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00:12in the early morning hours of 17th of January 1991 coalition air forces unleashed a massive
00:18air assault on Iraqi forces in both Iraq and Kuwait the magnitude of the coalition air
00:25offensive dealt a crushing blow to Iraq's air defense network and soon allied aircraft roamed at
00:32will in the skies over the conflict zone
01:07coalition forces deployed an entire air superiority package that included a variety of weapons with
01:14specific missions some of these weapons have never been used in actual combat a perfect example was
01:20the Tomahawk cruise missile three hundred and thirty three cruise missiles were launched during the war
01:26against heavily defended targets such as air defense headquarters key radar facilities major communication
01:47centers
01:47good evening good evening had a busy evening we've had a very busy evening as a matter of fact it's
01:54not over
01:55yet this is the opening round of the war the Tomahawk strikes will continue for another at least 36
02:02hours in conjunction with the air strikes are taking place over Iraq right now I can report to you that
02:10the air right air strikes have started the Tomahawks have already started the impact in the Baghdad area
02:16and there are engagements fighter engagements have happening over land at this point we are following the
02:25course of all that as we are remaining vigilant as we steam to our next Tomahawk launch launch point
02:31the air
02:46cruise missile is a thousand pound warhead on an unmanned aircraft shot from just about all the various surface ships
02:54and submarines that the Navy's got
02:56and it's done exceptionally well in the first week we I think that there were said there was approximately five
03:02hundred cruise missiles in the theater on 56 ships and so far I think they
03:07were shot about a third of those and within in the first week about 150 have managed to go off
03:12the Tomahawk is a terrific weapon for this kind of warfare particularly this kind of warfare
03:19it's a significant development to the Navy it may not sound that original but it is a significant development to
03:25the Navy in previous years the Navy had in a tactical sense one
03:31perhaps two ways of striking and an enemy one is the carrier based attack systems a6 a7 in those days
03:39FAA and we had big guns 16 inch guns off the battleship which
03:46just proved effective in Vietnam but against a more capable or more distant enemy were useless therefore the Navy was
03:54then had but a single attack
03:57method of attacking taking the fight to the enemy the surface forces and the submarines never played in it in
04:05the conventional sense that all they were there was to defend the carrier and that
04:11that was not to the liking of many of the naval officers the Tomahawk system particularly Tomahawk with its long
04:20range gives the Navy ships and
04:22and submarines a chance to participate and take the fight to the enemy it was important in this war that
04:28Tomahawk work and the initial indications are that it's worked exceptionally well
04:33during the initial stage of the flight the Tomahawk uses radar terrain comparison guidance codenamed Tercom in the final phase
04:42of the attack the computer switches on its digital scene mapping system which compares a digital photo of the target
04:49stowed in its memory with the actual scene below this provides pinpoint precision
05:03modern air campaigns take place in successive phases with clear objectives in each phase the gulf war was no exception
05:11one of the initial aims of operation desert storm was the suppression of Iraqi air defenses this means the elimination
05:18of anti-aircraft missile and gun sites the radars that direct them and the command and control centers that coordinate
05:24the
05:26an air defense network is like a web running from a central headquarters to local stations then to the radar
05:33posts which detect the aircraft and guide the missiles and finally to the missiles and guns themselves the air defense
05:41suppression campaign began with the destruction of the command centers which coordinated the Iraqi air defense network after which radar
05:49sites and eventually the missiles themselves were targeted
05:53the first wave of the night attack was spearheaded by the F-117 black jet since it is virtually invisible
06:00to Iraqi radars
06:08so what it is is a very highly developed pinpoint strike airplane it is never going to be a mass
06:16bomber in other words you can't hang enough on it to make it drop 20 bombs but it will be
06:22a mass bomber
06:22it will drop one or two in a very tiny spot and therefore it will probably only be used to
06:29hit a pinpoint target something that's very badly needed maybe like a control bunker there was one very classic shot
06:35where an F-117 during the war last week dropped a bomb through an air shaft hole and the debris
06:42came out the front door that is exactly what the 117 does well
06:48it's another air defense sector over in the western part of Iraq it's already been struck by 117 this is
06:53a team effort the second aircraft comes through and this part of the building here provides some structural weakness that
07:01will be exploited in this attack and the bomb will hit in this area here
07:15and this is my counterpart's headquarters in Baghdad
07:21this is the air headquarters the air force and keep your eye on all sides of the building as the
07:26airplane overflies the building and drops the bomb down through the center of the building
07:54On the heels of the F-117s were the Air Force's F-4G Wild Weasels,
07:59which attacked critical Iraqi radar sites with HOM anti-radar missiles.
