Forget PC ... kick ISIS booty, boys

France and Great Britain have joined the United States in an emerging international military coalition to supply air power to blunt the advance of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Strange bedfellows at best, these three permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have had their own strife and battles. The other two permanent members are Russia and China, who seem to be engaged in their own respective endeavors. These five members, along with India and Pakistan, are the only nations allowed to have nuclear capabilities. Did someone mention Iran and North Korea?

Dating back to France's colonization of North America with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534, the French North American Empire extended from Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. The westward expansion of British colonies in North America pushed to the French claims of the Mississippi valley in the late 1740s to 1750s, which caused the Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War, in 1756 to 1763. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Are you taking notes here? There will be a test. Great Britain gained most of France's territory and nearly doubled its national debt, which led to increasing taxes on the colonists, which led to the American Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783). In 1778 France recognized the United States of America as a sovereign nation and returned to North America with the establishment of a Franco-American alliance against Great Britain for revenge in the defeat of the Seven Years War. With the defeat of the British in 1783, the United States gained independence and France gained an ally and trading partner. The U.S. returned the favor in World War I and II, but France saw the U.S. as an imperialist power during the Vietnam War and sees the European Union as a counter balance to American power. I wonder what they think about American wine?

So, here we are in a coalition to defeat the jihadist group ISIS, which is carving out large swaths of land in the Middle East for its caliphate. This terror group has demonstrated aggression and acts of barbarism against the peoples of Iraq and Syria, and is not recognized as a country so we cannot declare "war" on it officially. We can, however, kick their %^*, and we are doing so with expertise and precision. Advanced technology makes this possible. Here are some of the aircraft used in the coalition:

France's Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta-wing, multi-role fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation in France. Replacing the Mirage I, II, III, and 2000 fighter versions from 1955 to 2006, it is a multi role fighter aircraft with a range of 2,299 miles, a max cursing altitude of 55,000 feet, and a top speed of 1,324 mph (almost twice the speed of sound) using two Snecma M88-2 turbofan engines designed for low-altitude penetration and high-altitude interception missions. The Rafale is equipped with laser designation pods for laser guidance of air-to-ground missiles and can carry six AASM (air to ground) missiles, with each aiming to hit the target with 10m accuracy. It also has a 30mm cannon which can fire 2,500 rounds a minute.

England's Typhoon F1, known as the "Eurofighter," is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter with a range of 2,355 miles, a max speed of 1,550 mph, and a ceiling of 55,000 feet. Entering service in 2003, it gradually replaced the Panavia Tornado F3. The Typhoon carries a 27mm Mauser BK-27 cannon and can be equipped with an array of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.

Our Air Force's newest fighter jet, the sleek, radar-evading Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has finally seen its first combat, taking part in a wave of airstrikes over Syria. The Raptor is a fifth generation fighter powered by Pratt & Whitney F119PW-100 turbofan engines propelling the aircraft to over mach 2 with afterburners. Unlike other U.S. fighters like our F15 and F16, the Raptor cannot be exported under American law. It is the first production aircraft with the ability to super cruise (flying at supersonic speeds without the use of afterburners) at mach 1.58 and has a ceiling of over 55,000 feet. Armament can be variations of missiles and bombs, and has a 20mm A61A2 Vulcan six barrel cannon. The F22 Raptor is the smaller sibling of the F35 Lightning II stealth fighter.

Go get em' boys! Kick their %^*. Whoops! Not politically correct but you know what I mean.

Jack Evensizer is a politically incorrect resident of Dalton Gardens who earned a Bronze Star in combat with the United States Army Infantry.