14th Air Division (Provisional) 1st Tactical Fighter Wing At Dhahran International Airport, Saudi Arabia 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F-15C 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F-15C 4th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) At Al Kharj Air Base, Saudi Arabia, made up of elements of the following units: 4th Tactical Fighter Wing 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron Chiefs: 6 F-15E 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron Rocketeers: 6 F-15E 36th Tactical Fighter Wing 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F- 15C 169th Tactical Fighter Group (South Carolina Air National Guard) 157th Tactical Fighter Squadron Swamp Foxes: 6 F-16A 174th Tactical Fighter Wing (New York Air National Guard) 138th Tactical Fighter Squadron The Boys from Syracuse: 4F-16A 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing At King Faisal Air Base, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron Gorillas: 6 F-15C 35th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) At Sheikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain, made up of elements of the following units: 35th Tactical Fighter Wing 56lst Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F-4G 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F-4G Combined elements of the 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron/67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 106th TRS/117th TRW (Alabama Air National Guard- aircraft only), and 192nd TRS/152nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group (Nevada Air National Guard-crews only): RF-4C 37th Tactical Fighter Wing At Khamis Mushait Air Base, Saudi Arabia 415th Tactical Fighter Squadron Nightstalkers: 5 F-117A 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron Ghost Riders: 5 F-117A 48th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) At Taif, Saudi Arabia, made up of elements of the following 48th "Statue of Liberty" Wing 492nd Tactical Fighter Squadron Justice: 5 F-111F 493rd Tactical Fighter Squadron Freedom: 5 F-11IF 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron Liberty: 5 F-11IF Note: The 48th TFW is the only US Air Force wing with both a name and a number. 366th Tactical Fighter Wing 390th Electronic Combat Squadron: 4 EF-111A 354th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) At King Fahd Airport, Damman, Saudi Arabia, made up of elements of the following units: 10th Tactical Fighter Wing 511th Tactical Fighter Squadron Vultures: 6 A-10A 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing 74th Tactical Fighter Squadron Flying Tigers: 6 A-10A 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron Vanguards: 6 A-10A Note: The 74th TFS was the second of two A-10 squadrons trained for night combat. 354th Tactical Fighter Wing 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron Panthers: 6 A-10A 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron Falcons- 6 A-10A Note: The 355th TFS was the first of two A-10 squadrons trained for night combat. 926th Tactical Fighter Group (Air Force Reserve) 706th Tactical Fighter Squadron Cajuns: 6 A-10A 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron "Nail-FACs": 3 OA-10A 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) At Al Dhafra Air Base, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, made up of elements of the following units: 50th Tactical Fighter Wing 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F-16C 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing 17th Tactical Fighter Squad ron Hooters: 5 F-16C 33rd Tactical Fighter Squadron: 5 F-16C 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) at Al Minhad, United Arab Emirates, made up of elements of the following units: 347th Tactical Fighter Wing 69th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F- 