1991 Operations after the war

02 Apr 91 (Tuesday: Day 74) US Security Council passes Resolution 687 to end the Gulf War

- Iraq must give up weapons of massed destruction

- Iraq must compinsate Kuwait for all losses

- 6 mile into Iraq and 3 mile into Kuwait DMZ established

- Iraq recognizes 1963 borders

- Iraq must renounce terrorism

05 Apr 91 Operation Provide Comfort begins

A rotating detachment of 11 x F-111F's from Lakenhealth which moved to

Incirlik, Turkey on 25Sep91 and served until 02Oct92 when they were

relieved by aircraft from Cannon AFB and the aircraft from Lakenheath were

sent back to Cannon.

09 Apr 91 UNSC Resolution 689 establishes the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission

11 Apr 91 Todate USN has found and destroyed 553 anti-ship mines. Todate Coalition ships have

intercepted 8770 ships, boarded 1117, & diverted 61. The USN boarded 590 ships.

DoD released 141 Killed, 118 non-combat deaths, 357 wounded, 6 MIA.

LOSSES:

v (1) F-16A from the 174th TFW was lost in a landing accident

- 6I-176, Blk 15

- Syracuse ANG

- Nose gear tire blew, aborted put aircraft off runway

- destroyed by fire, but pilot alright

- previously combat damaged aircraft from SAM

- 8th F-16 non-combat loss since August 1990

- additional 4 combat losses

26 Apr 91 Operation "Provide Comfort" continues as US, British, French, Canadian, and

Dutch Forces are providing security for over 600,000 refugee Kurds that have

fled into the mountains along the Iranian and Turkish Borders. Tons of supplies and

mediacal help is being airlifted in and "tent-cities" are being built at the lower

elevations to draw the Kurds down. Marine Units are also deployed

European (USAFE/AAFCE) Command F-16 and F-15 aircraft are maintaining

air cover for the operation. Pentagon Base closures will move the 66 x F-111E and

12 x EF-111A aircraft from RAF Upper Heyford to Cannon AFB, NM. They will be

joined by the EF-111A's being transferred from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

01 May 91 (Wed) 72 x A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft of the 81st TFW stationed at RAF Bentwaters

(92nd & 510th TFS) and RAF Woodbridge (78th &91st TFS) will be returned to

the states. 10th TFW (509th & 511th TFS) A-10A's & the TR-1's from the 17th RW

(95th RS) will be returning to the US. 39th SOW at Rhein-Mein will move to RAF Alconbury. The Joint Analysis Center (Stuttgart) to RAF Molesworth (Combs)

05 May 91 (Sun: Day 108) Silopi, Turkey......Relief efforts for Operation "Provide Comfort" are in

full swing. A 50 Bed USAF Air Transportable Field Hospital from RAF Lakenheath under

Col (Dr.) Daniel Cohen

v 11 Doctors and 19 Nurses and dozens of support personnel (total 117)

v 1st casualty was a Marine killed in a discharge accident

v support the Kurdish Hospital at Zakho, Iraq

07 May 91 Special Operations Squadron's support relief effort in Turkey/Northern Iraq

v Units from the 1st Special Operations Wing (SOW)

... 7th SOS (Rhein-Main AFB)

... 21st SOS (RAF Woodbridge)

... 67th SOS (RAF Woodbridge)

v Units from the 1st SOW

... 20th SOS (Hurlburt Field, Fla)

v Units from the 1720 Special Tactics Group (Hurlburt Field, Fla)

... 1723rd Special Tactics Squadron (RAF Woodbridge)

31 May 91 General John A. Shaud, Chief of Staff at HQ SHAPE, presented 5 RAF Lakenheath,

48th TFW, F-111F aircrewmen with Silver Stars for Gallantry in the Gulf War

v LtCol James Slaton

v Capt John F. Daughtry, from Muleshoe, Texas

... Slaton and Daughtry were a crew

... Attacked the Iraqi Nuclear Research Facility on 4 Feb

... Slaton commanded a 28 aircraft package

... "...most heavily facility in the Middle East", DIA assessment

... Iraqi's were now aware that they were coming in high and geared

everything up for that

... Previously hit by F-16's and F-117's. There was no significant

damage to the target but an F-16 and pilot were lost.

