Australia's first combat mission over Iraq has provided important air cover for local forces but dropped no bombs.
Two RAAF Super Hornets returned safely to the Australian support base in the United Arab Emirates after missions on Sunday.
More missions will follow, with aircraft flying most days depending on coalition requirements.
Australia has now joined the US, UK, France, UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Belgium and Holland which have all committed aircraft to the fight against Islamic State forces inside Iraq and more countries are expected to follow.
Both RAAF Super Hornets were armed with weapons including JDAM GPS-guided bombs and air-to-air missiles, which they did not use.
Australia's Super Hornets were highly capable and able to perform actions other aircraft could not, a defence source said.
An RAAF KC-30A airborne refuelling aircraft supported the Super Hornets, but Defence would not detail exactly where the mission flew.
The RAAF's E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft was also in the air directing coalition planes in the increasingly busy air space.
Aircrew - each Super Hornet flies with a pilot and weapons system operator - were "stoked" to have flown the successful first mission, as was the rest of their squadron, the source said.
They provided important air cover for local forces, flying missions of between six and 10 hours, Defence Minister David Johnston told ABC on Monday.
Former Army Chief Peter Leahy says it is normal for a fighter jet to return from a mission without dropping bombs.
"You would expect something like this to happen, particularly as we want to minimise collateral damage," he told the ABC.
"We don't want to be hitting the wrong target."
Islamic State have made themselves a much harder target over the past week, he said.
"They've dispersed, they're adapting camouflage patterns, they've moved back inside the cities and getting close to the forces and holding on," he said.
Australia has also offered a special forces group to advise and assist Iraqi security forces but they have yet to deploy into Iraq.
Australia's involvement in Iraq has the backing of the federal opposition.
Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen described the operation on Monday as a mission in defence of the defenceless.
"This is a humanitarian mission that is important for the peace and freedom of the people of Iraq and also for global stability and global peace," he said in Sydney.
The mission follows a decision by the cabinet national security committee on Friday to allow combat missions to proceed.
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