Will British Airstrikes in Syria Make a Difference in the War Against ISIS?

Within hours of a contentious vote Wednesday night in the House of Commons authorizing military action in Syria, four British Tornado warplanes took off from an airbase in Cyprus to hammer an Islamic State-controlled oil field in eastern Syria with laser-guided bombs.

Flight Lieutenant Ian Abson, from RAF 617 squadron based at Lossiemouth, Scotland, inspects a Tornado during War Week Mission Rehearsal Exercise, in preparation for their final Afghanistan deployment on Oct. 2, 2013, in Lossiemouth. Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

Within hours of a contentious vote Wednesday night [Dec. 2] in the House of Commons authorizing military action in Syria, four British Tornado warplanes took off from an airbase in Cyprus to hammer an Islamic State-controlled oil field in eastern Syria with laser-guided bombs.

“By extending RAF [Royal Air Force] offensive operations into Syria, our aircraft are now able to help dismantle the means by which Daesh plan, direct, and sustain their campaign of terror,” the British Defense Ministry announced Thursday, using an alternative name for the Islamic State, also referred to as ISIS and ISIL.

The airstrikes mark an escalation of Britain’s involvement in the U.S.-led air war against ISIS. Previously, British airstrikes against the brutal Islamist terrorist group had been limited to Iraq.

This move is more about the symbolism of Britain supporting its allies than about achieving any great military effect ... in Syria.

— Luke Coffey, Margaret Thatcher fellow, The Heritage Foundation