... So much AAA/SAM activity that the Weasels expended all of their

HARM's and were forced to withdraw with the F-15 CAP

... Slaton and two other aircraft made it to the target

... Slaton lead the aircraft under the cloud deck over the target

... The Weapon System failed but Daughtry fixed it and dropped

... Scored a direct hit on the main reactor component building

v LtCol Denny Ertler, from Federal Way, Washington

... Capt Keith Zuegel was his WSO

... on 1st night (17Jan) leading a flight of (6) F-111F's in an attack on

hardened shelters on Ali al Salem AB in Kuwait

... despite (3) SAM's and heavy AAA which forces three of the six to

turn back, Ertler pressed on and destroyed the target with GBU-24's

v Capt Mark Chance

v Capt Mike McKelvey

... McKelvey & Chance were a crew

... Night attack (19Jan) on Al Habbaniyah Airfield in Iraq

... McKelvey took command of the flight because the original leader had

a mid-air collision with the tanker

... Part of a (14) aircrat package: F-111F/EF-111A, F-4G, F-15C

... Capt James McGovern & Capt Will ward were Wingman

... EF-111A's couldn't catch up and F-4G's were delayed

... RHAW strobe that MiG-29 fired an air-to-air missile, executed

a 5G break & dispensed chaff, missile seen to blow-up in the clouds

... Climbed above the flak and cratered the runway

12 Jun 91 DoD Announces Southweat Asia Medal and Campaign

v Operation Desert Shield now Defense of Saudi Arabia Campaign

02Aug90 to 16Jan91

v Operation Desert Storm now Liberation and Defense of Kuwait

Campaign, 16Jan91 to present

19 Jun 91 The RAF admitted that it will be removing some of the modifications made to its

Tornado's sent to fight the Gulf War. The Mk XII IFF equipment, Have Quick 2 secure

radios, GPS, overwing launch rails for AIM-9's (Jaguars), RCS reduction kits on the

F-3 and GR.1's, and software tapes quickly created for the Gulf deployment. (Flight,

19-25Jun91, p26)

26 Jun 91 The USAF began to form a Composite Air Wing at Dhahran Air Base in Saudi Arabia

Details are still sketchy but it appears to be a buildup for possible actions necessary

against Iraq to emsure that its nuclear weapons capability is surrendered to the UN

01 Jul 91 (Mon) 18 x F-16"C" aircraft with LANTIRN Nav & Attack Pods from the 347th TFW

have assembled at Moody AFB for a second transit to the Gulf

v Forming a new Composite Wing at Dhrahan AB, Saudi Arabia

v USS Nimitz is in the Gulf and mthe USS Forrestal is in the Med

v (1) Squadron of F-117's remain at King Khalid

v (1) Squadron of F-111's are deployed to Turkey

28 Jul 91 (Sun) President Bush on the eve of the Soviet Summit in Moscow is getting more and more disturbed over the lack of Saddam Hussein to "come clean" over the nuclear,

chemical and biological weapons issues

v Israel has begun to take deliver of its 3rd batch (PM III) of F-16's.

... (075) F-16A/B's in 1980/1981

... (075) F-16C/D's in 1986/1988

.. (030) F-16C + (30) F-16D 1991/1992

.. (207) will be in operations

31 Jul 91 (Wed) Kuwait's leadership fired 14 x senior military officers for incompetence during

the Iraqi invasion

v 16 Kuwaiti POW's were freed by Iraq, has 3400 more, but Kuwait only

wants the 128 remaining Kuwaiti citizens

v 600,000 Kurds are said to remain in the mountains

01 Aug 91 (Thur) The 11th Armoured Calvary Division might remain in Kuwait beyond 1 Sep.

The 1st Calvary Division Artillery fired tens-of-thousands of 155mm shells,

thousands of MRLS Rockets and 30 CopperHead Laser Guided shells during the War.

400 MRLS were fired in a 90 sec volley and about 70% of the 155 shells were dual

purpose improved conventional munitions. Japanese minesweepers now patrolling Iran

& Iraq territorial waters and have cleared 31 mines without incident

02 Aug 91 (Fri) 1st anniversary of the invasion as Senate approves resolution to eliminate any

Iraqi weapons programs of mass destruction

05 Aug 91 (Mon) Iraq started returning Gold Bars to Kuwait, each weighed to check for

"shavings". 3216 bars were stolen, 2400 would be returned by 12Aug

Kurds slipped into Turjey and attacked a border post, Turkish aircrat, tanks, and

troops executed a "hot pursuit" to bases 19km inside the Iraqi border

v F-4's and F-104's fly 92 missions

v Turkey declares a 3 mile buffer zone with shoot-on-sight rules

Moroccan F-5's and F-1's are bombing Polisario positions at Tifariti near the

Muritanian Border as it sets up its F-16A Program

Maj Gen Shchitov, delegation commander for the Russian Knights, a (6) Su-27 aerobatic

team, visited RAF Finningley setting up their 20/21 Sept 91 shown debut

08 Aug 91 (Thur) Iraqi troops are slipping into Kuwait to recover abandoned weapons, several thousand infantry weapons and 15 Silkworm missiles were seen moving

