This is how much the Air Force’s inventory has aged. Take away the F-111, add the B-2, and we used most of the same airframes to fight Gulf War I as we did Gulf War II.
F-16A Fighting Falcons and F-15C and F-15E Eagles fly over burning oil fields during Desert Storm. Operation Desert Storm began Jan. 17, 1991. Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force.
Hey hey now, they were only about 12 years apart (the start) Now you’re talking about MY aging frame!!
On a serious note, could anyone tell this non-zoomie why the different paint schemes, AND why in the same picture?
The two dark colered F-15′s are E model “Strike Eagles” the gray one is a “C” mod.
The Air Force may be down to 4 air frames ( F-15,16, 22 and A-10) excluding the heavys and Bombers.
But the Navy is down to one airframe, the F-18. Go figure??
That’s what happens when you mortage your future for a few F-22′s.
Should have bought the Hornet!
Thought the Ardvark WAS used in Desert Storm?
“The F-111F was the only Desert Storm aircraft to deliver the GBU-15 and the 5,000-pound laser-guided, penetrating GBU-28.”
From: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/f-111-variants.htm
Well, unlike you squids Skippy, we’d actually have the tanking capability to handle the 2.4 trips to the tanker per hour that the Superbug needs, so maybe a Hornet acquisition wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
So? They are good airframes. Why ditch what works? This is the same mentality that says the A-10 is “obsolete” and that we should try and build a replacement for the Ma-Deuce.
Nothing is obsolete until there is something better.
These jets all served together in the 4th Fighter Wing Provisional flying out of Al Kharj AB. The two dark gray F-15’s are E models from the 335th FS Chiefs and 336th FS World Famous Rocketeers, 4th Wing Seymour Johnson AFB NC. One of the F-16’s is from the 174 FS NYANG known then with the Un-PC name the Boys From Syracuse, the other F-16 is from The SCANG I can’t remember the squadron off the top of my head. Finally the light grey F-15 is a C Model from the 53 FS Tigers 36 FW, Bitburg AB, GE. AS far as the color differences in the F-15s, the C models air to air jets have always been the light gray camouflage, while the Strike Eagles have been since day one the dark gray scheme.
The F-111 was used extensively in Desert Storm the 48th FW RAF Lakenheath was flying F-11F models out of Saudi Arabia and the 20th FW RAF Upper Heyford was flying F-111E models with us in ( I was in the 32TFS deployed) the 7440th Combat Wing (P) . Joint Task Force Proven Force, out of Incirlik AB Turkey, and EF-111 Ravens out of both locations.
According to the deputy wing Comander of the planes that bombed Libya in 86, in the post script in that book of his, he noted the F-111 accounted for about 12% of the airframes (I think I have that right) in Desert Storm, but made > 50% of the tank kills. Sorta got that stat set squashed, you know…so they didn’t have to keep the same airframe and put the acquisition professionals out of a job.
Sometimes, I are slow. I misread the original post…why oh why would I doubt the info here?!?!
“Take away the F-111, add the B-2, and we used most of the same airframes to fight Gulf War I as we did Gulf War II.”
D’oh!