Fed: F/A-18 role in Iraq set to diminish - RAAF chief = 2
Air Marshal Angus Houston said there was no need to rotate the aircraft in Iraq.
"We can sustain the current rate of operations for the foreseeable future and we don'tanticipate having a need to rotate the aircraft," he said.
Commander of the RAAF's air combat group, Air Commodore John Quaife, who flew a Hornetinto RAAF Fairbairn base in Canberra for today's regular Australian Defence Force briefing,said none of the 14 Hornets in Iraq had been hit or damaged.
"I can assure you that the aircraft that we have there are all fully serviceable atthe moment," he said.
Air Marshal Houston, who said nothing had been seen of the Iraqi air force, neverthelesssaid RAAF pilots had indications of Iraqi missiles around areas of combat.
"The crews have responded and taken the necessary defensive action but we haven't seenany missiles, nor have we seen any rounds close to the aircraft," he said.
"We have had a reasonably comfortable environment and that's how the fighter pilots described it.
"They do not feel they have been engaged in any way."
AAP dep/ph/de
KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST HORNETS 2 CANBERRA
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