Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

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GROUND-BASED AIR DEFENSE SINCE 1990 one to infrared-guided SAMs, five to radar-guided missiles, and three to unknown agents. Of the 27 US aircraft lost on over 60,200 combat sorties, seven were credited to AAA, 12 to infrared-guided SAMs, five to radar-guided SAMs, one to MiGs, and two to other or unknown causes. Only one of the five American aircraft downed by Iraqi radar-guided SAMs was flying under the protection of Air Force Wild Weasels. 36 Coalition forces had won a great success. While some would later debate its political dimensions, it was clearly a great and overwhelming military victory. Air power played a major role in this achievement. In sharp contrast to the heavy losses the Airmen had suffered in previous wars and contrary to expectations, the cost in the Gulf conflict was relatively low. The Airmen had clearly beaten the ground defenders. For the moment, the offensive and Airmen had the advantage over the defensive and the ground defenders. Air Defense since 1991: Iraq, Balkans, and Afghanistan US dominance continued after the great military success in the Gulf War. While there were no direct challenges to US supremacy, there were smaller probes. These actions pitted the numerically and technically superior American Airmen against smaller and technically inferior third world (developing world) air defenses. Political success failed to follow the glorious 1991 military victory in the Persian Gulf. To protect rebellious Iraqis in the northern and southern portions of the country, the coalition flew aerial patrols to prevent Iraqi use of fixed-winged aircraft. Operations out of Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, covered the country north of 36 degrees under the code name Northern Watch, while operations south of 32 degrees (extended in September 1996 to the area south of 33 degrees) were initially called Provide Comfort, and in 1997, Southern Watch. Both saw spasmodic action as the Iraqis played cat-and-mouse games. The Iraqis sent their aircraft through the two zones to test and taunt the coalition airmen, turned on their radar, and fired both AAA and SAMs. The airmen responded. Up through May 1998, the coalition flew 229
GROUND-BASED AIR DEFENSE SINCE 1990 more than 175,000 sorties in the south and a comparable number in the north without combat loss. It also shot down a few Iraqi aircraft, fired rockets, and dropped bombs. 37 In December 1998, the Airmen took the initiative in response to Iraqi obstructionism regarding weapons’ inspectors. They flew 650 sorties in a four-day attack of 93 targets in Iraq. The Iraqis did not launch aircraft or medium-range SAMs against the coalition forces but did respond with short-range SAMs and AAA. Operation Desert Fox claimed to have destroyed 14 targets and severely damaged another 26 without loss or damage to Anglo-American aircraft. The two Watch operations were still in effect in 2002. 38 The breakup of Yugoslavia led to a conflict that drew NATO into the Balkans. In April 1993, the United Nations requested that NATO enforce a no-fly zone in the area. As in Iraq, the Airmen faced a large, partially modern, but certainly dangerous air defense system. The Air Force history of the engagement noted that the “planners recognized that the Serbian integrated air defenses were a fairly sophisticated system, but consisted principally of older equipment with limited numbers of potentially modified or third-generation weapons systems.” 39 It consisted of almost the full spectrum of Soviet air defense equipment: SA-2 (three launchers), SA-3 (16), SA-7/14/16 (more than 10,000), SA-6 (80), and SA-9 (130). The Serbs also fielded 54 ZSU-57-2 (57 mm) and 350 M53/59 (30 mm) AAA guns. The Serbs fired at the Airmen and were able to down a British Sea Harrier in April 1994 with a SAM and a US Air Force F-16 in June 1995 with an SA-6. In August of that year, Serb mortar attacks on Sarajevo ignited Operation Deliberate Force, an air campaign that continued from 30 August until 14 September 1995. Airmen from eight NATO countries flew 3,500 sorties on 11 days of attacks on 48 targets. There was one combat loss, a French Mirage claimed by a man-portable missile. 40 In mid-1999, the NATO alliance engaged in an air campaign to force the Serbian army out of Kosovo. Beginning with strikes on 24 March, Operation Allied Force lasted 78 days during which time the Airmen flew about 10,500 combat sorties (38,000 aircraft sorties in all) and almost 500 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sorties. The Serbs fired nearly 850 SAMs and untold 230
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Report Documentation Page Form Appr
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Air University Library Cataloging D
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Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER .
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CONTENTS Chapter Page 7 BALLISTIC M
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CONTENTS Figure Page 30 George Pred
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CONTENTS Figure Page 70 Blowpipe .
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Foreword Dr. Kenneth Werrell’s hi
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About the Author Dr. Kenneth P. Wer
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PREFACE excluded from the original
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PREFACE always been a factor in air
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Artillery Institute
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ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE THROUGH WORLD
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Figure 7. British 40 mm light antia
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES American air
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES (discussed la
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES flak rockets
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES 1953, the rat
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES to 1,285 in J
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES Figure 40. Ar
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES cember 1958,
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Figure 42. Nike Hercules. The Nike
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES Airmen test-f
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES Bomarc failed
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES Despite knowl
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES Figure 47. Ha
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES Army decided
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES The third fam
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES with both les
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES that fired ov
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES Figure 53. Br
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES The two-decad
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES A. H. Peterso
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FROM GUNS TO MISSILES “SAMs Spur
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Chapter 3 Airmen versus Guerrillas:
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS the next y
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS war with t
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS Figure 56.
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS firings fr
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS but modifi
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS War Vietna
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS D.C.: Depa
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AIRMEN VERSUS GUERRILLAS 97, 121; a
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Chapter 4 Operations between Vietna
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OPERATIONS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE
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INDEX Convair, 98 Crotale, 158 D-da
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INDEX Gulf of Tonkin incident, 115
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INDEX Remagen, 24, 57, 270 RF-4C, 1
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INDEX SAM, 34, 74, 81-82, 84, 87, 9
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Archie to SAM A Short Operational H
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