US Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Part One)
US Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Part One)

Author: Tony Holmes

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 1782006699

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The F/A-18 Hornet in its various guises was the 'universal soldier' of OIF, with around 250 seeing combat. Flown by various squadrons and groups, the Hornet attacked a range of targets including tanks of the various Iraqi Republican Guard units and government buildings housing elements of the Baath party regime. Apart from its ability to drop precision munitions such as laser-guided bombs, the Hornet was also capable of launching anti-radar missiles and acting as an aerial tanker and reconnaissance platform for other strike types. This book explores the Hornet's versatility which has enhanced its reputation as one of the world's leading strike-fighter aircraft.

US Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Part Two)
US Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Part Two)

Author: Tony Holmes

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 1782007342

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This book explores the role of the US Navy Hornet units in the northern Iraqi campaign. These units were the first Navy Reserve unit to be mobilized since the Korean War, and their attacks were launched from carriers off the coast of Turkey. The conflict for these squadrons was very different from the campaign fought in southern Iraq: they worked almost exclusively with clandestine Special Forces teams from the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy SEALs, British and Australian SAS and Kurdish guerrillas. First-hand accounts accompany the indispensable role these units had in the battle to liberate Iraq.

AV-8B Harrier II Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom I-VI
AV-8B Harrier II Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom I-VI

Author: Lon Nordeen

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2013-10-20

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 1780963114

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The AV-8B Harrier was, and still is, the only tactical aircraft that can deploy with the US Marine Corps on amphibious assault ships and provide air cover and close air support separate from large deck aircraft carriers. Having seen action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the Harrier II returned to the theatre from March 2003 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the initial conflict some 76 AV-8Bs were deployed, providing more than 40 per cent of the 3rd Marine Air Wing's fixed-wing offensive firepower. Around 60 of these aircraft were sea-based aboard four 'Harrier Carriers', while a unit flew jets from Ahmed al Jaber, in Kuwait. Unlike in 1991, when Harrier IIs employed unguided weapons, 79 per cent of the ordnance dropped was precision-guided. This was primarily due to the AV-8B's upgrading to Night Attack or radar-equipped configuration, and the introduction of the Litening II targeting pod. Following the occupation of Iraq by Coalition troops, Harrier IIs remained in-theatre supporting anti-insurgent operations through to 2008 as part of OIF II-VI.

AV-8B Harrier II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom
AV-8B Harrier II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom

Author: Lon Nordeen

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-07-20

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 1782003452

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In the 1970s the USMC bought the AV-8A Harrier from the UK whose VTOL capabilities allowed it to serve as a tactical aircraft that could deploy with Marine forces on amphibious assault ships and provide air cover and close air support from large deck aircraft carriers. Third in a trilogy on US Marine Corps Harrier IIs in combat, it will be the first volume to cover the whole story of the AV-8B's service employment during peacekeeping operations and then in Afghanistan. With profile artwork for all frontline AV-8B units detailing the unique colours and markings applied by each squadron, this volume presents the widest variety of first-hand accounts of AV-8B air operations and missions by pilots and ground forces involved in Operation Enduring Freedom published to date.

US Marine Corps and RAAF Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom
US Marine Corps and RAAF Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Author: Tony Holmes

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1782006710

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Some 84 of the 250 Hornets committed by Central Command to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) proudly bore MARINE titling on their rear fuselages. A further 14 were marked with the distinctive kangaroo roundel of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The exploits achieved by the units that flew these jets into combat is detailed in this volume, the third of three titles published in the Combat Aircraft series on what has been dubbed by many TACAIR insiders the 'Hornet's War'. Although the bulk of this book deals with the major hostilities phase of OIF I, which ran from 20 March to 20 April 2003, the decade of pre-war OSW missions and ongoing post-war OIF II operations are also covered in significant detail from the Marine Corps perspective. Profusely illustrated with rare frontline photography and more than 30 specially commissioned colour artworks, this book also features the combat experiences of 24 pilots and Weapons Systems Officers.