08:09Its job is basically to soak up the air defense.
08:12It goes in first and goes out last.
08:16And the Wild Weasel missions on this war are four hours plus.
08:19That's a long time for a fighter.
08:21Normally it's an hour, hour and a half that most guys are flying.
08:25So he goes in, he sees when the radar comes up,
08:28he goes down there with an anti-radiation missile that HOMs on radar,
08:33and he gets those guys to fire at him, or at least to keep the radar on,
08:38so he can in turn destroy the radar-guided AAA, the radar-guided SAMs,
08:44radar sites, the air defense radar sites.
08:47Whatever it is that's going to be a threat to the strike force coming behind him.
08:52The Wild Weasels were remarkably successful in their mission,
08:55making the skies safe for other coalition aircraft.
09:01We were shooting the SAMs who were trying to shoot at the guys who were doing what they were doing
09:05downtown.
09:07The SAM missile sites in town?
09:09Around the perimeter of the town.
09:11Around the perimeter of Baghdad.
09:12That's correct.
09:12And tell me again about the resistance that you ran into?
09:15Lots of ground fire, lots of AAA, that's anti-aircraft artillery.
09:22And like I say, I think there was one SAM fired that I saw,
09:25but it was so far away and up through the smoke and haze it was hard to make it out.
09:29So nothing came close to you?
09:30No, but that's the beauty of the system.
09:32We can stay far enough away that that's not going to be a problem for us, from the SAMs anyway.
09:37The bullets are the ones that scare me.
10:08U.S. military planners believed that air superiority had to be won for the air and ground campaigns to succeed.
10:16The first phase of the air superiority battle was fought by fighter aircraft like this F-15 Eagle of the
10:23first tactical fighter wing.
10:24The fighters flew combat air patrols, nicknamed CAPS, to protect wild weasels and attack planes from Iraqi fighters.
10:33The U.S. Air Force's F-15s were joined in their mission by Saudi F-15s, British Tornadoes, and U
10:41.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats.
10:43Their potential opposition was the more than 400 Iraqi fighters, including sophisticated Soviet-built MiG-29 Fulcrums and French-built
10:52Mirage F-1s.
10:54Iraqi air forces never challenged coalition forces for control of the skies.
11:10Captain Steve Tate was involved in one of the first dogfights of the war in the early morning hours of
11:16the 17th of January.
11:22We took a four-ship F-15s up on the first wave that went up to Baghdad area last night,
11:28took off at 1.30.
11:31We were basically supporting a SEAD package of a bunch of wild weasels and a bunch of F-15Es and
11:38just an assortment of other airplanes,
11:40EF-111s and F-111s, that were going up to the southeast portion of Baghdad.
11:44Basically what our job was to go up there and remove all the air-to-air threats for them.
11:49The mission lasted about four hours.
11:52We started an engagement.
11:54I got the contact that AWACS calls out as a hostile, chasing my number three man.
11:59And at about the same time, I'm turning back around towards the east.
12:03When I turn back around there, I get a contact on a contact that isn't squawking our IFS,
12:08so when I lock this guy up, I can tell that he's not a friendly airplane.
12:16Come to find out that it's an F-1.
12:19He's at about 8,000 feet headed west towards Baghdad, towards my number three and four men also.
12:24And we EID him as hostile.
12:27About 12 miles, I take a FOX-1, a radar missile.
12:31Everything's looking good.
12:32I'm thinking about taking another FOX-1, but no kind of interference or anything like that,
12:37so I just let one FOX-1 go.
12:39And about four miles in front of me, I get a huge fireball.
12:43When he blew up, I could see a piece of the airplane blowing up.
12:48Obviously it was at night, I couldn't see if a parachute or anything like that was a huge fireball.
12:52I don't anticipate anybody getting out of that.
12:56The only Iraqi fighters to appear in significant numbers were the MiG-29 Fulcrum and the Mirage F-1.
13:03The Iraqis put up very little resistance during the air campaign.
13:07And in total, 35 Iraqi fighters were shot down during the conflict.
