Operation Desert Storm: The Gulf War air campaign

Voiceover: "At 1am on the 17th of January 1991, eight AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopters took off from Al Jouf Airfield in Saudi Arabia. Their codename was Task Force Normandy. They were about to land the opening shots of Operation Desert Storm. With four MH-53 Pave Lows to guide them, the aircraft crossed into Iraq at an altitude of 75 feet and moved towards two Iraqi early warning radar sites. Their mission was to destroy them and cut a 20-mile gap in the Iraqi Air Defences, through which coalition strike aircraft could flow. At precisely 02:37am, Task Force Normandy opened fire. Within four minutes the Apaches had expended their ammunition, and the radar sites had been utterly destroyed. One of the largest bombing campaigns in military history had begun. In the last episode of our Gulf War series, we explored why Iraq invaded Kuwait. This time were going to look at the Gulf War Air Campaign and how the coalition took control of the skies." 

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "Operation Desert Storm represented one of the largest and most impressive air campaigns of all time. It was an operation of enormous scale and complexity. Here at IWM Duxford we have a huge number of objects and aircraft that were involved in the conflict on both sides. By taking a closer look at them, we’ll come to a clearer understanding of the Gulf War Air Campaign." 

Voiceover: "By November of 1990, both Iraq and the coalition were increasingly reconciled to war. Saddam believed that withdrawing from Kuwait could leave him more vulnerable to US attack rather than less. As such, Iraqi forces were preparing defences in Kuwait. Meanwhile, the United Nations passed Resolution 678 giving Iraqi forces until the 15th of January, 1991 to withdraw from Kuwait. If they didn't, a US-led coalition were authorised to use all necessary means to force them out. In charge of this effort was United States Central Command or CENTCOM, under the command of General Norman Schwarzkopf. His original mission had been to defend Saudi Arabia from possible Iraqi aggression. But by mid-November a new plan was in place to liberate Kuwait. The campaign had 4 phases. Mount a strategic air campaign against Iraq, win air superiority over Kuwait, target Iraqi ground forces and then a ground campaign. However, due to a lack of troops, phase 4 could only take place once Iraqi forces had been reduced to 50 per cent strength. This was already an unprecedented objective in the history of aerial warfare. But to make things even more difficult, it was decided that phases 1, 2 and 3 would be carried out at the same time."

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "While the largest contingent of aircraft came from the United States, the rest arrived from a range of different nations. The coalition had 1,000 fixed wing attack aircraft and 800 air defence fighters on station. But utilising them required the creation of a planning unit in Saudi Arabia, which soon became known as ‘the black hole’ because working hours were so long that those who went in seemed to never come out. Coalition ground attack aircraft had to be coordinated with other assets like refuelling tankers, fighter cover and jamming aircraft and then matched with an ever-growing target list. The initial plan had just 84 targets but this number would grow to 481 by the first day of operations, and eventually thousands over the course of the campaign." 

Voiceover: "The coalition had a huge number of attack aircraft, but it was their technological advantage that was even more striking. Their aerial refuelling, airborne and satellite reconnaissance, electronic warfare, command and control, stealth technology and precision guided munitions, primarily provided by the United States, were unparalleled the world over. Meanwhile, Iraq’s Air Force was credited as being the sixth largest in the world. It was equipped with around 800 fixed wing aircraft and around 40,000 men. However, much of their equipment was obsolete. They did have F-1s, SU-24s and MiG-29s in their arsenal, many of them held in hardened shelters to protect from air attack, but the real problem for the Iraqi Air Force was the lack of training of its pilots. Few would be able to get the best from their aircraft." 

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "The real threat to the coalition came from Iraq’s comprehensive air-defence network. It had up to 10,000 anti-aircraft guns and 16,000 surface-to-air missiles, including the Soviet SA-2, the most widely used air defence missile in the world, made famous when the Soviets shot down an American U-2 spy plane flown by Gary Powers. Baghdad in particular was incredibly well defended, with 7 times the defences of Hanoi at the height of the Vietnam air campaign. The Iraq air defence system was controlled in Baghdad and tied together by a French designed KARI computer system. However, the air defences were overcentralised and were primarily orientated east to west to defend against Iran and Israel, rather than north to south towards Saudi Arabia. Essentially, the Iraqi Air Force and air defences were more than capable of tackling regional threats but their opponents were far more sophisticated in weapons technology and operations."

Voiceover: "On the 15th of January 1991, the UN deadline came and went; Operation Desert Storm was about to begin. The opening attack of Operation Desert Storm was enormous. In total, more than 2,500 sorties were flown on the first day alone. The primary concern for the coalition was to tackle Iraqui air defences and win control of the skies. It was the Apaches of Task Force Normandy who landed the first shots of the campaign. Having destroyed the Iraqi radar sites, coalition aircraft were now able to make their way into Iraqi airspace. But ahead of them, ten coalition aircraft had already been circling the Iraqi capital undetected."  