16C/D 388th Tactical Fighter Wing 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F-16C/D 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron Black Widows: 6 F-16C/D 401st Tactical Fighter Wing At Doha, Qatar 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 6 F-16C (1st Special Operations Wing) At King Fahd Airport. Damman, Saudi Arabia 16th Special Operations Squadron: 1 AC-130H Note: Although owned by the 1st SOW, 16th SOS was under the Operation Control of the AFCENT during the war. 919th Special Operations Group At King Fahd Airport, Damman, Saudi Arabia 711th Special Operations Squadron: 1 AC- 130A 15th Air Division (Provisional) 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing at King Khalid International Airport/Riyadh Military City Airport: 963rd, 964th, 965th AWAC Squadrons: 3 E-3B/C 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron: 1 EC-130E ABCCC 41st Electronic Combat Squadrons: 2 EC-130H Compass Call 193rd Special Operations Group (Pennsylvania Air National Guard) At Bateen, UAE: 193rd Special Operations Squadron: 1 EC-130E Comfy Levi/Senior Scout, 1 EC- 130E Rivet Rider/Volant Solo (Subordination Unknown) 4411 joint STARS Squadron: at Riyadh Military City Airport: 1 E-8A Joint STARS 1610th Air Lift Division (Provisional) 1620th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional) at Abu Dhabi and Bateen, UAE, with elements of the following units: 50th & 61st TAS/314th TAW: 4 C-130E 1630th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional) at Al Ain, UAE, with elements of the following units: 130th TAS/130th TAG (West Virginia ANG), 181st TAS/ 136thTAW (Texas ANG), 142ndTAS/166thTAG (Delaware ANG), 180th TAS/139th TAG (Missouri ANG), 37th TAS/435th TAW: 10 C 130E/H 1640th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional) at Masirah, Oman, with elements of the following units: 317th TAW: 4 C- 130E 1650th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional) at Sharjah, UAE, with elements of the following units: 3rd TAS/927th TAG (AFRES), 328th TAS/914th TAG (AFRES): 4 C 130E/H 1660th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional) at Thumrait, Oman, with elements of the following units: 327th TAS/913th TAG (AFRES), 21st & 345th TAS/374th TAW: 4 C 130 E/H Unidentified Tactical Airlift Wings (Provisional) at Al Khazj Air Base and King Fahd Airport, Damman, Saudi Arabia, with elements of the following units: 130th TAS/130th TAG (West Virginia ANG), 142nd TAS/ 166th TAG (Delaware ANG), 317th TAW, 772nd & 773rd TAS/463rd TAW: 11 C- 130E/H 17th Air Division (Provisional) 801st Bombardment Wing (Provisional) at Moron AFB, Spain: 6 B52G 806th Bombardment Wing (Provisional) at RAF Fairford, UK: 2 B52G 1708th Bombardment Wing (Provisional) at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: 5 B-52G 4300th Bombardment Wing (Provisional) at Diego Garcia: 5 B52G, 2 KC-10A, 1 KC-135R Note: Aircraft provided by 2nd, 42nd, 93rd, 97th, 379th, and 416th Bombardments Wings (B-52G), with personnel also provided by 5th, 7th, 92nd, and4lOthBombWings (B-52H).The Cairo West Airport, Egypt, was also used by these aircraft. 802nd Air Refueling Wing (Provisional): at Milan-Ma1pensa Airport, Italy, and Zarazoga AFB, Spain, made up of elements of the following units: 32nd Air Refueling Squadron/2nd Bomb Wing: 4 KC-10A 807th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional): at Mont de Marsan Air Base, France, made up of elements of the following units: 99th & 912th ARS/19th ARW: 3 KC-135R 1700th Reconnaissance Wing (Provisional): 1704th Reconnaissance Squadron (Provisional): at Taif, Saudi Arabia, including elements from 99di Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron/9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and 95th Reconnaissance Squadron/17th Reconnaissance Wing: 2 TR-1A, 1 U-2R CSpan X (Subordination Unknown) 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing: at Riyadh Military City Airport: 2RC-135U/V/W Rivet Joint 1701st Strategic Wing (Provisional) At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Formerly designated the 1701st Air Refueling Wing (Provisional), this was apparently an administrative unit intended to control the 1708th BW(P) above, and 1709th ARW(P) below. 