19 Aug 91 298 of the 640 oild fires were put out on the 12th of August. Romanian and

Hungarian oil fire fighting crews arrive on 6 Aug. US Army engineers clear wreckage

from around wells. Saudi Arabia agrees to buy British ALARM ARM Missiles

v Iraq is supposed to have rebuilt 81 of the 124 bridges destroyed (65%)

v the 4th and last Soviet "Slava" Class Cruiser was launched on the 15th

bringing an end for the first time since WWII a period where no new Cruiser Class

capital ships are under construction in the USSR.

v The Su-37 single engine ligthweight fighter is in India for fligh-demo.

Iraq's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical weapon development programs have been seen

to be farther advanced than expected. Plutonium (3 oz) was discovered and the

processes by which it is made. Iraq is alo not cooperating with names of companies and

countries sending the material

v Defense News said in an article "Remedies for US Friendly Fire Incidents to

Prove Vixing" that between 2000 and 4000 HARM's were expended during the Gulf War.

25 Aug 91 Kuwaiti Troops capture 40 Iraqi's who were part of a scavenging team into Kuwaiti

territory.

28 Aug 91 Exchange of gunfire between Iraq salvage teams and Kuwaiti border troops.

13 Sep 91 (Fri) President Bush declared that he was "pleanty fed up" with Iraq's failure to

comply with UN requirements to cooperate on locating nuclear resource sites.

US Forces in the region number around 35,000, down from the 540,000 of the war

days, around 200 aircraft are included at sea and at bases.

... F-15/F-16/F-117/F-4G/F-14/F-18/A-6/EF-111/E-3A/AV-8B/Cobra/Apache

... Army has 11,261 troops in the area

... USAF had 4,750 personnel

... USMC numbered 4,176

... USN forces numbered 16,178

Iraq admitted at the end of the war to have 52 SCUD missiles remaining, but the UN

inspectors have already destroyed more than that and many more are suspected

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have found increasing evidence

that the Iraq Nuclear program was very near production of weapons and advanced

fusion technology and research facilities. The IAEA made 20 visits into Iraq & published a 35 page summary report on their findings. 3 secret uranium enrichment

facilities were the big surprises. Iraq admitted to having 10,000 chemical warheads

but inspectors have destroyed more than our times that already (46,000) plus 30

chemical SCUD warheads, 6400 155mm artillery shells with mustard and 6120 MRLS rocket warheads with nerve agents. Biological weapons have yet to be found.

Members of the 32nd TFS/32nd TFG from Soesterberg fought their F-15's against

German MiG-29's during a deployment to Decimomannu AB

... the Squadron served in the Gulf War and achieved 1 x MiG-23 Kill

(by Capt Don Waltrous), AF Times, 14Oct91, pg 25

... stationed at Incirlik AB, Turkey

... Maj Richard Jones, OpsO

... worked on the ACMI with the MiG-29's

20 Sep 91 (Fri) US and Kuwait sign a 10 year military alliance agreement that broadens

the long term presence of American Forces in the Gulf. Represents the first

of many agreements with all of the Gulf Countries

... ports for US Navy ships

... the storage of military equipment

... joint training and exercises

Russian Knights perform at RAF Leuchars with (6) Su-27 Flankers, in preparation for

the RAF Finningley Air Show on the 21st.

23 Sep 91 (Mon) The Saudi's have requested up to 26 Patriot Missile Batteries from the US, but only one or two are being sent to build-up for possible hostilities again with Iraq

The Pentagon has said that it would send around 70 tactical USAF aircraft and a

contingent of Ground Forces to help protect the UN Observers

v 53rd TFW (Bitburg AB, Germany) F-15's remain

... LtCol Randy Bigum, Commanding

... Maj Hank Lade

... average sortie is eight hours

v 10th TFS/50th TFW, F-16C's from Hahn AFB utilize 5-6 hour missions

25 Sep 91 (Wed) 24 x F-111F aircraft were returned to Incirlik Air Basem to resume duties as

as a deterrent force to the re-building Iraqi military. 96 x Patriot missiles and

1400 troops to man its associated Battery are being sent to Saudi Arabia to defend

against any additional Iraqi IRBM threat. General Joseph P. Hoar (USMC), the new Commander of CENTCOM, is already in the region becoming familiar with the assembled

units and allied forces. LtGen Charles A. Horner (USAF) may be returning if the

aviation build-up gets larger. As it turned out, Horner got a promotion and is now the

head of Space Command.

