A dozen French fighter jets are catapulted into the sky from an aircraft carrier in the Gulf, roaring off towards Iraq as part of the campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group. The carrier, with 12 Rafale and nine Super Etendard fighters, is spending eight weeks in the Gulf alongside the USS Carl Vinson, significantly increasing France's regional air capabilities. On the first day of missions from the vessel, a total of 12 fighter jets on Monday flew over territory controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq. On the carrier deck, high above the seas between Saudi Arabia and Iran, runway staff sprint to each of the aircraft that have just landed "blind", helped by radar systems to find their way in the darkness.