13:12There were no allied losses as a result of air-to-air combat.
13:20Well, so far it's been a big surprise that the Iraqi Air Force has not done anything, basically.
13:24They've come up to be shot down.
13:27Apparently, most of the aircraft are underground.
13:30And at the first week of the war, we're hearing things from the military briefers
13:34that 80% of the aircraft are still intact in hardened shelters.
13:38Therefore, it's been a non-player.
13:41And the dogfights have been fairly straightforward.
13:45Go to the 6 o'clock and shoot him down.
13:48The only double kill of the war has been a Saudi pilot who caught two F-1s with Exocet.
13:52He apparently had no trouble in downing them both.
13:56This is what the Saudi F-15 pilot saw through his gun sight during the dogfight.
14:02Target.
14:03Bandit.
14:04Bandit.
14:07Bandit.
14:09Stinger 2-0.
14:10Confirm.
14:10Bandit.
14:11That's a form.
14:12Bandit.
14:13Bandit.
14:19Bandit.
14:20Bandit.
14:20Dead하 SW-1.
14:28Roger!
14:29The forest target destroyed.
14:30The forest target destroyed!
14:34The forest target destroyed!
14:35No!
14:37Record ridgever很好!
14:38Ten 0 points.
14:383-4, on your right.ound.
14:40looks look, look back. No!
14:42Redον.
14:426. Together,
14:43be Perfect!
14:54The MiG-29 is an exceptionally capable airplane.
14:58It is right now, in my opinion, the finest dogfighter that the Soviets have produced in the modern generation.
15:05But it's the training that drives this war so far.
15:07And you can put an ill-trained pilot in a very capable airplane and put him up against a well
15:15-trained pilot in an old airplane.
15:17And the well-trained pilot always wins.
15:19It is almost always the case that training makes the difference.
15:23So it tells me that they're not using the capability of the airplane.
15:27We've shot down 10-plus, apparently, MiG-29s.
15:31And they have not been big maneuvering fights.
15:33They've just been classic, sort of, get on his rear end, and he isn't doing a whole lot, and you
15:39shoot him down.
15:40So I don't think we're seeing what the airplane could really do.
15:45The other side of the air superiority battle was the destruction of the Iraqi air bases.
15:50Many of the Iraqi aircraft were protected inside hardened concrete bunkers.
15:54Rather than laboriously destroying each bunker, the taxiways leading from the bunkers to the main runways were cut using anti
16:03-runway weapons.
16:04This dangerous mission was the specialty of the British Tornado squadrons using JP-233 munitions dispensers.
16:11The JP-233 munitions dispensers dropped dozens of sub-munitions on runways, putting them out of operation.
16:23The two British Tornado squadrons suffered a higher loss rate than other elements of the Coalition Air Force.
16:29Five Tornadoes were lost in combat during the first two weeks of the war, in no small measure due to
16:35their hazardous assignment.
16:37The Tornadoes flew their missions using a terrain-following radar.
16:41For pilots and their navigators cannot see the ground below.
16:45They must rely entirely on their instruments.
17:00By the third week of the war, with remnants of the Iraqi Air Force fleeing to Iran,
17:05the Tornadoes shifted their tactics away from the anti-runway mission to other types of strikes.
17:11Here, one of the squadrons is loaded with conventional bombs for attacks on Iraqi ammunition and missile supplies.
17:38It's a very dynamic war, this one, so every single day we are looking at our tactics and trying to
17:44preserve the element of surprise.
17:45And it's quite natural that we are changing our tactics, attack headings and heights and so on.
17:52And it's not just a direct result.
17:54In fact, if you look at the number of sorties we've flown overall, the losses are extremely small indeed, much
17:59smaller than anybody actually had predicted.
18:01So this is just the nature of this type of warfare.
18:05The Tornado GR-1 ground attack squadrons were supported by the Tornado F-3 interceptor squadrons.
18:14The F-3 version is a high-performance fighter armed with air-to-air missiles rather than bombs.
18:20The F-3 tornadoes flew combat air patrols to prevent the interception of the ground attack squadrons by Iraqi fighters.
18:42French attack squadrons in the Gulf used the Jaguar strike fighter.
18:47The Jaguars were armed with a variety of weapons, including conventional bombs and rockets, and the precision attack AS-30L
18:55missile.