26 Sep 9 The first four Soviet Carrier pilots brought their naval variants of the Su-27 aboard

the Carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" in the Black Sea off the Crimea

v 4 x Su-27K Flanker D's

v LtCol Apakidze, Col Yakovlev, Col Yedush, and Col Artemyev all began

training for the deployment in May 1991

04 Oct 91 (Fri) The Iraqi's claim that 4 x Israeli F-15's were spotted on a reconnaissance flight

over Western Iraqi airspace. The aircraft came via Syrian airspace. The aircraft

made a surveillance of the H-1 and H-2 base complexes before returning to Israel vis Saudi and Jordanian airspace (Flight International, 16-22Oct91, pg 16)

21 Oct 91 (Mon) Saddam decorates 8 x top Iraqi Field Commanders with a new Military Award,

"The order of the Sword of the Mother of All Battles" and several Political Aids with

"The Order of the Two Rivers" for their "victories" during the Gulf War. Turkey

accused Iraq of supplying weapons to Kurds living in Turkey, this was supported by

Western Diplomats. Post War analysis indicates that no Iraqi SAM's were fired in a

guided mode at US Navy aircraft and less than 15% of those fired at USAF Aircraft

were guiding. Only 3 x USAF aircraft were considered actually lost to SAM's.

At any given time only 25% of the assembled TACAIR resources were utililized

in the Gulf War because it took 100% of the EW resources to support them

v (260) late model ALQ-131/Blk 2 were assigned to over 1000 aircraft

... had 180 hour MTBF (40 hours were specified in factory tests)

... 4487th EWAS

v (250) older ALQ-119 pods + (50) ALQ-101's + around (25) ALQ-184's

which are modernized 119's for F-4G Weasels

22 Oct 91 (Tue) Syria & Iran were reported by Flight International Magazine (22 Oct 91, pg 15),

as having joined their SSM development work. Negotiations started in early 1991 and were finalized in the visit to Teheran in late September by General Hikmat Shihabi,

Syrian Chief of Staff. North Korea has already helped the Syrians with at least one shippment of SCUD-C SSM's. The Syrians want to host a production center utilizing

Iranian money. Most of the Iranian research in a nuclear capabile IRBM is at J'Abel

Airfield complex. Chinese M-9 missiles have also been purchased. The Israeli's also

said that Syria intended to make $1.5 billion in arms purchases from the Commonwealth

of Independent States (CIS) which will include additional MiG-29's, Su-24 Fencer's, and

for the first time the SA-10 "Grumble" strategic SAM system. Funding guarantees are expected from the grants earned from Coalition supporters (over $2 billion Israel's

present assessment of Syria includes:

... 20 to 40 MiG-29 Fighters

... 20 Su-24 Fencer D's

24 Oct 91 Only 44 Oil fires remain in Kuwait. Iraq said that it will rely on foreign firms to

rebuild its oil production capability. Rolf Ekeus, Chairman of UN commission on Iraqi Weapons said his group was developing the means to destroy components and equipment

26 Oct 91 UN experts find Iraqi plays for a small nuclear missile warhead

30 Oct 91 The US released $22 million in aid held during the War

01 Nov 91 (Fri) Intensity of fighting between the Turks and Kurds is steadily rising. Kurds living

in Turkey are receiving weapons and mineing roads. (3) died trying to lay mines on 24 Oct. Turkish airstrikes were launched against Kurdish PKK camps insode of Iraq in

retaliation for their raids on Cukurca, this was the 3rd time the TuAF attacked.

Turkish General Dogan Gures is quoted as saying "We are going to annihlate them". President Ozal met with Kurdish PUK leader Talabani on 27 Oct 91, and promised to pay reparations for attacks on towns. By the end of the month, Turkish ground forces were

making raids into Iraqi territory. Increasing use of gunship helicopters. Turkey plans to

cut its armed forces from 645,000 to 350,000 over the next decade while increasing

its Border Guards from 5,950 to 22,000. The current regiment/division system will

