U.S. MILITARY MUSCLE : Air and Naval Forces in the Persian Gulf

The enormous concentration of U.S. weapons in the gulf features some of the world’s most advanced airplanes and helicopters. Deployed from land bases and U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf region, these aircraft offer allied forces decisive first-strike capabilities. Sensitive targets in Iraq Major Iraqi Air Bases: Irbil, Basra, Habbaniyah, An Nasiriyah, Kirkuk, Mosul, Shu-aiba, H-3, H-2. Major Nuclear Power Plants: Basra, Dibis, Baghdad. Nuclear Weapons Factories: Tuwaybah, Mosul, Irbil. Petroleum Refinery Plants: Kirkuk, Baghdad, Basra. Rocket and Ballistic Missile Plants: Hilah, Mosul, Falluja, Karbala. Chemical Production Plants: Samarra, Salman Pak. NAVAL FORCES DEPLOYED IN THE GULF REGION Persian Gulf: Midway aircraft carrier, Ranger Aircraft carrier, Wisconsin battleship, Missouri battleship, LaSalle command ship, Blue Ridge command ship, 2 cruisers, 29 other ships. Total 37. Arabian Sea: Total 34. Red Sea: Saratoga aircraft carrier, John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier, Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, America aircraft carrier, 22 other ships. Total 26. Mediterranean: Total 3. NAVY F-4 Tomcat Launched from aircraft carriers, the F-14 is designed as a fleet defense fighter. Its superior avionics permit the F-14 to track 24 targets and selectively engage six targets simultaneously. In the Persian Gulf, it can defend the U.S. and allied naval forces and engage Iraqi fighter in air-to-air combat. Armament * Sparrow, Sidewinder or Phoenix air-to-air missiles. F/A-18 Hornet Defensively, the carrier-based Hornet can protect naval ships from enemy fighters and missiles. Offensively, the F/A-18 can function as a fighter escort and also deliver 17,000 pounds of gravity and laser-guided bombs with high accuracy. Armament * Sparrow and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. * HARM anti-radar missiles. * Harpoon radar-guided anti-ship missiles. * SLAM stand-off land-attack missiles. * 500-pound gravity bombs. * GBU-10 and-12 laser-guided bombs. A-6 intruder The A-6 is designed as an all-weather long-range attack plane able to deliver up to 18,000 pounds of bombs with pinpoint accuracy. Launched from carriers, the A6 has a maximum speed of 610 m.p.h. and an operational radius of 316 nautical miles. Armament * Harpoon missiles * HARM missiles * Gravity bombs EA-6B Prowler The Prowler is basically an extended A-6 loaded with all-weather electronic warfare equipment. It is designed to accompany fighters/bombers and use is electronic broad-band jammers to locate and confuse enemy radar. Armament * HARM missiles MARINES AV-8B Harrier Capable of vertical takeoffs and landings, the fixed-wing fighter can get aloft from a short airfield, deliver thousands of pounds of ordnance, and thenb land verticallyon an unimproved forward site. Armament * 25mm gun * Sidewinder air-to-air missiles * Maverick air-to-ground missiles * Laser-guided and gravity bombs * Rocket launchers AIR FORCE E-3 AWACS The Airborne Warning and Control systems (AWACS) is a modified Boeing 707 designed to track and identify up to 600 aircraft simultaneously. It is identified by the30-foot-by-6-foot rotordome above the fuselage. the rotordome rotates every 10 seconds and projects a radar beam that picks up every moving target from ground to sky. JSTARS The new, high-tech JSTARS radar plane -- shot for Joint Surveillance and Targeting Acquisition Radar System -- was designed to monitor troops and tanks in Europe as they moved to engage NATO forces. Two of the modified Boeing 707s -- bristling with electronic surveillance equipment that can scan up to 130 miles and spot vehicles moving on the ground -- are in Saudi Arabia. The planes may play a critical role in helping detect and target about 70 Iraqi mobile missile launchers. F-117A Stealth Designed to be virtually undetectable to enemy radar, the F-117A is a first-strike fighter that can attack Iraqi runways, ammunition depots and command centers in the initial stages of a military confrontation. Armament * Unspecified missiles * Guided and gravity bombs A-10 Thunderbolt Military sources consider the A-10 to be the primary tank fighter of the Air Force. A-10’s operate at low altitude to counter defensive systems,a nd can fly and fight effectively undr low clouds and in poor visibility. Armament * 30mm high-sped cannon * Maverick missiles * Guided and gravity bombs F-4G Wild Weasel Loaded with electronic radar-jamming equipment, the F-4G is designed to detect and destroy enemy radar and ground-to-air missile sites. Armament * Shrike anti-radar missile * HARM anti-radar missile F-15 Eagle An all-weather strike fighter, the Eagle has long-range (670 miles) strike capability. It can operate from short stretches of damaged runways in combat situations. Armament Sparrow Sidewinder of AMRAAM air-to-air missiles Maverick TV-guided missiles GBU-12/-14 laser-guided bombs GBU-15 TV-guided bombs Gravity bombs F-16 Fighting Falcon One of the smaller, lighter and less expensive fighters, the Falcon is able to carry heavy ordnance loads on long-range strike missions. It is superior in close-combat “dogfight” situations. Armament Sparrow, Sidewinder or AMRAAM AIR-TO-AIR missiles Maverick TV-guided missiles GBU-12/-14 laser-guided bombs GBU-15 TV-guided bombs Gravity bombs F-111A Aardvark Recognized for its pivoting swing-wings, the F-111 is a long-range tactical fighter capable of delivering up to 25,000 pounds of bombs. Armament SRAM missiles Nuclear bombs Sparrow, Sidewinder or AMRAAM air-to-air missiles Maverick TV-guided missiles GBU-12/-14 laser-guided bombs GBU-15 TV-guided bombs Gravity bombs B-52 Stratofortress The long-range B-52 bomber is capable of delivering a devastating 50,000 pounds of bombs. In recent years it has been equipped with cruise missiles and sophisticated software giving the capability of delivering both nuclear and conventional bombs. Armament SRAM nucler attack missiles AGM-86 nuclear cruise missiles Nuclear gravity bombs, 500-pound and 2,000-pound conventional bombs HELICOPTERS: THE KEY TO MOVING SUPPLIES AND TROOPS CH-46 Sea Knight Often referred to as the workhorse of the Marine Corps; the double-rotor SEa Knight carries Marines during both land and sea assaults. It can also be used to move equipment, weapons and supplies and engage in search and rescue. CH-53E Super Stallion The heavy-lift Marine helicopter -- it is the largest built outside of the Soviet Union -- is used to carry trucks, 155-miilimeter howitzers and light armored vehicles and to ferry them from position to position. It is one of the few helicopters capable of lifting its own weight * 16 tons. CH-53D Sea Stallion Smaller than Super Stallion, the Sea Stallion carries troops, equipment and ammunition and can be launched from amphibious assault ships. Used extensively during the Vietnam War, it can carry 37 combat-equipped troops or 24 injured soldiers and four attendants. AH-1T Sea Cobra Just 58 feet long, the Cobra provides close air support for amphibious invasions and ground maneuvers. The helicopter’s pilot and gunner control a 20-millimeter gun and a variety of small rockets, including the laser-guided, tank-killing Hellfire missile. UH-1N Huey One of the most durable and versatile utility helicopters ever built -- the distinctive “whop” of its rotor blades is often associated with Vietnam -- the Huey is used for moving troops, light equipment and for battlefield medical evacuations. It can carry eight to 10 combat-equipped Marines or six woundced soldiers with one attendant.