19:00This is a laser-guided missile which strikes targets illuminated by a laser designator carried by the Jaguar fighter.
19:08This gun camera footage shows an Iraqi hangar being destroyed by an AS-30L missile.
19:21Top cover for their missions came from the Mirage 2000 fighters of the 5th fighter squadron we see here.
19:40The workhorse of the United States Air Force strike units in Desert Storm was the F-111.
19:46The F-111 pilots of the 48th tactical fighter wing were no strangers to combat, having led the attacks on
19:53Libya in 1986.
19:55The F-111 squadrons were used in night attack missions where pinpoint accuracy was essential.
20:01Using a paved attack pod, the F-111F can direct laser-guided bombs to hit precision targets such as bunkers
20:10or bridges.
20:13This F-111F is setting off on another mission over Iraq, armed with a pair of GBU-15 laser-guided
20:21bombs.
20:37The F-111F's specialty during Desert Storm was night attack.
20:42Although the Wild Weasels and other anti-radar planes blinded much of the Iraqi air defense network,
20:48the Iraqis still had many conventional anti-aircraft guns aimed with optical sights.
20:54These guns were almost completely ineffective at night.
20:57The F-111 attacked at either low or medium altitudes,
21:01using its sophisticated terrain-following radar for navigation in the dark night skies.
21:07This F-111F has just returned from a mission over Iraq,
21:11during which it went into a terrain-following descent, known as a TF descent, to deliver its bomb payload.
21:19Going in, we did a TF descent, drop it down to a low level into a terrain-following radar, automatic
21:26system descent,
21:28where it's all totally dark outside, and you just descend on radars, and so you're all on instruments.
21:35This is just this side of the border.
21:37We go across the border, low level, real fast, about 600 knots.
21:41During the descent, we were getting some indications on our raw gear.
21:46The radars, search radars were picking us up.
21:48So it was kind of intense, knowing that they knew that we were coming,
21:55and not being able to see anything outside, and just kind of going on instruments.
22:00What we did was, we came in low level, climbed to 5,000 feet, dropped the bombs,
22:05we turn away from the target, continue to laze until the bomb impacts,
22:10and then we get back down to low level for the egress.
22:13It gives the WIZO a better look angle into the target, and a little more energy on the bomb.
22:35The sound of the air in the air is between the ships, and the wind is now moving.
22:36The air is ready to rise to the air, and a little more energy on the air.
22:43The air will not be able to give the air to the air.
22:56The paved tack pod underneath the F-111F is the key element in pinpoint laser strikes.
23:03The pod contains a laser designator.
23:05The weapon system officer, or WIZO, aims the laser at the target,
23:10and the bomb homes in on reflecting laser light.
23:13The bombs have a small sensor in their nose which can sense the laser light bouncing off the target.
23:19The sensor in the nose of the bomb automatically steers the bomb into the target.
23:25This is a videotape from an F-111F attacking an airfield in Iraq.
23:33Other strike units in the Gulf were equipped with the newer F-15E Strike Eagle.
23:39The Strike Eagle is a two-seat version of the single-seat F-15 Eagle interceptor.
23:44The WIZO, in the rear seat, operates the terrain-following radar and target sensors like his counterpart in the F
23:50-111F.
23:51This permitted the Strike Eagle squadrons to carry out their dangerous low-altitude missions
23:57under the protective cover of darkness during the opening stages of the air campaign.
24:02The WIZO can see the target using a high-resolution radar imaging system, as we see here.
24:09In this case, he is examining an airfield and selecting targets.
24:15The F-15E is also fitted with a lantern night attack system.
24:20This provides the pilot and WIZO with thermal images of the terrain in front of them.
24:24The WIZO can then use the thermal imaging night vision system to pick out pinpoint targets
24:30first identified by the Corsair radar system.
24:44F-111s and F-15s took part in the anti-runway campaign using the French-designed Matria-Durandal bomb.
24:52It is propelled by a rocket and penetrates deep below the runway, exploding moments later.
25:08Besides the specialized attack aircraft, fighter bombers were used extensively in Operation Desert Storm
25:15in daylight interdiction waves to pound Iraqi army formation.
25:19The F-16 fighter bomber bore the brunt of these missions to the U.S. Air Force.
