"It feels good to kill ISIS": A day with Iraqi F-16 pilots at Balad airbase

The crew of Rudaw TV’s Mosul Story visits Iraq’s airbases for the first time and speaks with pilots who fly F-16 bombers on missions against ISIS in Mosul and other parts of Iraq. They take off from Balad airbase north of the capital Baghdad and put into action their advanced jets and years of training in the United States.

The pilots are proud of their advanced weapons and of their missions against ISIS. In response to how it feels to be getting on his jet, one pilot said: “It feels good. I am going to kill ISIS.”

The commander of the Iraqi Air Force says they avoid targeting civilian locations and they have been flying hundreds of missions against ISIS for more than a year an a half.

There are US-made F-16s and Czech L159.

Rudaw’s Bahroz Faraidun, was given exclusive access into four bases and in this episode of the Mosul Story you will see the moment pilots are briefed about their chosen targets, to the moment they carry their gear and get into their seats.