RAF Tornado Units of Gulf War I

2021-05-27 History

Author : Michael Napier
Release : 2021-05-27
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 102/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis RAF Tornado Units of Gulf War I by : Michael Napier

Download or read book RAF Tornado Units of Gulf War I written by Michael Napier. This book was released on 2021-05-27. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the Gulf Crisis of 1990 was triggered by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the RAF responded by sending Tornado F 3 fighters to Saudi Arabia to help defend the country against further aggression. These aircraft were followed by the deployment of Tornado GR 1 strike/attack aircraft to Bahrain. Eventually three wings of Tornado GR 1s were established in Bahrain, Tabuk and Dhahran, as well as a detachment of Tornado GR 1A reconnaissance aircraft. At the start of hostilities in January 1991, the Tornado GR 1 wings carried out night-low-level attacks against Iraqi Main Operating Bases using the JP233 runway denial weapon. Meanwhile, Combat Air Patrols from the Tornado F 3 wing ensured the integrity of Saudi airspace. Once air supremacy had been established, the Tornado GR 1 force moved to medium-level operations, initially by night and later by day, to attack the Iraqi oil production and storage infrastructure. The arrival in theatre of a laser designation capability with Pave Spike/Buccaneer and TIALD/Tornado enabled precision attacks against the Iraq transport system to cut off the frontline troops from resupply and reinforcement and then to carry out a systematic destruction of the airfield facilities. Tornado GR 1A reconnaissance operations played a major role in the location of Scud missile launchers and in the planning and execution of the land offensive. Throughout the conflict, the Tornado F 3 wing at Dhahran carried out defensive counter-air operations to ensure the safety of the base areas. This volume, publishing 30 years after the conflict to free Kuwait, provides detailed first-hand accounts of the missions undertaken by the Tornado crews. It is illustrated by photographs taken by aircrew involved in the operation and includes 30 newly commissioned profile artworks and detailed nose art views of the aircraft ranged against Iraq.

RAF Tornado Units in Combat 1992-2019

2022-01-20 History

Author : Michael Napier
Release : 2022-01-20
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 254/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis RAF Tornado Units in Combat 1992-2019 by : Michael Napier

Download or read book RAF Tornado Units in Combat 1992-2019 written by Michael Napier. This book was released on 2022-01-20. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the Gulf War of 1990, No Fly Zones (NFZ) were established over northern and southern Iraq and the Tornado GR 1 force stepped up to operations over the southern NFZ. The Tornado GR 4 took responsibility for RAF combat air operations in Afghanistan from the Harrier force in 2009, and in 2011 was involved in missions against the Gaddafi regime in Libya. The unique multirole capabilities of the aircraft enabled it to support ground operations with the Raptor reconnaissance pod, Brimstone missiles and Paveway IV laser-guided bombs until withdrawal in 2014. The Tornado GR 4 was also used for operations over Iraq and Syria against the ISIL terrorist organisation. Intensive air operations were flown between 2014 and 2019, when the Tornado GR 4 was finally withdrawn from RAF Service. This volume, written by former RAF pilot Michael Napier, provides detailed first-hand accounts of the missions undertaken by the Tornado crews during the most recent conflicts over the Middle East and the Balkans.

Tornado GR1

2017-06-30 History

Author : Michael Napier
Release : 2017-06-30
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 045/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Tornado GR1 by : Michael Napier

Download or read book Tornado GR1 written by Michael Napier. This book was released on 2017-06-30. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Replacing the Vulcan, Buccaneer and Jaguar in the front line of the Cold War, the remarkable swing-winged Tornado GR1 provided Britains strike capability in the last years of the Cold War in the 1980s, equipping some 10 RAF squadrons. During the Gulf War, Tornado GR1 crews led Britains contribution to Coalition operations against Iraq, and in the subsequent years Tornado GR1s were involved almost continuously in operations over Iraq. In 1999 the Tornado GR1 force carried out offensive missions over Kosovo as part of NATO operations in the Balkans.The Tornado GR1s Terrain Following Radar gave the aircraft a unique capability: it was the first RAF aircraft to have the ability to operate at low-level at night and in all-weathers. The incredible flexibility of both the aircraft and its crews was demonstrated by the successful switch to medium-level operations using laser-guided weapons after the Cold War.Produced in the same style format as Javelin: An Operational History (which approaches the subject from the perspective of the RAF squadrons which operated the aircraft), Tornado GR1: An Operational History describes in detail the accomplishments and day-to-day workings of the operational RAF Tornado GR1 units in the UK, Germany, the Middle East and across the globe. The book is underpinned by research from original official documents, augmented by the personal accounts by Tornado air- and ground-crews. It is richly illustrated throughout with photographs of the aircraft.

The Royal Air Force

2018-02-22 History

Author : Michael Napier
Release : 2018-02-22
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 381/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Royal Air Force by : Michael Napier

Download or read book The Royal Air Force written by Michael Napier. This book was released on 2018-02-22. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fully illustrated history of the Royal Air Force while on operations, publishing to mark the centenary of its foundation in World War I. The world's first independent air force, the Royal Air Force celebrates its centenary in 2018. In the 100 years since the end of World War I, the service has been involved in almost continuous operations around the globe, giving the RAF the longest and most wide-ranging history of any air force in the world. But over the years this history has also become entangled with myths. The Royal Air Force: A Centenary of Operations sets the record straight, dispelling these as it uncovers – in both words and photographs – the true exploits and accomplishments of RAF personnel over the last 100 years. From its formation as an independent service in the dying days of World War I, its desperate fight against the Axis air forces in World War II, to its commitments during both the Cold War and modern times, this is the complete story of how the RAF has defended Britain for a century.

Airpower against an Army: Challenge and Response in CENTAF's Duel with the Republican Guard

Author : William F. Andrews
Release :
Genre :
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 568/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Airpower against an Army: Challenge and Response in CENTAF's Duel with the Republican Guard by : William F. Andrews

Download or read book Airpower against an Army: Challenge and Response in CENTAF's Duel with the Republican Guard written by William F. Andrews. This book was released on . Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly two decades the United States Air Force (USAF) oriented the bulk of its thinking, acquisition, planning, and training on the threat of a Soviet blitzkrieg across the inter German border. The Air Force fielded a powerful conventional arm well rehearsed in the tactics required to operate over a central European battlefield. Then, in a matter of days, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait altered key assumptions that had been developed over the previous decade and a half. The USAF faced a different foe employing a different military doctrine in an unexpected environment. Instead of disrupting a fast paced land offensive, the combat wings of the United States Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) were ordered to attack a large, well fortified, and dispersed Iraqi ground force. The heart of that ground force was the Republican Guard Forces Command (RGFC). CENTAF's mission dictated the need to develop an unfamiliar repertoire of tactics and procedures to meet theater objectives. How effectively did CENTAF adjust air operations against the Republican Guard to the changing realities of combat? Answering that question is central to this study, and the answer resides in evaluation of the innovations developed by CENTAF to improve its operational and tactical performance against the Republican Guard. Effectiveness and timeliness are the primary criteria used for evaluating innovations.

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