When MPs vote this week on Syria, they will have to decide whether intervention is right in principle. But there is another question: Will air strikes actually make a difference? As a defence and security contractor who has spent much of the last few years in Libya, I have serious doubts whether anything can be achieved without boots on the ground.
The combined use of all the countries’ air forces alone will never eradicate ISIS anywhere without a coordinated ground effort. Putin understands this: Russia is making airstrikes while letting Assad’s Syrian Army mop up on the ground. By contrast, Cameron’s proposed involvement seems pointless and meaningless. He wants to act from behind, with a relatively insignificant number of aircraft compared to America, Russia and France. With such a small contribution, Britain’s level of RAF involvement will not dramatically alter the damage imposed on Isis.
One assumes there is a level of coordination between the UK and US under Operation Inherent Resolve: Britain is already contributing eight jets and an unknown quantity of drones to the campaign against Isis in Iraq.
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