RAAF pilots have begun flying deadly American Reaper drones over Syria, taking Australia's involvement in the fight against Islamic State from Iraq into the neighbouring country for the first time. 
A Defence spokesman said that five RAAF personnel were embedded with the United States Air Force's 432nd Operations Group, which flies armed MQ-9 Reaper drones.
"While the focus for [Australian Defence Force] operations to counter Daesh [IS] remains Iraq, a small number of Royal Australian Air Force personnel are now contributing directly to coalition operations to counter Daesh in Syria as well as Iraq, consistent with long-standing arrangements for ADF personnel embedded in US units," the spokesman said, using "Daesh" as the alternative name for IS.
He said five RAAF personnel attached to the USAF were "performing operational duties with their parent unit as MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System pilots and sensor operators".
"The MQ-9 UAS comprises an armed remotely piloted aircraft that can also conduct remote intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations," he said.
The 432nd Operations Group flies the drones out of Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. Australia's involvement in the air campaign against IS in Syria is likely to expand, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday confirming Australia was in talks with allies about expanding air strikes in Iraq into neighbouring Syria.
The US, Canada, Britain and several Arab countries are already carrying out air strikes in Syria, in the US's case often using drones.
Such an attack is believed to have killed notorious Sydney jihadist Mohamed Elomar in   June.
The RAAF's main operations currently involve air strikes in Iraq. Six Australia Hornet fighter planes are conducting the air raids. They are supported by a KC-30 aerial refueller and a Wedgetail command and control surveillance and radar aircraft.
These two support aircraft have also been supporting allied combat planes, including some that have carried out strikes in Syria, though the Australians have always stayed in Iraqi air space.
Syria, whose civil war fuelled the rise of IS and where the group has its defacto capital, al-Raqqa, is seen as vital to the war against the militants.
But military action in Syria is more sensitive and complex than in Iraq because any reduction in the militants' power strengthens by default the regime of the country's dictator Bashar al-Assad.