List of Air Force Units Involved in the War
From fighter jets to heavy bombers to support aircraft, U.S. and coalition forces dominated
the air war over Iraq
28th Bomb Wing
Home base: Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
Destination: Unknown but possibly an air base in Oman or Diego Garcia
Aircraft: B-1B bombers
Units: 34th Bomb Squadron and 37th Bomb Squadron, plus support and
logistical squadrons.
Duties: The 28th Bomb Wing, deployed as the 28th Air Expeditionary Wing,
supported flight operations over Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring
Freedom.
49th Fighter Wing
Home base: Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
Destination: Kuwait
Aircraft: F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighters
Units: The 49th Fighter wing is home to the Air Force's two operational
Nighthawk squadrons -- the 8th and 9th fighter squadrons, known as the
"Black Sheep" and "Flying Knights," respectively.
Duties: The F-117A is the Air Force's only fighter plane that uses stealth
technology. The F-117s were the first aircraft to drop bombs in Baghdad
on March 19. They flew more than 80 missions and dropped nearly 100
Enhanced Guided Bomb Units, EGBU-27s. The F-117A was used during
the Persian Gulf War, and pilots from the 8th and 9th squadrons flew
missions in Kosovo during Operation Allied Force.
5th Bomb Wing
Home base: Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota
Aircraft: B-52 heavy bombers
Units: The 5th Bomb Wing include the following squadrons:
• 23rd Bomb Squadron and the 5th Operations Support Squadron
• 5th Maintenance Group consisting of the 5th Munitions Squadron, 5th
Maintenance Squadron, 5th Maintenance Ops Squadron, and 5th Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron
• 5th Mission Support Group consisting of the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron,
5th Communications Squadron, 5th Mission Support Squadron, 5th Services
Squadron, and 5th Security Forces Squadron, 5th Contracting Squadron, and
5th Logistics Readiness Squadron
• 5th Medical Group consisting of 5th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron 5th Medical
Operations Squadron and 5th Medical Support Squadron.
Duties: The 5th Bomb Wing is one of the Air Force's two B-52 wings. According
to the Air Force, aircrews of 5th Bomb Wing assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary
Bomb Squadron flew nearly 120 missions over Iraq, each lasting between 12 and
17 hours. The aircrews conducted a variety of missions, including close-air
support and interdiction, as well as leaflet drops over the northern half of Iraq.
1st Fighter Wing
Home base: Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
Aircraft: F-15C Eagle fighters
Destination: Persian Gulf air base
Units: 27th Fighter Squadron, 71st Fighter Squadron, and 94th Fighter Squadron,
plus support and logistical squadrons.
Duties: The fighter wing will be a part of a Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF),
which is comprised of six squadrons of fighter and bomber aircraft; C-130s Hercules
and tankers; search and rescue personnel; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
forces; and combat support elements. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm,
the wing's two deployed squadrons flew more than 6,200 sorties.
60th Air Mobility Wing
Home base: Travis Air Force Base, California
Destination: Persian Gulf region
Aircraft: KC-10 Extender refueling aircraft
Units: The 60th Wing includes the 6th and 9th refueling squadrons, which fly KC-10
Extenders. The wing also has two squadrons that fly C-5 Galaxy transports.
Duties: The KC-10's primary mission is aerial refueling. It can carry more than 356,000
pounds of fuel in its six tanks, and can fly up to 75 people and nearly 170,000 pounds
of cargo about 4,400 miles (7,040 kilometers) without refueling.
55th Wing
Home base: Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
Destination: Persian Gulf region
Units: The 55th Wing includes eight squadrons of pilots, navigators, maintenance personnel,
electronic warfare officers and other personnel.
Aircraft: RC-135 "Rivet Joint" reconnaissance aircraft
Duties: The 55th Wing is the only Air Force unit to fly the RC-135, which has an extensive
antennae array to collect real time on-scene intelligence collection and the capability to
analyze and disseminate that intelligence. According to the Air Force, the aircraft and its
crew "provide vital real-time battle management information to mission planners, commanders
and warfighters."
116th Air Control Wing
Home base: Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
Destination: Unknown
Aircraft: E-8C Joint Stars ground surveillance aircraft
Duties: The wing is comprised of 1,100 Georgia Air National Guard members and active duty
Air Force personnel. The Joint Stars aircraft are long-range, air-to-ground surveillance system
designed to locate, classify and track ground targets in all weather conditions.
347th Rescue Wing
Base: Moody Air Force Base, Georgia
Destination: Persian Gulf
Aircraft: HC-130 combat search and rescue aircraft
Units: The wing's 71st Rescue Squadron flies the HC-130, which the Air Force identified as
the aircraft being called for initial deployment.
Duties: The 347th is the Air Force's only active-duty combat search and rescue wing. The
HC-130P/N is an extended-range, combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules
transport. Its mission is to extend the range of combat search and rescue helicopters by
providing air refueling.
43rd Airlift Wing
Home base: Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
Destination: Persian Gulf region
Aircraft: C-130 transports
Units: The 43rd Airlift Wing includes the 2nd and 41st airlift squadrons, which fly C-130
transports.
Duties: The C-130 is a key component of the Air Force's airlift fleet. The aircraft can
deliver troops, supplies and equipment to a battlefield in all weather conditions.
Elements of the 43rd have participated in operations Northern and Southern Watch,
which monitor the U.N.-mandated "no-fly" zones over Iraq, and in Operation Desert
Storm.
4th Fighter Wing
Home base: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina
Destination: Persian Gulf air base
Aircraft: F-15E Strike Eagle
Units: 333rd-336th Fighter Squadrons, plus support and logistical squadrons.
Duties: The fighter wing will be a part of an Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF).
