Attack cost hundreds of millions

- The attack by the US, the United Kingdom and the French on targets in Syria was a huge logistical operation. The costs run into hundreds of millions, says defense specialist Peter Wijninga. There may even have been a bomber in America to fire rockets on Syria.

' That is surrealistic, 'agrees Peter Wijninga defense expert at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies. Even before the Syrian airspace was flown in, the aircraft fired off its missiles and then made a right turn, he says. Because they are refueled in the air, they are then able to fly back to America without a stopover in Europe.

It is not clear who coordinated the attack on Syria. But Wijninga suspects the Americans, from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Qatar, from where all air operations over the Middle East and Afghanistan are controlled. There the targets are selected and flight plans are drawn up. France and the United Kingdom can log in on a special military network to download the GPS coordinates of the targets that have to be destroyed, says Wijninga. The data is uploaded into the rockets.

The British used Akrotiri air base in the south of Cyprus. There are British aircraft stationed, because of their fight against IS. Four Tornado fighter planes from the Royal Airforce fired Storm Shadow missiles outside the Syrian airspace. The British have also not invaded the airspace of Syria. Wijninga: ' That would be too dangerous. Because that is heavily defended. 'The British missiles hit a Syrian military base 80 kilometers west of Homs.