25:25Many of the squadrons taking part in these missions were flown by Air National Guard pilots,
25:30their tails emblazoned with the insignia of their home stations,
25:35such as Syracuse, New York, and South Carolina.
25:38Prior to the war in the Gulf, these pilots were flying commercial airliners,
25:43while the ground crews were back in the States at their regular civilian jobs.
26:00The A-10, popularly called the Warthog by its pilots, played a unique role in the Desert Storm air war.
26:07It is designed for close air support, attacking tank columns and artillery emplacements,
26:13with gunfire, bombs, and guided missiles.
26:17In its nose is a massive 30-millimeter multi-barrel cannon,
26:22able to penetrate the side armor and the tops of tanks.
26:33The A-10's ability to get down low, hold up well against substantial ground fire,
26:39and hang around long enough to find targets,
26:41made it one of the unsung heroes of Coalition Air Forces.
26:44A-10's flew over 8,000 sorties during the war, attacking many targets, including Scud launch sites.
27:01Although the newer smart munitions, such as laser-guided bombs,
27:05attracted most of the attention during the war,
27:07over 90% of all bombs dropped on Iraqi targets were conventional.
27:13One of the most common munitions for close air support missions was the cluster bomb.
27:18A cluster bomb consists of an outer shell filled with dozens or hundreds of bomblets,
27:24depending on the mission it's required to fulfill.
27:26An anti-personnel cluster bomb will hold hundreds of small bomblets intended to eliminate infantry positions,
27:33while a cluster bomb designed for an anti-tank role will carry fewer,
27:38but more powerful bomblets designed to knock out tanks and other armor weapons.
27:43After the cluster bomb is dropped, the outer container peels away,
27:48and the target area is blanketed with a deadly carpet of explosions.
28:07The ground crew of this A-10 squadron is preparing a load of cluster bombs
28:12for an A-10 mission against Iraqi armed forces in occupied Kuwait.
28:16The high tempo of air operations was made possible not only by the determination of the pilots,
28:22but by the dedication and skill of the ground crews.
28:27At the same time, we need to remember that our young maintenance kids around here,
28:32they're the real heroes in this.
28:34Pilots go fly the good jets and everything, but they're the ones that keep them going.
28:38And those are my heroes.
28:40These 21, 22-year-old kids that are out here turning these aircraft right now.
28:45They're the real heroes around here.
28:54The US Navy and Marine Corps also played a key role in the air war.
28:59Launched from carriers stationed in the Red Sea and in the Persian Gulf,
29:03the F-14 Tomcat provided combat air patrol for Navy strike missions,
29:08much like its land-based counterparts, the F-15 and the Tornado.
29:27From carriers to metal initiative in order,
29:28the Space Force won the speed of the air personnel.
29:28From carriers and facilities crew members,
29:32proportions of gravity to their skill.
29:32Till do the first ihnen Station will make aiko for the crew,
29:32however, to their missile어나,
29:32which they are if they can contact the crew.
29:33Until they get us interested in this ground,
29:33And after that country,
29:34we need them hit arms of our vacuumess recovery。
29:53Two squadrons of aging A-7s were also deployed in Operation Desert Storm.
29:59The A-7 was used for daytime interdiction missions as well as attacks on airfields and other vital targets.
30:05Naval aviation offers the element of surprise. The mobility of the carriers allowed them to attack Iraq from unpredictable directions.
30:16The workhorse of the Navy attack squadrons in Operation Desert Storm was the A-6 intruder flown from carriers such
30:24as the USS Ranger seen here steaming in the Persian Gulf.
30:35The A-6E intruder has more advanced night attack systems than earlier versions used in the Vietnam War.
30:43This combat camera footage comes from an A-6E intruder on a night attack mission against a facility in Iraq.
30:52The A-6E has a night vision sensor called the tram which enables it to attack targets day or night.
31:25Another weapon that saw its combat debut in Desert Storm was the SLAM missile.
31:29The SLAM is a version of the Harpoon anti-ship missile modified for use against land targets.
31:35It has a sensor in the nose which allows the weapons officer to see what the missile is seeing and
31:41fly it right into the target.
31:49The United States Marine Corps has its own aviation squadrons flying many of the same types of aircraft as the
31:56Navy.
31:56The F-A-18 Hornet was one of the most versatile aircraft in service during the war.
32:03The Hornet is a fighter bomber capable of dogfighting Iraqi fighters or attacking ground targets.
