The US, UK, and France teamed up for missile strikes in Syria - here's everything we know they used
- The US, UK, and France conducted airstrikes against the Syrian regime on Friday night.
- The US reportedly deployed B-1B bombers and launched Tomahawk missiles from three US destroyers.
- France deployed Mirage and Rafale jets, while the UK deployed Tornado jets.
The US, UK, and France conducted air strikes against the Syrian government at around 9:00 PM EST on Friday night.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said at a press conference on Friday night that double the amount of weapons were used compared with the strike in April 2017, which consisted of 59 Tomahawk missiles.
The US also deployed B-1B Lancer long-range bombers, and launched Tomahawk missiles from three US destroyers, the USS Porter, USS Cook, and USS Higgins, New York Times reporter Thomas Gibbons-Neff tweeted, citing a US official.
Gibbons-Neff tweeted that the French used fourth generation Mirage fighter jets, and that the British used Tornados jets.
France reportedly deployed Rafale jets loaded with SCALP-EG cruise missiles, according to The Drive's Tyler Rogoway. A video has been released by the French government showing the Rafale jets taking off before the strike.
Rogoway also reported that the US B-1B bombers might have been carrying JASSMs, which are also air-launched cruise missiles.
The US military struck targets that were "specifically associated" with Syria's chemical weapons program while minimizing the risk to civilians, according to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford.
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It's unclear yet if any civilians were killed.
Mattis also said that the strikes were "a one-time shot," and that future strikes would depend on whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad continues to use chemical weapons.