10 years after the storm - aerial assaults during Operation Desert Storm - Brief Article

Airman, Feb, 2001

It took 43 days of continuous aerial assaults 10 years ago to illustrate air power could demoralize a field army. The first squadron of F-15s arrived in Saudi Arabia within 38 hours of the deployment order, ready to face Iraqi forces.

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm kept 256 KC-135s and 46 KC-10s busy refueling planes from every U.S. military service and some allied forces. The 178.4 million gallons of fuel used to keep aircraft flying was enough to fill the gas tanks of every automobile in Texas and Oklahoma.

By the Feb. 27, 1991, cease-fire, the Persian Gulf airlift had become the largest since World War II. More than 482,000 passengers and 513,000 tons of cargo had been airlifted. Air Force C-S Galaxies and C-141 Starlifters moved 72 percent of the cargo and one-third of the people. And for the first time, the Civil Reserve Air Fleet was activated, nearly doubling U.S. airlift capability with the temporary addition of 158 commercial aircraft.

Operation Desert Storm Air Force statistics

Airmen deployed:

55,000

Fatalities:

20 killed in action

6 non-combat deaths

Combat sorties:

65,000 -- 59% of coalition effort

Air-to-air kills:

31 out of 35 fixed wing

5 out of 6 helicopter

Munitions dropped:

more than 84,200 tons -- 74% of total

7,400 precision tonnage

Air refueling Desert Shield/Storm:

256 KC-135 Stratotankers

46 KC-10 Extenders

60,543 aircraft refueled

178.4 million gallons

Aircraft lost to enemy fire: 14

5 - A-10 Thunderbolts

1 - AC-130 Hercules

2 - F-15 Eagles

5 - F-16 Falcons

1 - F-4G Wild Weasel

Overall mission capable rate:

92% (higher than peacetime)

                             Aircraft types
                 Reconnaissance &       Transports &
Combat aircraft  special duty aircraft  tankers
A-10, OA-10A     E-3B/C                 C-5A/B
AC-130H          E-8A                   C-12
B-52G            EC-130H                C-20A/B
F-4G             EF-111                 C-21A
F-15C/D/E        MC-130H                C-130
F-16A/C/D        HC-130N/P              C-141B
F-111F           MH-53J                 KC-10
F-117            MH-60                  KC-135A/E/R
                 RC-135
                 RF-4C
                 TR-1