US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom
US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Author: Tony Holmes

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 1782006702

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Since the limited Desert Fox campaign against Iraq in December 1998, the Tomcat has been integral to virtually all combat operations involving the US Navy in the Arabian Gulf. Indeed, on every carrier deployment to the Persian Gulf since Desert Fox, the F-14 unit(s) on station has ventured into 'The Sand Box' over southern Iraq and prosecuted targets operating in contravention to United Nations security council resolutions. This book covers the F-14 Operation Iraqi Freedom actions against battlefield targets and integrated air defence sites, command and control centres, regime leadership targets and military installations in Baghdad, Tikrit, Mosul and Kirkuk.

F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom
F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom

Author: Tony Holmes

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1782006737

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The legendary F-14 Tomcat was the weapon of choice to strike against the enemies of the United States in the wake of the September 11 attacks, with F-14s flying thousands of bombing missions on al-Qaeda and Taliban positions. Written by aviation expert Tony Holmes, this book explores the F-14 pilots and aircraft involved in Operation Enduring Freedom, with insights into the tactical approach and strategic aims provided by officers. Exclusive access to mission reports, combat diaries, fullcolour artwork and photographs from the author's collection reveal the battle experiences of the most famous modern fast jet.

Road to Baghdad
Road to Baghdad

Author: Ambush Alley Ambush Alley Games

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2011-04-01

Total Pages: 105

ISBN-13: 1849085196

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Road to Baghdad gives Force on Force players all the information they need to re-fight the 2003 Allied invasion of Iraq. From deadly little firefights between Iraqi Fedayeen and US Special Forces to armored battles against Republican Guard positions across the Tigris River, Road to Baghdad offers a wealth of varied scenarios and mission objectives that will challenge the tactical abilities of both new and experienced wargamers alike. With a wealth of new information to expand Force on Force, including detailed historical background and orders of battle for US, British and Iraqi forces during the invasion, Road to Baghdad allows players to really get to grips with the experiences of war in Iraq.

Harpoon Missile vs Surface Ships
Harpoon Missile vs Surface Ships

Author: Lon Nordeen

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2024-01-18

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 1472859235

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An illustrated study of premier US anti-ship missile, the AGM/RGM-84 Harpoon, and its 1986 and '88 uses against Libyan and Iranian naval vessels. In this study, defence technology expert Lon Nordeen details the role played by the Harpoon missile in two Cold War flare-ups in the 1980s. The Harpoon was the first tactical anti-ship missile developed by the US Navy to provide a counter to the anti-ship missiles exported around the world by the Soviet Union and China. It was deployed on ships, aircraft, submarines and land vehicles and soon became the most widely used anti-ship missile system in the West, with 7,000+ having been produced since 1977, operated by the military forces of more than 30 nations. This exciting book explores the engagements of the Harpoon by the US Navy against its Libyan and Iranian adversaries, using original photographs and specially commissioned artwork to examine the naval systems and weapons employed by both counterparts. Drawing upon interviews with the US Navy A-6 Intruder crews that deployed the AGM084 variant of the Harpoon in 1986 and 1988, the author brings unique insight to his examination of these fascinating duels.

Unmanned
Unmanned

Author: William M. Arkin

Publisher: Little, Brown

Published: 2015-07-28

Total Pages: 381

ISBN-13: 0316323365

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Unmanned is an in-depth examination of why seemingly successful wars never seem to end. The problem centers on drones, now accumulated in the thousands, the front end of a spying and killing machine that is disconnected from either security or safety. Drones, however, are only part of the problem. William Arkin shows that security is actually undermined by an impulse to gather as much data as possible, the appetite and the theory both skewed towards the notion that no amount is too much. And yet the very endeavor of putting fewer human in potential danger places everyone in greater danger. Wars officially end, but the Data Machine lives on forever. Throughout his career, Arkin has exposed powerful secrets of so-called national security and intelligence. Now he continues that tradition. The most alarming book about warfare in years, Unmanned is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of mankind.