A single AEF represents approximately six squadrons of fighter and bomber aircraft;
C-130s Hercules and tankers; search and rescue personnel; intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance forces; and the combat support elements.
20th Fighter Wing
Home base: Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Destination: Persian Gulf air base
Aircraft: F-16CJ Fighting Falcons
Units: The 20th Fighter Wing consists of the 55th, 77th, 78th and 79th Fighter
Squadrons plus the support and logistical units, including the 20th Operations
Group, 20th Maintenance Group and 20th Mission Support Group
Duties: Squadrons from the 20th Fighter Wing will be a part of an Air and Space
Expeditionary Force (AEF). A single AEF represents approximately six squadrons
of fighter and bomber aircraft; C-130s Hercules and tankers; search and rescue
personnel; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance forces; and the combat
support elements.
23rd Fighter Group
Home base: Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
Aircraft: A-10 Thunderbolts
Units: The 23rd Fighter Group consists of the 74th and 75th Fighter Squadrons
Duties: A number of the 23rd Fighter Group's A-10 Thunderbolt's also known as
"Warthogs," along with approximately 275 people, deployed to Southwest Asia
at the end of February to participate in operations in Iraq. The A-10 Thunderbolt
is the only Air Force aircraft specifically designed for close-air support of ground
forces.
6th Air Mobility Wing
Home base: MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
Destination: Persian Gulf region
Aircraft: KC-135 refueling tankers
Units: The 6th Air Mobility Wing includes the 91st Air Refueling Squadron.
Duties: The 91st operates the KC-135 Stratotanker, a long-range tanker aircraft
capable of refueling other aircraft in flight under any weather condition. The KC-135
can haul 83,000 pounds of cargo, airlift up to 80 passengers or carry 202,800
pounds of jet fuel. KC-135 aircraft based at MacDill have supported U.S. military
operations worldwide.
11th Reconnaissance Squadron
Home base: Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
Destination: Persian Gulf
Aircraft: Predator unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Units: The 57th Wing includes the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron and 15th
Reconnaissance Squadron, both part of the 57th Wing, are the only Air Force
squadrons to operate the Predator. The 11th Squadron is deploying to the Persian
Gulf.
Duties: The RQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial
vehicle system. It provides commanders with real-time reconnaissance, surveillance
and target acquisition. The Predator can fly for long periods of time and also has
the capability to fire Hellfire missiles. A Predator-fired Hellfire missile killed Abu
Ali, an al Qaeda operative believed to have been involved in the October 2000
attack on the USS Cole in Yemen.
16th Special Operations Wing
Home base: Hurlburt Field, Florida
Destination: Persian Gulf air base
Aircraft: AC-130 gunships, MC-130 Combat Talons and MH-53 Pave Low helicopters
Duties: The 16th Special Operations Wing specializes in unconventional warfare,
including counterinsurgency and psychological operations. Both the MC-130 and
the MH-53 helicopter provide infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, or fire support for
special operations forces. The MH-53J can permit operations from unprepared landing
zones while the MC-130 can also fly psychological operations and helicopter air
refueling missions.
52nd Fighter Wing
Home base: Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
Aircraft: F-16 Fighting Falcons fighter-bombers and A-10 Thunderbolts, which are
designed to provide close air support of ground forces.
Units: 22nd Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Squadron and
the 606th Air Control Squadron, plus support and logistical squadrons. The 22nd
and 23rd Fighter Squadrons returned to the base from the Persian Gulf on May 5,
2003.
Duties: The 52d Fighter Wing is the largest fighter operation in Germany. In Iraq,
the wing's F-16CJ's, known as "Wild Weasels," flew missiones to suppress Iraq's
air defenses by destroying radar sites during the 27-day war. In addition, the
Spangdahlem fighter pilots also escorted bombers and other fighter jets over Iraq.
388th Fighter Wing
Home base: Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah
Aircraft: There are more than 2,700 people assigned to the wing and its aircraft
includes 72 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter-bombers.
Units: The 388th Fighter Wing has three fighter squadrons: the 4th, 34th and 421st
Fighter Squadrons. The wing also includes the 729th Air Control Squadron and
several support squadrons, including 388th Range Squadron, 388th Equipment
Maintenance, 388th Component Maintenance Squadron, 388th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron, 388th Maintenance Operations Squadron and 388th Operations Support
Squadron.
Duties: The 388th Fighter Wing operates and maintains the Air Force's largest Low
Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, F-16 wing. The
388th deployed the 4th and 421st fighter squadrons during the 1991 Persian Gulf
war.
509th Bomb Wing
Home base: Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Destination: Unknown but possibly Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean
Aircraft: B-2 Spirit stealth bombers
Units: The 509th Bomb Wing is based at Whiteman, the B-2's only operational
base. The wing's units include the 325th and 393rd Bomb Squadrons and 14
other support and maintenance squadrons.
Duties: For the first time, B-2 bombers will fly missions from an overseas base
instead of the long, round-trip flights it has previously made from Whiteman Air
Force Base.
Air Force officials declined to tell CNN where the aircraft were deploying to.
However, shelters especially designed for the B-2 have been set up at Diego
Garcia in the central Indian Ocean, which is used by the U.S. military as a
stopping-off point for its bombers.
The giant half-dome shelters are an essential part of the bomber fleet as the
B-2 requires a controlled environment for repairs on the aircraft's delicate skin
that allows it to fly undetected by radar.
Since its debut in the 1999 air war over Kosovo, the B-2 has flown combat
missions exclusively from Whiteman, logging sorties that have at times exceeded
40 hours.
Forward basing of the B-2 would allow it to drop more bombs because of lower
fuel load. The bombers can hold up to 40,000 pounds of munitions and hit up to
16 different targets in one bombing run.
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