1702nd Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) At Seeb, Muscat, made up of elements of the following units: 28th ARS/28th BW and 905th ARS/319th BW: 4 KC-135R 1703rd Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) At King Khalid International Airport/Riyadh Military City Airport, Riyadh, made up of elements of the following units: 909th ARS/376th Strategic Wing, 99th & 912th ARS/1 9th ARW, 70th & 305th ARS/305th ARW, 905th ARS/319th ARW: 8 KC135A/R 305th ARW: 1 EC-135L 1706th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) At Cairo West Airport, Egypt, made up of elements of the following units: 116th ARS/141st ARW (Washington ANG) and 126th ARS/128th ARG (Wisconsin ANG): 4 KC-135E 1707th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) at Masirah, Oman, made up of elements of the following units: 301st Air Refueling Wing: 2 KC-135R 1709th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) At King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, made up of the following units: 6th & 9th Air Refueling Squadron/22d ARW and 344th & 91 lth Air Refueling Squadrons/68th ARW: 6 KC-10A 168th ARS/168th ARG (Alaska ANG), 108th ARS/126th ARW (Illinois ANG), 117th ARS/190th ARG (Kansas ANG), 145th ARS/ 160th ARG (Ohio ANG), 132nd ARS/101st ARW (Maine ANG), 133rd ARS/157th ARG (New Hampshire ANG), 151st ARS/134th ARG (Termessee ANG), 72nd ARS/434th ARW (AFRES), 314th ARS/940th ARG (AFRES), 336th ARS/452nd ARW (AFRES): 15 KC-135E 1711th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) At King Khalid International Airport/Riyadh Military City Airport, Riyadh, made up of elements of the following units: 349th & 350th ARS/9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 310th & 380th ARS/380di BW: 3 KC-135Q 1712th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) At Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE, and Al Dhafra, UAE, made up of elements of the following units: 145th ARS/160th ARG (Ohio ANG), 42nd & 407th ARS/42nd BW, 11th & 306th ARSP-40th ARW, 41st ARS/416di BW: 5 KC-135E/R 1713th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional) At Dubai International Airport, UAE, made up of elements of the following units: 145th ARS/160th ARG (Ohio ANG), 147di ARS/171st ARW (Pennsylvania ANG), and 151stARS/134thARG (Tennessee ANG): 3KC135E Notes 1. In the listings above, AFRES is AirForce Reserve, ANG is AirNational Guard, ARS is Air Refueling Squadron, ARW is Air Refueling Wing, ARG is Air Refueling Group, BW is Bombardment Wing, TAS is Tactical Airlift Squadron, TAG is Tactical Airlift Group, and TAW is Tactical Airlift Wing. 2. The units in the 800 series listed under the l7th Air Division (P) consist of Strategic Air Command aircraft flying out of Europe in support of the war, and were actually subordinated to the 8th Air Division. However, because they would have been integrated into Desert Storm operations by the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) via the Air Tasking Order (ATO), they are listed under the 17th Air Division (P) which had responsibility for all SAC aircraft in the theater. 3.The 355tg TFS and 74th TFS of the 354th TFW (P) were dedicated night attack units. Although the A- 10 is not a night aircraft, the 355th pilots used flares and looked through the IR seekers of their Maverick missiles to sight targets in the dark (the latter technique was compared to looking for something through a straw). 