
British pilots will continue to fly US fighter jets to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria without the approval of Parliament, the Defence Secretary said last night.

Ministers were accused of deceiving the public yesterday after it emerged that at least three Royal Navy pilots have been killing IS fighters in the war-torn country even though MPs have voted against military action there.

Michael Fallon said he had always known ‘a handful’ of UK military personnel were involved in air strikes against jihadists in Syria, but this was acceptable because they were embedded with the US military.

Speaking at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, the Defence Secretary added: ‘This is quite standard practice. Isil has to be defeated. We don’t have, at the moment, parliamentary authority to carry out military strikes in Syria, but the Americans do… and they have been doing that to keep all of us safe.’

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A pair of US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flying over north Iraq after conducting airstrikes in Syria last year

David Cameron knew British pilots were bombing ISIS targets in Syria 'and what they were doing' – despite MPs voting against military action, it was confirmed today

Asked if British pilots would continue their role, he said: ‘Exchanges between allies are absolutely routine – there aren’t a huge number of them, but they help, of course, with interoperability with our key allies.’

Mr Fallon said he would not seek approval from Parliament because this was different from British planes conducting air strikes.

He added that when – not if – British military strikes began in Syria, he would seek approval. ‘When we are going to run British military operations in Syria, including strikes, then of course we’ve said we will go to Parliament for approval, but this is different,’ he said.

‘These are a handful of British pilots embedded with American forces and are part of American military operations for which the Americans have full approval.’ David Cameron was also aware that RAF pilots were taking part in bombing raids over Syria, but did not tell Parliament. Labour accused the Prime Minister of withholding vital information and called for him to make a statement to the Commons on Monday.

SNP foreign affairs spokesman Alex Salmond said the government was effectively overseeing a 'bombing campaign by stealth'

Labour defence spokesman Vernon Coaker said the missions should stop, and Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn warned of ‘mission creep’, saying: ‘Our involvement, if we’re bombing now, will lead to deeper involvement and then will lead to pressure for ground forces.’

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the involvement of RAF pilots in air strikes without parliamentary approval was ‘a breach of trust with the British people’.

Tory MP John Baron said: ‘This is more cock-up than conspiracy, but questions must be answered.’

MPs voted against military action in Syria in 2013 and air strikes there remain a controversial issue.

British fighter jets are dropping bombs on Islamic State militants in Iraq, but they are only allowed to fly spy planes over Syria.

A new vote on the issue is to take place in the autumn.

The US has been conducting bombing raids over Syria since last September. It deployed its aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson shortly afterwards, along with a squadron of Super Hornet fighter jets. It only emerged yesterday, via a Freedom of Information request, that at least three British fighter pilots were flying the aircraft.

Wearing US overalls but with British badges, they would have been flying over Syria from last October until spring, when the carrier returned to the US.

The Ministry of Defence said they are not currently flying US planes.

Mr Salmond, the SNP's foreign affairs spokesman, said: 'This action clearly flouts the democratic decision taken by the House of Commons two years ago for the UK not to take part in a bombing campaign in Syria.

'The Government's policy in this matter is entirely unacceptable - effectively overseeing a bombing campaign by stealth - and we need to know what the Defence Secretary knew, when he knew it, and when he was proposing to tell the country.

'The case for bombing in Syria has simply not been made, and the complexity of the situation is such that support for one faction is unlikely to produce a desirable outcome

New Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the involvement of RAF pilots in air strikes without the approval of Parliament was 'a breach of trust with the British people'.

'They desperately want the West to attack them and to be seen to attack them. We are utterly playing in to their hands if we do this,' Mr Farron told Sky News.

While under the foreign forces' chain of command, they are authorised to take part in those nations' operations which can include airstrikes.

The Ministry of Defence said that while embedded with allied forces, UK personnel are 'effectively operating as foreign troops.'

Tory back-bencher John Baron, who voted against military action in Syria in 2013, said the government had been insensitive to allow the pilots to take part.

HOW BRITISH SERVICEMEN BECOME 'EMBEDDED' FOREIGN TROOPS British servicemen can spend years 'embedded' with military allies. RAF pilots in particular are expected to spend up to four years with the US Air Force to build up their skill set in top-of-the-range F35 military jets. When embedded abroad British servicemen are expected to slot into that host nation's chain of command. This can also mean British servicemen giving orders to foreign soldiers, the Ministry of Defence said tonight. Three RAF pilots are currently operating as foreign troops. Advertisement

He called on the military to withdraw troops from the embedded programme and demanded the government explained the decision.

