Navy Times reports that “the U.S. military, at the request of host nations in the region, is no longer identifying the specific land-based aircraft carrying out airstrikes in Iraq, a defense official told Military Times on Tuesday.”  

“When airstrikes against the Islamic State began Aug. 8, a Pentagon spokesman identified the aircraft involved as carrier-based F/A-18s. But when land-based aircraft joined the mission, U.S. Central Command identified them only generically, as fighters, bombers or drones.”  

“If CENTCOM specifies which land-based aircraft are taking part in the mission, it would be possible to deduce where they are based, and host nations have asked not to publicize the fact that airstrikes against Iraq are being launched from their countries, the defense official said.”