Australia to launch airstrikes against ISIS

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's prime minister says the nation's air force will launch airstrikes against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) targets in Iraq.

The announcement has been widely anticipated since six F/A-18F Super Hornet jet fighters were pre-deployed to the United Arab Emirates more than two weeks ago in response to a formal request from the United States for specific contributions to the international coalition.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters on Friday that the deployment to Iraq "could be quite lengthy. Certainly, months rather than weeks."

The seven cabinet ministers who make up the government's National Security Committee approved the deployment after an official request was received from Iraq overnight.