4. The squadrons of the 388th TFW (P) were partially equipped for the night attack role. The aircraft were able to use the LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting InfraRed for Night) the system which consisted of two pods, one for navigation and one for targeting. As it turned out, the wing only had the navigation pods (only the F-15E Strike Eagle units had both halves of the set for its aircraft), which made the wing's night performance less than breathtaking. 5. The 138th TFS were theoretically optimized for close air support, and was listed in some documents as flying "F/A-16" aircraft. However, in practice this was not the case. Their GPU-5 30mm gun pods could not be fired accurately because of software defects, and the pilots found that firing the Maverick missile (of which the squadron fired 73) was more work than the pilot of a single-seat, high-speed aircraft could reasonably do. Coalition Air Forces Note: Coalition Air Forces, listed below, were coordinated by the CENTAF commander in his role as Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) via the Air Tasking Order (ATO) and are therefore included under CENTAF, although they were ultimately commanded by their own National Command Authorities. BAHRAIN EMIRI AIR FORCE 3 F-5E/F at Sheikh Isa, Bahrain 3 F-16C/D at Sheikh Isa, Bahrain QATAR EMIRI AIR FORCE No. 7 Squadron at Doha, Qatar: 3 Mirage F1 No. 11 Squadron at Doha, Qatar: 1 Alpha Jet (trainer/light attack) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AIR FORCE 8 Mirage 2000 at Al Dhafira, Abu Dhabi 7 Mirage 5 at Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi 4 Hawk Mk 63 at Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi 2 Hawk Mk 61 at Dubai SULTAN OF OMAN'S AIR FORCE Nos. 8 and 20 Squadrons at Masiralr 5 Jaguar No. 6 Squadron at Tluunrayt: 3 Hunter FGA.Mk 73 FREE KUWAIT AIR FORCE Nos. 18 and 61 Squadrons at Dhahran: 4 Mirage F1CK (fighter) Nos. 9 and 25 Squadrons at Dhahran: 5 A-4KU Skyhawks (attack) 1 Hawk Mk 64 (trainer/light attack) at Dhahran ITALIAN AIR FORCE 1540, 1550, 1560 Gruppi at Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi: 3 Tomado IDS (attack) Note: Also see NATO ACE Mobile Force, below. ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE 439 "Tiger" (reinforced by 416 "Lynx" and 441 Squadrons) Squadron at Doha, Qatar: 6 CF- 18 Notes 1. Like the RAF below, the Canadian forces also rotated a replacement squadron through before the start of hostilities: No. 409 Squadron was replaced by the above force in December 1990. FRENCH AIR FORCE 5e Escadre de chasse (at Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia): 3 Mirage 2000C (fighter) 1 le Escadre de chasse (at Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia): 7 Jaguar A (attack) 12e Escadre de chasse (at Doha, Qatar): 2 Mirage F1C (fighter) 33e Escadre de reconnaissance (at Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia): 3 Mirage F1CR (recon) 61e Escadre de transport (at Riyadh/King Khalid Int'l Airport): 1 C. 160 Transall. (transport) 64e Escadre de transport (at Riyadh/King Khalid Int'l Airport): 1 C. 160 Transall (transport) 93e Escadre de ravitaillement en vol (Riyadh/King Khalid Int'l Airport): 2 C-135F(R) (tanker) Notes 1. The 12e Escadre was based at Doha, Qatar for air defense. Coalition Mirage F1s were grounded during the early days of the war because of fears that they would be confused with Iraqi F1s. ROYAL AIR FORCE No. 41(C) Squadron ("JagDet Muharraq [Bahrain]," included elements of Nos. 6,41,54 Sqr1s andNo. 