Special Operations.Com
U.S.
Special Operations in Operation Desert Storm
1990
- 1991
BLU-82 "Daisy
Cutter" 15,000 lb. bomb dropped on Iraqi forces
following the downing of Spirit 03.
(CONTINUED)
AFSOCCENT
conducted two other DA missions: dropping
BLU-82 bombs and AC-130 fire missions. The
BLU-82 "Daisy Cutters” were 15,000 pound bombs
capable of destroying everything in a three mile radius
on the flat desert terrain. Because of the anti-aircraft
threat, AFSOCCENT planners determined that the bomb
should be dropped from 16,000 to 21,000 feet. Accordingly,
MC-130E Combat Talons flew five missions that dropped
a total of 11 BLU-82s on minefields and Iraqi military
positions. These huge bombs cleared wide routes through
minefields, and their enormous blast either killed
the enemy or acted as a potent psychological operations
weapon.
AC-130s
flew fire missions in support of ground forces, to
attack the SCUD missile sites, and to engage Iraqi
troops. Although these aircraft belonged to AFSOCCENT
they were under the operational control of Central
Command’s air component, CENTAF. This arrangement
resulted in the AC- 130s being used for inappropriate
missions in medium threat areas. After an AC-130H
was engaged by SAMs while on a SCUD hunting mission,
the AFSOCCENT commander was given mission oversight
responsibility to ensure these SOF assets were used
correctly.
On
31 January 1991, AFSOCCENT suffered the single worst
air loss by any coalition unit when an AC-130H
Spectre gunship (“Spirit 03”) was shot down while
providing fire support to U.S. Marines defending Khafji
against an Iraqi attack. Three gunships were airborne
that morning over the Marines, and the first two had
destroyed numerous Iraqi armored personnel carriers.
At 0600, “Spirit
03” was due to end its patrol when it received
a call from the Marines, who wanted a missile battery
engaged. The crew of “Spirit 03” took out the battery,
but as dark gave way to daylight, a surface-to-air
missile hit the aircraft. At 0635, the aircraft sent
out a “mayday” distress call and then crashed into
the gulf. All 14 crewmembers died.
During
DESERT STORM, British Special Operations Forces carried
out their own missions in western Iraq. One British
mission - very close to Baghdad - included four American
SOF personnel (three Special Forces and one Combat Controller)
brought along to coordinate close air support. Their
goal was to destroy a buried fiber optic cable supposedly
used for SCUD command and control. The twenty Brits
and four Americans were inserted by two helicopters
on the night of 23 January slightly southwest of Baghdad.
Digging teams found and cut several cables, but found
no fiber optic cable. They then crammed 800 pounds of
explosives into the hole and blew up what was left of
the cables. After 11/2 hours on the ground, the team
returned safely to Al Jouf by helicopter.
Naval
Special Warfare units also had direct
action
missions. On 18 January 1991, when
U.S.
helicopters came under fire from seven oil
platforms
in the Durrah oil field, NSWTG elements
counterattacked. SEALs boarded and cleared each of
the seven platforms, capturing prisoners, weapons3
and documents. Eight special boat unit personnel and
32 Kuwaiti Marines also seized Qaruli Island on 8
February, Maradim Island the next day, and Kubbar
Island on 14 February-these operations were the first
reclamation of Kuwaiti territory. In the final hours
of the war, NSWTG and Kuwaiti forces seized Bubiyan
Island and captured its Iraqi defenders. SEALs also
flew aboard Navy helicopters for both CSAR and countermine
missions, during which they destroyed 26 moored or
floating mines.
THE
LIBERATION OF KUWAIT CITY -
OPERATION URBAN FREEDOM
SOCCENT
assisted Kuwaiti forces in liberating their capital
city and reestablishing Kuwaiti governmental authority.
SOCCENT initiated Operation URBAN FREEDOM when allied
forces reached the outskirts of Kuwait City. SOCCENT
deployed to Kuwait City International Airport on 27
February, along with 3d SFG(A) teams and other personnel.
Surprisingly, the Iraqis had abandoned the city, and
the liberation forces met little organized opposition.
As a precautionary measure, SOF units conducted a
“take down” of the US Embassy compound in Kuwait City.
A ground convoy, composed of SEAL fast attack vehicles
and 3rd SFG(A) soldiers, surrounded the
compound while a Special Forces assault force fast
roped onto the roofs of buildings and searched for
Iraqis and booby traps. None were found.
SCUD
HUNTING
NOTE:
For more information on SCUD Hunting, check here.
Coalition
forces had air superiority in the skies over Iraq
and Kuwait from the war’s first air strikes on 17
January 1994. Unable to do battle in the air, Saddam
Hussein struck back with a clumsy, unsophisticated
weapon-the SCUD missile-which he ordered to be launched
at Israel. Tactically, the SCUD would not have a major
impact, but its strategic effect was felt on 18 January,
when seven SCUDs hit Israeli cities. If continued
attacks brought Israel into the war, then the Coalition
aligned against Saddam might crumble. General Schwarzkopf’s
insistence that the SCUD was not a significant military
weapon did little to placate the Israelis or ease
the pressure on the Bush Administration. By the end
of the first week of the war, over 30 SCUDs had been
launched at targets in Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The air campaign was not working fast enough
to
eradicate the mobile SCUD launchers.
By
the end of January, the diplomatic pressure on the
Bush Administration was such that General Powell ordered
General Schwarzkopf to use Special Operations Forces
to hunt SCUDs and stop them from being fired at Israel.
A Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF), made
up of special operations air and ground units, arrived
in Saudi Arabia by 1 February. Operating from a base
at Ar Ar in western Saudi Arabia, the JSOTF had a
daunting mission: stop the SCUD attacks on Israel.
Reconnaissance and surveillance teams would have to
go hundreds of miles inside western Iraq and attack
the SCUD infrastructure.
The
first JSOTF cross-border mission, consisting of 16
SOF personnel and two vehicles, occurred on 7 February.
It set the pattern for subsequent cross-border operations.
Armed MH-60K Blackhawks, called Defensive Armed
Penetrators (DAPs), accompanied the insertions. Once
on the ground, the teams hid during the day and conducted
reconnaissance at night. These SOF operations proved
to be so successful-especially the Blackhawk attacks
on SCUDs and SCUD-related targets-that General Schwarzkopf
on 14 February approved augmenting the JSOTF with
a reinforced Ranger company and more 160th
Special Operations Aviation Regiment helicopters.
By
the time the ground war started, the
JSOTF
was conducting a wide range of
operations.
As many as four SOF teams at a
time
were inside Iraq, conducting operations
against
the SCUD complexes. These teams
called
in F-15E, F-16, and A-b sorties to strike
the
targets they found. On 26 February, SOF
attacked
a radio relay site: first, AH-6
attack
helicopters
peppered the radio relay compound
with
mini-gun and rocket fire; Rangers then
secured
the compound and set charges to
destroy
the 100-meter tall tower. The
Blackhawks
also conducted “Thunder Runs,”
which
were direct action missions on SCUDs (see photo
gallery below), their
lines of communication, and other command and control
facilities. The JSOTF also used “Gator” minefields
to limit SCUD mobile launcher movement. Because of
JSOTF operations, the number of SCUD launches fell
dramatically, and their accuracy was greatly impaired.
NEXT
FEATURE!
Scud Hunting Photo Gallery
Unidentified
US Army SCUD hunting patrol in Western Iraq
Gun
camera footage of an MH-60K DAP zeroing in on a confirmed
SCUD launcher.
Gen.
Schwartzkopf congratulates SCUD hunters at Ar Ar Airfield.
END
