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1996 cruise missile strikes on Iraq

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Operation Desert Strike was a military operation that lasted for a few weeks in September 1996 during one of the Iraqi disarmament crises.

History

On August 31, 1996, elements of the Iraqi Army attacked and captured the PUK held town of Irbil in the Kurdish autonomous region of northern Iraq. This attack was led by an Iraqi Republican Guard Mechanized infantry division with the support of regular army troops. This action alarmed the United States and coalition forces in the region. Baghdad threatened Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf partners if they assisted the United States in any retaliation, Iraqi air defense forces also launched surface-to-air missiles against USAF fighter aircraft flying in support of Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch. In response to the attack on Irbil, US CENTCOM assessed an increase threat to American interests and quickly moved to bolster its ability to protect vital national interests on the Arabian peninsula. Along with the National Command Authority, CENTCOM began to develop plans for a military response.

The attack was a significant escalation of an ongoing struggle between PUK and KDP Kurdish factions for control of the autonomous region on the north. The Iraqi Baath Party had oppressed the population of the north and a million Kurds fled to safe havens in Turkey following Iraq’s defeat in the Gulf War. This lead to the United Nations resolutions and intensive international calls for humanitarian assistance and at the same time the Iraqi regime continued to oppress the northern population. American efforts to mediate a political settlement between the Kurdish factions reflect a commitment to Iraqi territorial integrity and continuance as a viable state. Iraqi military intervention violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 688, which prohibits Iraqi repression of the Kurds of the north, and the Marsh Arabs of the south. By mobilizing and deploying military forces, the Iraqi regime demonstrated both the capability and the intent to use force to advance its own agenda. Choosing to do so just as the UN was prepared to implement UNSCR 986 confirmed Saddam Hussein's priorities: control, repression, and readiness to use force. Hussein’s actions confirmed a disregard for the suffering of the Iraqi people and a new willingness to use overwhelming military force to continue the Iraqi regime’s oppression of their own people. This willingness increased the threat of aggression against allied forces enforcing the UN resolutions and international relief workers delivering humanitarian support.

To prevent Iraq’s offensive capabilities in the south and in preparation for possible follow-on operations, the NCA directed an immediate military response. In consultation with coalition partners, CENTCOM evaluated alternative responses from among those available in the region. Against a requirement to send a clear signal of international condemnation for the latest violation of UN resolutions, the Command planned and executed Operation DESERT STRIKE.

US Strikes

On September 3, a coordinated cruise missile attack was launched against the Iraqi air defense infrastructure, including surface-to-air missile sites and command and control nodes in southern Iraq. USS Laboon (DDG-58) and USS Shiloh (CG-67), on station in the Persian Gulf as part of NAVCENT’s Task Force 50, fired 14 of the 27 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired, while USAF B-52’s from Barksdale AFB staged at Guam, escorted by F-14 Tomcat’s from USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), flew a 34 hours mission and fired 13 conventional air-launched cruise missiles (CALCAM’s) early on the morning of September 4.

During this mission, the B-52 and CALCM weapon systems demonstrated their capability for rapid en-route retargeting, providing the joint force with additional target coverage and strike flexibility that would have otherwise been unavailable. Two Air Combat Command B-52s flew 14,000 miles -— 34 hours non-stop -— to launch 13 conventional air-launched cruise missiles against targets in Iraq. Fourteen tankers participated, KC-10s and KC-135s, which supplied 760,000 pounds of fuel for the deploying bombers, and 15 tankers offloaded 1,360,000 pounds of gas for the airstrike. Two bombers and 29 tankers' air refueling made this part of the operation possible. A KC-10 out of Guam lost an engine prior to completing the pre-strike refueling, so another KC-10 offloaded extra fuel and then diverted into U-Taphao. Another KC-10 at Diego Garcia performed a pre-strike refueling on extremely short notice, offloading the extra gas the bombers needed and recovering with minimum fuel into Diego. As soon as they landed, the crew was tapped to do the post-strike refueling. In just one hour, the crew took off again and performed the post-strike refueling. The following day, a second strike of 17 Tomahawks from destroyers USS Russell (DDG-59), USS Hewitt (DD-966), USS Laboon (DDG-58) and nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Jefferson City (SSN-759) was conducted. USS Enterprise (CVN-65) departed the Adriatic Sea on order of the National Command Authorities and conducted a high-speed transit through the Suez Canal, arriving in the theatre two days later.

These precision weapons minimized the risk of collateral damage and aircrew exposure to the threat posed by Iraqi air defenses. The missiles hit their designated targets, it was a signal that the US would not sit idly by. That signal and follow-on deployments of F-117 and F-16C/J aircraft, a heavy brigade task force, and a second aircraft carrier to the region backed up diplomatic efforts to deter further aggression.

Two United States and United Kingdom demarches expanded the southern no-fly zone from the 32nd parallel north to the 33rd parallel, and promised a disproportionate response if Iraqi air defense sites were repaired. The expanded no-fly zone reaches the outskirts of southern Baghdad and forced relocation of all tactical aircraft to more northern basing, thus reducing the air threat to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and to Operation SOUTHERN WATCH aircraft. In the following weeks, the bulk of Iraq's forces stood down and withdrew.

Additional Information

"Operation Desert Strike" was a large military operation that took place in the Southern California desert in early 1964.It involved thousands of armor and airborne troops using advanced tactics and maneuvers to develop modern attack strategies.

Computer Game

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf is a computer game about a fictional Middle Eastern conflict released some years before the real Operation Desert Strike.

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