226 OCU): 3 Jaguar GR.Mk1A (attack) No. 15(C) Squadron ("Tornado Det Muharraq [Bahrain]," included elements of Nos. 9, 15, 17, 27, 31, 617 Sqns): 4 Tornado GR.Mk1 (attack) No. 16(C) Squadron CTornado Det Tabuk [Saudi Arabia]," included elements of Nos. 2,9,13,14,16,20,617 Sqns): 5 Tornado GR.Mk1 (attack) No. 31(C) Squadron ("Tornado Det Dhahran [Saudi Arabia]," in. cluded elements of Nos. 2, 9, 13, 14, 17, 31 Sqns): 4 Tomado GR.Mk1 (attack), 1 Tomado GR.Mk 1A (Recon) No. 208(C) Squadron ("Buccaneer Det Muharraq [Bahrain] included elements of Nos. 12 and 208 Sqris and No. 237 OCU): 3 Buccaneer S.Mk 2B (attack/designator) No. 43(C) Squadron CTomado ADV Det Dhahran [Saudi Arabia]," included elements of Nos. 29 and 43 Sqns): 4 Tornado F.Mk 3 (interceptor) No. 55 Squadron ("Victor Det Muharraq [Bahrain]'): 2 Victor K.Mk 2 (tanker) No. 101 Squadron (Riyadh/King Khalid Int'l Airport): 2 VC10 K.Mk2 and Mk3 (tanker) No. 216 Squadron (Riyadh/King Khalid Int'l Airport): 1 TriStar K.Mk 1 RAF Air Transportation Detachment (ATD, at Riyadh/King Khalid International Airport, included elements of Nos. 24,30,47, and 70 Sqns RAF, No. 242 OCU, and No. 40 Sqn Royal New Zealand Air Force): 2 Hercules C.Mk 1/C-130H Notes 1. Like the USAF, most RAF aircraft were deployed as composite squadrons which took their designations from the squadron affiliation of the senior officer present. In practice, the British, professionals that they are, seemed to take little notice of squadron designations, and referred to units as detachments of types of aircraft from a certain base (listed in parentheses as various "Dets" above). 2. All three Tornado GR. I Squadrons are able to perform precision fiee-fall bombing strikes by the beginning of the ground war, Muharraq arid Dhahran with Bucc:aneer assistance, and Tabuk with designator pods on their own aircrafL 3. Only the Tabuk Tornado squadron (including elements of No. 20 Squadron) may fire the ALARM (Air-Launched Anti-Radar Missile). 4. The squadrons listed above are those deployed as of the beginning of the war. Unlike the United States, the RAF had deployed several forces which were rotated home and replaced by new squadrons by the start of hostilities. ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE No. 29 Squadron (at Dhahran): 3 Tornado ADV (interceptor) No. 34 Squadron (at Dhahran): 3 Tornado ADV (interceptor) No. 7 Squadron (at Dhahran): 5 Tornado IDS (attack) No. 66 Squadron (at Dhahran): 1 Tornado IDS (attack) No. 5 Squadron (at Taif): 5 F-15C/D No. 6 Squadron (at Khamis Mushait): 5 F-15C/D No. 13 Squadron (at Dhahran): 5 F-15C/D No. 42 Squadron (at Dhahran): 5 F-15C/D No. 3 Squadron (at Taif): 5 F-5E/F No. 10 Squadron (at Taif): 5 F-5E/F No. 15 Squadron (at Khamis Mushait): 5 F-5E/F No. 17 Squadron (at Tabuk): 2 F-5E/F, 2 RF-5E No. 21 Squadron (at Dhahran): 3 Hawk Mk 65 (trainer/light attack) No. 37 Squadron (at Dhahran): 4 Hawk Mk 65 (trainer/light attack) No. 18 Squadron (at Riyadh/Military City Airport): 1 E-3A(AWACS), 2 KE-3A (tanker) No. 4 Squadron (at Jeddah/King Abdul Aziz Airport): 6 C-130E, 1 KC-130H No. 16 Squadron (atRiyadh/Military City Airport): 6 C-130E, 1 KC130H 4th Flight (at Tabuk, for search and rescue): 1 UH-lN Notes 1. The Royal Saudi Air Force took emergency delivery of 25 ex-USAF F-15C/Ds during August 1990 which allowed No. 42 Squadron to form. These were surplus to US needs because of the post-Cold War draw down which had already begun. ROYAL SAUDI AIR DEFENCE FORCE 5th ADA Group: 12 batteries of Shahine 2,4 batteries of Skyguard, 8 batteries of Super Fledermaus 6th ADA Group: 2 batteries of IHAWK, 3 batteries of Shahine 2,4 batteries of Skyguard More Gulf War Introduction Coalition Forces: Joint Forces Command Coalition Forces: CENTCOM US Central Command Coalition Forces: SOCCENT Special Operations Command Coalition Forces: JSOTF Joint Special Operations Task Force Coalition Forces: MARCENT Marine Corps Component Coalition Forces: NAVCENT Naval Component Coalition Forces: CENTAF/9th Air Force: Air Force Component Coalition Forces: EUCOM US European Command Coalition Forces: NATOACE North Atlantic Treaty Org. Allied Command Europe, Mobile Force Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly #4 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com