The FReeper Foxhole Revisits Desert Storm - The Air War - Jan. 21st, 2005

http://www.indepthinfo.com/iraq/airwar.shtml ^ | W.J. Rayment

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

Desert Storm - The Air War

As I report to you, air attacks are under way against military targets in Iraq...

As is usual in modern war, the first objective of the allied force in Saudi Arabia was to gain air superiority. Air superiority gives a military force the ability to indiscriminately attack enemy targets, disrupt enemy lines of supply, to conduct reconaisance, and, of course denies the enemy the ability to do all of these things himself.

The air campaign against Iraq was launched 16 January 1991, the day after the United Nations deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait expired. Saddam was given every opportunity to conclude the stand off peacefully, but US/Iraqi talks in Geneva were inconclusive, at best.



The magnitude and the power of the air attack was a shock to all concerned. The initial attack swept away much of Iraq's ability to defend against further air assaults. Radar installations were attacked by helicopters, F-117's were sent to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad to destroy command and control centers, air bases and hangars were bombed. U.S. Navy bombers and Tomahawk missiles wreaked havoc on all aspects of Iraqi air defense. The air campaign was conducted not just by the United States, but the Saudi, British, French, Italian, as well as various Arab Air Forces.

The Allied air campaign was thorough and devastating. Realizing that traditional anti-air defense was futile the Iraqis took to psychological methods that included using human hostages as shields for prime targets. They placed their aircraft near ancient historic sites and holy places, knowing the allies would be reticent to attack where there might be significant "collateral damage".

In an effort to demonstrate their own air offensive capability, on 24 January the Iraqis attempted to mount a strike against the major Saudi oil refinery in Abqaiq. Two Mirage F-1 fighters laden with incendiary bombs and two MiG-23's (along as fighter cover) took off from bases in Iraq. They were spotted by US AWACs, and two Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s were sent to intercept. When the Saudis appeared the Iraqi MiGs turned tail, but the Mirages pressed on. Captain Iyad Al-Shamrani, one of the Saudi pilots maneuvered his jet behind the Mirages and shot down both aircraft. After this episode, the Iraqis made no more air efforts of their own, only sending most of their jets to Iran in hopes that they might someday get their air force back. (Iran never returned the jets.)



With Iraqi air defense effectively neutralized, the Allied Air Forces proceeded to pound the Iraqi divisions arrayed in Kuwait and Southern Iraq. Utilizing fuel bombs, cluster bombs, armor piercing guided bombs, missiles and various other ordinance, Allied forces degraded Iraqi ability to fight on the ground. Attacks by B-52 bombers were noted to be especially terrible; entire regiments, brigades and divisions were effectively crushed in a few minute air raid by these powerful though dated bombers.

By late February the Coalition forces were ready to kick off the ground campaign...

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

...normaly they are so successful at this kind of thing.

LOL. Yeah, they are so effective and what they do.

[snippy_about_it]

I was startin to 'orry about ye.

I wasn't feeling too good so I went to sleep early knowing I'd wake up in the middle of the night and post then. I feel much better this morning. Perhaps I'll be 100% in a few days. I've got to get out to start marketing our place so we can enjoy being eeevil capitalists!

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon Aeronaut.

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Good afternoon Mayor.

[snippy_about_it]

I want that blanket!

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon feather.

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon Gail. Lots of sunshine here today.

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon Matthew.

[snippy_about_it]

Brrrr. I don't know how you folks up North can stand it!

[snippy_about_it]

I too was glued to the tv. Unfortunately it was CNN but that's all we had.

I have to thank your entire family for serving. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Oh goodness, Peter Arnet. He was just awful wasn't he?

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Good afternoon Grzegorz.

[Soaring Feather]

Hiya snippy.

Cold-7F all day. :-)

[GailA]

Here too, temps nice and mild about mid 50's.

[snippy_about_it]

Sounds like a good day to stay inside!

[Soaring Feather]

Evening weather report, -17F now.

[snippy_about_it]

45F :-)

[Soaring Feather]

OOOOOOOO MAN!

[SAMWolf]

We had the upper 50's and sunny today. almost like spring again.

[PhilDragoo]

Bandits Over Baghdad by Warren E. Thompson

Ground crews service the F-117A aircraft of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing (37th TFW) on the flight line.
The 37th TFW is preparing to deploy to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield.

Directed onto targets by U.S. and British special forces, the Maverick-equipped
A-10 Thunderbolt II made short work of suspected Iraqi Scud mobile launchers.

Th-Th-That's All, Folks!

Had 41 let Schwarzkopf continue, the former would have had a second term.

W has set out the philosophical framework for demullahfication; Cheney hints at Israel's role; Condi says it's hard to do business with someone calling for the destruction of Israel.

Taking out the trash in Tehran prevents a nuclear 911 within this term.