be replaced by a Battalion/Brigade/Division system relying on more volunteers

02 Nov 91 (Sat) Arms Purchases by Middle East Countries since the Gulf War ended:

... Bahrain: seeking PAC-2 Patriot

ordered (8) AH-64 Apache attack helo's

ordered (27) M60A3 tanks + support

... Egypt: ordered (212) M15A2 trucks

seeking PAC-2 Patriot

ordered (24) AH-64 Apache attack helo's

ordered (40) M88A1 tank recovery vehicles ($70 million)

ordered (2) Blackhawk VH-60A Helo's ($18.6 million)

ordered (46) F-16C/D + (240) Mk-84 bombs + 1000 Mk-82

bombs + (40) AGM-65G Mavericks + (160) CBU-187

cluster bombs + (80) Mk-20 Rockeye ($1.8 billion)

ordered from the UK, (6) Link-Y data link sets

... Turkey seeking (46) F-16C/D fighters ($1.3 billion)

... Iran delivered from the USSR (14) new MiG-29 fighters

seeking from the USSR Su-24's + MiG-23's + MiG-29's

seeking from the USSR SA-5 SAM's

collected from Iraq, (24) F-1 Mirage, (24) Su-24, (40) Su-22,

(4) Su-20C, (7) Su-25, (4) MiG-23, (4) MiG-23ML's, (1) MiG-23U,

(4) MiG-29's, plus commercial aircraft

seeking from Brazil, ammo, AMX aircraft, ASTROS Rockets

... Israel ordered (2) MIM-104 Patriot fire units and Battery

delivered (10) AH-64 Apache Attack Helo's

delivered (15) F-15A/B fighters from USAF spares

ordered (11) F-15C/D new fighters ($67.3 million)

ordered from Germany, (8) FUCHS NBC Vehicles

ordered from Germany, (2) Dolphin Subs ($700 million)

ordered from Germany, co-development ATBM Radar ($400 million)

... Kuwait ordered from France, Mirage F-1's, refurbished Gazelle's, HOT

anti-tank & Exocet missiles ($180 million)

seeking (800) cargo trucks and hummers + (250) M1 Tanks

delivering (35) F/A-18C/D fighters ($305 million)

constructing (2) base restoration

... Oman seeking from France, (3) naval patrol boats

seeking from the UK, (60) Challenger II Tanks

ordered (119) V-300 Commando IFV's ($150 million)

ordered (2) Missile Corvettes ($254 million)

... Qatar delivered from France light armoured vehicles

ordered from South Africa, (12) 155mm G5 towed howitzers

... Saudi

Arabia delivered from NATO bases, (12) F-15C/D fighters

ordered (150) M60A3 tanks ($206 million) + (15,000) 105mm

artillery shells + 150 reloads ($12 milion) + AIM-9L and

AIM-7 missiles + (150) M1A1 tanks + (200) Bradley AFV's +

(1750) TOW missiles + (207) M113 APC's + (50) M548 cargo

carriers + (17) M88A1 recovery vehicles + (150) TOW

launchers + (9) MRLS with (2880 rockets + (9) M755A2 command

post carriers + (20) VRC-46 radios + (6) Patriot Units +

(12) Apache with Hellfire missiles + (24) spare launchers +

(6) UH-60 Medivac Blackhawks + Naval upgrade for C3 +

(10,000) trucks and vehicles + (7) KC-130H tankers + (8)

C-130H and (2) C-130H-30 cargo aircraft.

ordered (2500) Hummers ($123 million)

ordered (2486) BMY trucks

ordered AWACS and tanker support ($350 million)

ordered Peace Shield Air Defense System ($837 million)

ordered (2000) Mk-84 + (2100) CBU-87 + (770) AIM-7M

+ laser guided bomb kits ($365 million)

seeking (14) PAC-2 Patriot ($2.3 billion)

seeking from Germany, (100) FUCHS NBC Vehicles ($2.3 million)

ordered from France, (6) Super Puma Helos + (20) small

patrol boats ($20 million)

seeking from France, Mistral AD Missile ($600 million)

ordered from France, (12) Crotale Batteries

delivered from Brazil, (10,000) ASTROS Rockets

considering from the UK, (48) Tornados

... Syria delivered from North Korea, (54) SCUD Missiles ($400 million)

ordered from the USSR, (300) Tanks, (50) fighters, EW radars,

C3 equipment, SA-11/13/16 SAM's ($2 billion)

... UAE ordered (2) C-130H-30 ($54.9 million)

ordered (20) Apache with Hellfire and Hydra 7 Rockets ($682 mil)

27 Dec 91 (Sun) An Iraqi MiG-25 fired an ATOLL Missile at a TR-1 reconnaissance plane

Gulf War 1991 Chronology

1991 Operations after the war