'Let me make clear I don't blame the military,' he said on the BBC's Today programme.

'This is a lack of political leadership. We had a major vote, there should be sensitivity on this issue. Those troops or individuals should be withdrawn from the embedded programme while this vote holds sway.

'I'm not sure they specificially authorised these operations. I don't believe they are consciously trying to get round Parliament's will.

'Whether we agree with the military aspects of this, whether we should be intervening or not, the fact is Parliament has said there should be no British military intervention and to many people, this smacks of that, or it's certainly getting very close.'

Mr Baron added: 'This begs the question of how many other embed programmes are there? What happens if a British military personnel gets captured or killed while serving in Syria?

'There are all sorts of questions that need to be answered and I'm not sure we've had those answers in Parliament.'

British planes are currently allowed to conduct surveillance and intelligence gathering missions in Syria but are only allowed to conduct airstrikes in Iraq.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has recently called for MPs to back British involvement in Syria and there is expected to be a vote in the Autumn.

The Ministry of Defence said the three pilots were operating as foreign troops.

A government spokesperson said: 'The UK is contributing to the anti-ISIL Coalition air campaign against ISIL targets in Syria through the provision of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

'ISIL poses a direct threat to the UK and to countries around the world. The UK itself is not conducting air strikes in Syria.

'But we do have a long-standing embed programme with allies, where small numbers of UK personnel act under the command of host nations.

'That has been the case in Syria, although there are currently no pilots operating in this region. When embedded, UK personnel are effectively operating as foreign troops.'

Sir Michael Graydon, the former head of the RAF, said that embedding British personnel with allied forces is 'decades old' and that critics should be realistic and accept that very few personnel were involved.

He said: 'They bring great credit to our nation in the process and they learn a great deal which they bring back to the country.

'They are with those squadrons for up to two, and sometimes three, years. They are totally integrated into those squadrons.

'Over many, many years, the process has been really effective. If governments want to stop that, they can, and there have been occasions in the past when that's happened.

What happens if a British military personnel gets captured or killed while serving in Syria? MP John Baron

'But on this occasion I think the decision the Government made was absolutely right.'

The information about the British troops was revealed in a Freedom of Information request submitted by human rights organisation Reprieve which demanded the government 'come clean' about what its military was doing.

The charity asked the MoD in March this year whether any UK military personnel had conducted air strikes or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sorties in Syria or Iraq, using non-UK equipment.

They also requested information on how many such flights had taken place, where they were conducted and which country's equipment was used.

They also asked for details of how many UK troops have been embedded with allied nations during operations in Iraq and Syria.

Jennifer Gibson, staff attorney at Reprieve, said: 'Documents obtained by Reprieve indicate that UK personnel have already been involved in bombing missions over Syria for some time - making the current debate over whether Britain should carry out such strikes somewhat obsolete.

'It is alarming that Parliament and the public have been kept in the dark about this for so long.

'Yet more worrying is the fact that the UK seems to have turned over its personnel to the US wholesale, without the slightest idea as to what they are actually doing, and whether it is legal.

'We need an open and honest debate about UK involvement in Iraq and Syria. We can't have that, though, until the UK comes clean about what actions its personnel are already undertaking.'

The US-led coalition has been targeting towns and villages in northern and eastern Syria controlled by the Islamic State group since last September.

On Wednesday, the United States and its allies carried out 31 air strikes against militants in Syria and Iraq.

The MoD said UK pilots are not currently taking part in air strikes over Syria (pictured) but ministers will have been informed about their recent involvement

Fifteen air raids were conducted near five Syrian cities, including five near Raqqa and four near Hasaka, said the statement issued on Thursday.

Islamic State targets near Falluja, Ramadi and six other cities were hit in 16 air strikes in Iraq, it added.

Britain has already stepped up its surveillance and air-to-air refuelling operations over Syria.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has previously made clear that he believes Britain should extend its actions against ISIS.

Last year the government approved UK bombing of militant positions in Iraq but Mr Fallon said that MP's approval would be needed before the country embarked on any new course of military action in Syria.

Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman has indicated the party will not oppose military action, saying the situation is now 'different' than in 2013.