32:10During the initial phase of the Desert Storm air campaign, the Marine F-A-18 squadrons were used in anti
32:17-radar missions firing harm missiles,
32:19much like their wild weasel counterparts in the Air Force.
32:23The Marine Hornets flew from land bases situated around the Gulf.
32:27These Marine squadrons are preparing for anti-radar strikes against Iraqi positions.
32:33This Falcon is likely to be a man of the most advanced air force of the local air force and
32:41the European men's anti-native air force.
32:42The Global Air Force of leather attack was financially capable of the 7-1-1-3-4-7-2-1
32:42-3-1-3-4-3-4-0-1-3-3-1-3.
33:26The AB-8B Harrier II jump jet formed the backbone of marine ground attack
33:32squadrons during Operation Desert Storm.
33:35These jump jets operated from improvised runways near the front lines, providing close
33:40air support for nearby marine ground units.
34:04While marine intruders and hornets attacked deep into Iraq, Harriers flew scores of missions
34:10into Kuwait, softening up Iraqi ground units for the impending ground assault.
34:23To permit aircraft to carry the maximum amount of weapons, they often took off with their
34:28fuel tanks only partially filled.
34:30Once airborne, they hooked up with aerial refueling aircraft such as these marine KC-130 tankers.
34:38Aerial refueling allowed them to carry out their missions deep into the center of Iraq.
34:43The tanker squadrons are one of a host of specialized support units essential to the conduct of air
34:48combat.
34:49These marine tankers are filling the tanks of marine and navy strike aircraft.
34:54They're still hanging back.
34:55They haven't gotten in their hoses yet.
34:58I had three safes and then they go home.
35:00It's a big wave up there.
35:01It's too bad.
35:02We can't see it's no more time.
35:03Believe me, it's true.
35:13Unless possible, it's too bad.
35:15Did you hear that?
35:31With its air force decimated and coalition air forces dominating the skies, the Iraqis
35:38were forced to resort to their scud missiles to attack Saudi Arabia.
35:42Attacks were also launched at Israel in an attempt to widen the war.
35:52Scud is a NATO code name for the Soviet R-17 Zemlya ballistic missile.
35:58The Iraqis have modified the missiles into a longer ranged version called the Al Hussein.
36:05The original missile, the original Scud, or as the Russians would call it, R-17, is a
36:10relatively short-range system.
36:12Its range is around 300 kilometers, meaning about 200 miles.
36:17That's not far enough to fire from Iraq into some of the targets that it wanted to hit.
36:21Originally, what was happening, this was back in the time of the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqis
36:26wanted to target Tehran, which is quite a ways from the Iraqi border.
36:29So what they did is they would take three Scuds and chop them up and take the fuel cells out
36:35of them and lengthen the missile to put more fuel in it, and at the same time cut down on
36:40the warhead weight.
36:41And this combination of features, cutting down on the warhead weight and expanding the
36:45amount of fuel in it, gave them greater range.
36:48It doubled the effective range from around 225 miles to somewhere in the neighborhood of
36:53450 miles to enable them to hit Tehran.
36:56Well, it also enabled them in this context to be fired from within Iraq and hit targets
37:01such as Dharan or Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, or for that matter to hit targets in Israel, Haifa
37:06or Tel Aviv.
37:09The large number of mobile Scud launches proved to be a greater problem than was originally
37:14anticipated.
37:16At the outset of the war, there were two main groupings of Scuds.
37:19There was a group of mobile Scuds and a group of fixed-site Scuds.
37:23The mobile Scuds are missiles that are mounted on a large eight-wheel truck.
37:29The military acronym is usually TEL, which stands for Transporter Erector Launcher.
37:34It means that the vehicle carries the missile and also can erect the missile, put it vertical,
37:38and fire it.
37:39That was one group.
37:40That was about 36 launchers, and they were divided into at least two launch brigades,
37:45perhaps more.
37:46One of the groups was located north of the Kuwaiti border in the eastern section of Iraq.
37:52There was another group of these that were located further out in the west, more towards
37:56the Israeli direction in the western desert of Iraq.
38:00Now the second grouping was a fixed-site grouping.
38:03What it was is that the Iraqis started building the Scud missiles themselves, their own local
38:08derivative of the Scud.
