reporters on Monday. “We anticipate that this nimble and precise capability will continue to enable Iraqi progress in what we expect will be tough fighting to come,” he said. “This is, of course, not the first time we’ve used the Apaches in Iraq,” he added. Apache attack helicopters are capable of giving close fire support to Iraqi ground forces and can fly lower and slower than jet fighters to target their opponents. However, this also increases the chances that they could be hit by ground fire. The US has used Apaches based in Baghdad to deflect an ISIS offensive from Anbar province toward Baghdad International Airport in October 2014; none was used again until last June when an Apache destroyed an ISIS vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) south of Mosul during the Iraqi offensive against ISIS in Qayyara. AFP cited officials who estimate that less than 10 Apaches are being used in the current operation in Mosul. Iraq has advanced helicopter gunships of its own, which it bought from Russia. Some of the Russian-made Mi-28s and Mi-35s gave close air support to ground forces during the Iraqi operation to retake Fallujah from ISIS in June and also attacked the ISIS convoy which attempted to flee that city.
Iraq19-08-2026Iraqi president, speaker receive Iran's Ghalibaf for talks on bilateral ties, regional stability