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "Against the formidable air defences of Baghdad, the coalition relied on one weapon, the F-1-17A Nighthawk. This aircraft gained the nickname of “The Ghost” as it was virtually invisible to enemy radar, but Operation Desert Storm would be its first major test against a modern, integrated air defence system. But F-117s were not alone in the skies - they were supported by an electronic warfare version of the F-111 fighter jet – the Raven. Three EF-1-11As protected the F-117s on the first night, using their powerful onboard systems to find and jam Iraqi radar equipment. As a result, they made it to Baghdad undetected and wreaked havoc on Iraqi command and control. The aircraft were joined from afar by 122 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines in the Gulf. These missiles flew at low levels with incredible accuracy and were often filmed by camera crews as they struck key sites in Baghdad. Iraq's command and control and communications network would never recover."

Voiceover: "Another key target on the first night was the Iraqi Air Force. Coalition fighters launched offensive fighter sweeps over Iraqi airfields, while RAF Tornado GR-1s attacked the runways themselves with their specialist JP-233 Submunition Dispensers. The Iraqi Air Force managed to launch around 120 sorties on that first day, but even their best aircraft were far outranged by the coalition. Thanks to support from their AWACs, the coalition were able to down a significant portion of enemy aircraft from beyond visual range – a first in military history. Iraq lost three Mig 29s, three F-1s and two Mig 21s on the first day alone, in return for one coalition aircraft downed in air-to-air combat. That FA-18 from the USS Saratoga, would be the only coalition aircraft lost in air-to-air combat during the entire war. Instead, the biggest threat to the coalition came from Iraqi Air Defences. Mostly of soviet design, they would be meeting an old foe from the Cold War." 

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "This is the F-4 Phantom II. Though they were first introduced back in the 1960s, F-4s still had a pivotal role to play in the Gulf War. Dedicated F-4G Wild Weasels had the task of attacking enemy air defences, including surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and air defence radar sites. Their attacks were accompanied by pilotless drones which mimicked the radar signature of conventional aircraft. This encouraged the Iraqi radar operators, already confused by the attacks on the KARI system in Baghdad, to turn on their equipment. As soon as they did, the F-4s were able to pinpoint the Iraqi radars and destroy them with high-speed anti-radiation missions, known as HARMs. 118 of these missiles were fired by F-4s on the first night alone. Iraqi radar operators quickly learned that the Weasels’ ‘Magnum’ radio call signified a HARM launch, prompting them to shut down their radars or be destroyed within seconds. Some even became too fearful to turn them on in the first place. The attack on the first night left Iraqi air defences in tatters."

Voiceover: "The first week of the air campaign had been truly devastating. The coalition had won air superiority and losses fell from 17 aircraft on the first night to one or two a day. However, the Iraqis could still pose a threat to the coalition. While the KARI system and radar guided SAMs had been largely tackled, Iraq’s anti-aircraft artillery and Infrared SAMs were overwhelming at lower altitudes. As such, the coalition stopped low altitude attack in favour of medium altitude bombing.  The Iraqi Air Force, meanwhile, had essentially given up contesting the skies over Iraq. Saddam believed that his main strength was on the ground rather than in the air, and aircraft were held in reserve in hardened shelters. Instead, Saddam sought a different means to strike at the coalition using his Scud missiles." 

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "Scud missiles are surface-to-surface ballistic missiles which can be launched from the ground or sea to strike targets on land. Scud-Bs, like this training aid, had a limited range of around 175 miles. But Iraq possessed modified versions like the Al-Hussein, which could reach distances of up to 400 miles, enough to reach Riyad in Saudia Arabia or Tel Aviv in Israel. Whilst the accuracy of these weapons was poor, the Scud was Saddam Hussein’s most effective weapon for political reasons. On the 18th of January, Iraq launched 8 Scud attacks on Israel. Saddam’s aim was to provoke a counter-attack from Israel in the hope of bringing them into the war and pushing Arab nations out of the coalition and onto his side. As a result, Iraq’s Scud launchers became the coalition’s new priority." 

Voiceover: "Strong American lobbying stopped the Israelis from getting involved in the conflict. But Saddam continued to antagonise the coalition. Iraqi forces began setting oil fires and releasing crude oil into the Persian Gulf. This may have been to inhibit coalition airstrikes, to prevent an amphibious attack from the coalition or simply to punish Kuwait for its overproduction of oil preceding the war. Whatever the motive, it was the beginning of an environmental catastrophe. Then in late January, the coalition began employing laser-guided bunker busting bombs against the Iraqi Air Force’s hardened shelters. 375 shelters were destroyed over the course of the campaign, mostly by F-111s and F-117s. With their aircraft being slowly picked off, the Iraqi’s only remaining option was to evacuate their remaining aircraft to Iran." 

