Coalition aircraft combat Iraqi threats
Released: 1 Feb 1999
WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Iraqi threats and coalition aircraft responses in both the northern and southern no-fly zones continued at a busy pace through the weekend.
In the first of six incidents Jan. 30 near Mosul in the north, at 3 p.m. Iraqi time, coalition aircraft were targeted by Iraqi radar while conducting routine enforcement of the northern no-fly zone. An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle responded in self-defense by launching an AGM-130 at the radar site.
The AGM-130A is a powered air-to-surface missile designed for high- and low-altitude strikes at standoff ranges against a variety of targets.
Also in self-defense, two F-15E's dropped two GBU-12 precision-guided munitions at the same radar site, on the actual missile launchers.
A second incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. Iraqi time. A group of Air Force F-15E's acting in self-defense after being targeted, dropped two GBU-12 precision-guided munitions on an Iraqi Skyguard surface-to-air missile site.
In a third incident at about the same time, F-15E's acting in self-defense dropped two GBU-12 precision-guided munitions on an anti-aircraft artillery system and its associated radar that threatened coalition aircraft.
The fourth incident occurred close to 3:30 p.m. Iraqi time, when F-15E's acting in self-defense dropped GBU-12s on another anti-aircraft artillery site.
In a fifth incident at about 4:30 p.m. Iraqi time, a Marine EA-6B Prowler fired a high-speed antiradiation missile in response to being targeted by a radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery system.
Finally in the sixth incident a minute later, F-15E's responded defensively by dropping GBU-12s on a separate anti-aircraft artillery site.
At about 2:20 a.m. EST Jan. 31, coalition air forces flying an Operation Southern Watch mission struck two Iraqi military sites, one near Al Amarah and another near Talil, in response to Iraqi provocations.
Two U.S. Navy F-14s, two FA-18s, one EA-6B, one U.S. Air Force F-16CJ and two British Royal Air Force GR-1 aircraft, operating from land and sea bases in the Southwest Asia region, responded by attacking these two sites.
Al Amarah is about 120 miles southeast of Baghdad, and Talil about 170 miles southeast of Baghdad. There were no coalition aircraft damaged during the incident.
At about 3:20 p.m. EST, an Air Force F-16J Fighting Falcon, acting in self-defense, launched a high-speed antiradiation missile at a radar system north of Mosul. The radar system was active and posed a threat to the F-16J and coalition forces conducting routine enforcement of the northern no-fly zone in Iraq.
Battle damage assessment continues in all of these incidents.
Since Operation Desert Fox, according to a U.S. Central Command statement, "the Iraqi military has been increasing both the pace and severity of no-fly zone violations. Despite repeated warnings, Iraqi actions and intentions pose serious threats to our aircrews and our actions today are an appropriate response to these threats.
"The U.S. and coalition aircraft enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq continuously assess the level of threat posed by the Iraqi forces and take actions necessary to reduce these threats and to defend themselves."
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