38:09They couldn't build these elaborate mobile launchers, and so they simply took simple base
38:14plates to erect the missile, and then they set up concrete bunkers.
38:18In the first wave of attacks, these bunker sites were the first ones that were targeted.
38:24The reason for this was that the bunker sites were out in the western section of Iraq, near
38:30H-2 and H-3 airfield in western Iraq, and they were clearly targeted at the Israelis.
38:35So there was a fear right from the outset of the war that what the Iraqis were trying to
38:39do was drag in the Israelis into the war, and so those were the first targets.
38:44At first, the mobile Scud missile launchers were not a major target, but then once the
38:51Iraqis started firing these targets in Israel and at Saudi Arabia, a great deal of attention
38:56was paid into hunting them out and trying to destroy them.
39:05The reason that they're not terribly accurate is that they were designed originally to deliver
39:10thermonuclear warheads.
39:11These weapons were developed in the 1950s by the Soviet army to fire tactical nuclear warheads.
39:18So with their export to countries like Iraq or Libya, they have to be used in a different
39:22role because these countries don't have small thermonuclear weapons.
39:26Instead they're used with high explosive weapons, and here they can't really be used effectively
39:32against military targets.
39:33Their inaccuracy is so great.
39:35They have an accuracy roughly on the order of a kilometer to about a mile on either side
39:41of the target.
39:42And if the missile is erected in great haste, as appears to have been the case with many
39:46of these missile launches, the accuracy is even worse.
39:48It could be five miles off, six miles off, seven miles off.
39:51So it's really more a terror weapon.
39:53It can be used for the bombardment of very large military targets such as airfields.
39:57We've seen a lot of attacks against Iran, for example.
40:00But when you come right down to it, it's mainly a terror weapon to be used against civilian
40:04targets that aren't protected.
40:08Anticipating an Iraqi missile attack, American forces deployed the Patriot system near cities
40:13and bases in Saudi Arabia.
40:15The Patriot is a medium to high altitude anti-aircraft missile developed by the U.S. Army.
40:21In the mid-1980s, it was modified to enable it to shoot down ballistic missiles, as shown
40:27in this 1986 test firing against an Army Lance missile.
40:48At the heart of the Patriot fire unit is a sophisticated phased array radar.
40:54The radar locates and tracks the incoming Scud missile and then guides the Patriot missile
41:00on an intercept course.
41:06Last night, about 21.45 or 9.45 in the evening, we received words that there was a possible
41:14Scud alert incoming Scuds.
41:16With the mission we have, we're always on alert 24 hours a day, so it was just a matter
41:20of fine-tuning some things, and shortly thereafter we received the first volley of Scud missiles
41:26headed towards this area and successfully knocked them out of the sky.
41:32This footage shows the Patriot in action against Scud missiles.
41:37Never before had an air defence missile proved so consistently successful.
41:43These encounters marked the first time in military history that one missile had been shot down
41:49by another in wartime.
42:02The streaks of light falling to Earth are the debris of Scud missiles intercepted above
42:08the clouds by the Patriot missile.
42:26Although the Patriot proved to be successful in intercepting the Scuds, Iraqi missiles still
42:32managed to do some damage.
42:36In some cases, the Patriot struck near the Scud, breaking it into three large pieces.
42:43Falling to Earth at high speed, this debris caused extensive damage to residential neighbourhoods
42:48in Tel Aviv and Riyadh.
43:12During the war, Coalition Air Forces threw 109,876 sorties and dropped
43:2188,500 tons of bombs.
43:36The relentless pace of the air missions continued throughout the entire conflict.
43:41Thirty-five Iraqi fighters were shot down in dogfights, while no Allied aircraft were lost
43:46in air-to-air battles.
43:48Encounters with Iraqi aircraft were rare.
43:51The bulk of Iraq's air force chose to hide in concrete bunkers or flee to neighbouring Iran.
43:58Thanks to the severity of the air campaign and the success of the Patriot anti-missile system,
44:03the Scud threat also proved minimal.
44:06With the battle of the skies firmly won, Coalition forces switched their focus from strategic targets,
44:14including air suppression, to a more tactical role focusing on Iraqi troop concentrations in and near Kuwait.
44:21The war was far from over as Coalition air forces turned their attention to Iraqi ground forces
44:27in preparation for the impending round assault.
44:39The war was far from the
45:01Let's go.
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