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "The Iraqis only launched one offensive air operation outside of Iraq during the entire gulf war. On the 24th of January, two Mirage F1s attempted to bomb a Saudi oil facility with support from two Mig-23s. However, they were intercepted by two F-15s of the Saudi Royal Air Force. The lead aircraft was piloted by Captain Ayed Salah Al-Shamrani, who was wearing this helmet. On seeing the Saudi aircraft, the two Migs turned tail, and Al-Shamrani was able to down both F1s with sidewinder missiles. He became the only Coalition pilot to destroy more than one Iraqi fixed-wing aircraft during the Gulf War." 

Voiceover: "As week three began, the air campaign was taking a heavy toll on Iraqi forces. As a result, Saddam sought to take the initiative while he still had the chance. On the 29th of January, 3 Iraqi divisions crossed into Saudi Arabia and captured the town of Khafji. They aimed to draw coalition forces into a ground war, where Saddam felt he held the advantage. But things did not turn out that way. Saudi forces soon recaptured the town, while coalition aircraft, including A-10 Warthogs, pounded Iraqi reinforcements destroying hundreds of vehicles in the process. And there was more coalition success out at sea."

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "This is a Westland Lynx, the attack helicopter of choice for the British during the Gulf War used by both the Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm. Royal Navy Lynx’s went into action armed with 4 Sea Skua missiles, which would prove their worth during the conflict. The Sea Skuas travel at one of 4 pre-selected heights above the surface depending on conditions. They then rose in altitude to acquire the target, before penetrating the hull and detonating their 62-pound warhead. Royal Navy Lynx’s played a crucial yet often forgotten role in the Gulf. The most famous naval engagement of the war was the Battle of Bubiyan, during which the Iraqi Navy attempted to escape to Iran. 20 Iraqi vessels were destroyed by fighter aircraft and helicopters, including the Royal Navy’s Lynx helicopter who were successful in sinking or disabling 15 Iraqi patrol craft from a range of 5 miles. The Battle was so one-sided that it has since become known as Bubiyan Turkey Shoot." 

Voiceover: "The vast majority of coalition sorties took place against Iraqi ground forces. They had been ongoing since 17th January but they still had not done enough for the ground campaign to begin. The problem was a lack of aircraft capable of carrying precision munitions. However, by the fourth week of the campaign those aircraft finally began to be deployed against those Iraqi ground forces. The most advanced aircraft flew in the north against the Elite Republican Guard Divisions thst Saddam held in reserve. F-15s, F-6s and most famously F-111s used infrared sensors to attack the Iraqi armour with laser-guided bombs in practice which became known as ‘tank plinking’. This practice led to a dramatic increase in the attrition rate. Meanwhile, further south, lower performance aircraft engaged the Iraqi Army on the frontline. Amongst the A-10s, Jaguars and A-8s, one aircraft reigned supreme in this role: The B-52 Stratofortress." 

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "While the B-52 had been designed as a strategic bomber, these huge aircraft soon found themselves being used almost exclusively at a tactical level against Iraqi ground targets in Kuwait. Launching from Diego Garcia as well as air bases in Britain and Spain, they initially flew at low level with primarily 750-pound warheads. However, they soon adjusted to high-level missions against the Iraqi Republican Guard. B-52s dropped almost a third of the coalition tonnage from the entire war, attacking day and night in order to maximise the psychological effect of their attacks. The success of these B-52 strikes had a huge impact on Iraqi morale, influencing many soldiers to desert." 

Voiceover: "The effect was staggering. After 4 weeks of continuous attack, the coalition had sealed off the battlefield, interdicted their enemy’s supplies, cut off their communications and destroyed 1,000s of tanks and armoured vehicles. And yet, this was not the vital factor. Instead, the key effect was to demoralise and paralyse the Iraqis. Those that still had the will to fight after weeks of bombing would be powerless to do so when coalition ground forces began their long-awaited ground invasion. In this regard the Gulf War air campaign was a huge success. It paved the way for the liberation of Kuwait. However, for the people of Kuwait and Iraq there were longer-term consequences."

Megan Joyce, IWM curator: "Different aspects of civilian life were hugely affected by the Gulf War, owing to the extensive destruction of Iraq’s infrastructure and industry, with roads, bridges, electricity supplies, health care facilities, water and sewage systems all being highly damaged. It is difficult to know the number of civilians killed during this period of time, with the range of estimates of civilian deaths resulting directly from the air war somewhere between 1,000-3,500. There were subsequent food shortages and millions of people were displaced, although it would take years for all the consequences of the Gulf War to be seen in the region."

Voiceover: "The ground campaign, Operation Desert Sabre, would begin on the 24th of February 1991. Join us in the next episode as we explore the 100-hour war for Kuwait."