MiG Eater! The story of the RAF Tornado GR1 that destroyed an Iraqi fighter landing at Al Asad air base using the JP233 runway denial weapon during the first night of Operation Desert Storm
, 2023-01-18 08:38:04,
When the Gulf Crisis of 1990 was triggered by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the Royal Air Force (RAF) responded by sending Tornado F3 fighters to Saudi Arabia to help defend the country against further aggression. These aircraft were followed by the deployment of Tornado GR1 strike/attack aircraft to Bahrain. Eventually three wings of Tornado GR1s were established in Bahrain, Tabuk and Dhahran, as well as a detachment of Tornado GR1A reconnaissance aircraft. At the start of hostilities in January 1991, the Tornado GR1 wings carried out night-low-level attacks against Iraqi Main Operating Bases using the JP233 runway denial weapon.
As told by Michael Napier in his book RAF Tornado Units of Gulf War I, on the evening of Jan. 17, 1991, the Tabuk Wing was tasked with mounting Mission 2621/G against the runway surfaces at Al Asad air base in central Iraq. Sqn Ldr P K Batson and Wg Cdr M C Heath led the eight Tornado GR 1s of Dundee formation – all of which were armed with JP233 runway denial weapons – that targeted the airfield.
‘With the minimum of radio chatter, aircraft taxied at their designated time to arrive at the runway hold in the correct order for take off at 2200 hrs Saudi time’, recounted Batson. ‘Departure from Tabuk involved a climb to…
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