Inside the RAF's Tactical Imagery Wing and their role in the fight against Islamic State

The Tactical Imagery Wing at Akrotiri is a seven day a week, 24 hour a day unit.

Their motto is The Eyes Guide The Talons and it seems pretty approriate for what they do.

Technicians can establish targets deep inside IS territory. Credit: ITV News

Using vast specialist stills and video cameras their challenge is to study the images to build up an idea of the pattern of life for the so-called Islamic State, carefully identifying the targets, studying the attack footage to be sure the correct targets have been hit with success.

Without accurate intelligence, RAF strikes could hit civilians. Credit: ITV News

Key to that is Raptor - a camera fixed beneath the Tornado. It can take stills from around 20 miles away and also films footage with such clarity it is possible to identify even small objects.

operators pore over hours of reconnaissance photos Credit: ITV News

Working through thousands of images and hours of footage the intelligence gathering work is crucial to the success of Op Shader.

Credit: ITV News

The British military have a no-tolerance rule on collateral damage so will not hit a target if they are not sure what it is or if there is a risk to civilians nearby.

The need for clear images and good analysis of them is therefore crucial.