Callsign Doom
by Peter Chilelli
Title
Callsign Doom
Artist
Peter Chilelli
Medium
Digital Art
Description
Operation Senior Surprise, also known as Secret Squirrel, was a long range B-52G Stratofortress cruise missile strike against Iraqi targets that initiated the bombing campaign during the Gulf War in 1991. But was given the unofficial nickname Operation Secret Squirrel by the B-52 crews. The mission took place from January 16 1991 and ended January 17 1991. Lt. Col John "Jay" Beard, was the mission commander and Barksdale AFB's 596th Bomb Squadron's commanding officer.
Seven B-52 from Barksdale AFB were chosen to take part in this top secret mission to attack high priority Iraqi power and communication targets at the start of Operation Desert Storm. Each B-52G bomber was loaded with GPS guided AGM-86C conventional air-launched cruise missiles (CALCM). The cruise missiles had only recently been cleared for use with 1000-pound conventional blast fragmentation warheads.
In the early morning of January 16 1991 the crews from the 596th Bomb Squadron, 2d Bomb Wing, got the order to take off on their epic non-stop bombing mission. Eight targets, including power plants at Mosul and a telephone exchange in Basra, first aerial refueling rendezvous, somewhere near the Azores.
Doom 34 called to say they had shut down an engine on takeoff due to fluctuating oil pressure. Normally, this would have been an air abort, but the crew refused to be left behind.
They made their first aerial refueling with KC-135s out of Lajes Field, Azores. The bombers pressed on to the next aerial refueling was over the Mediterranean Sea, with KC-10 tankers out of Moron AB, Spain.
Flying lights-out and in radio silence, the bombers route took them across the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Desert. After entering Saudi airspace they began to arm the missiles and started their run to the launch point. Prior to the launch, about 100 miles south of the border in the far western part of Saudi Arabia, four missiles were having software problems and couldn't be launched. The crews were under strict orders not to launch any missiles with problems in case they caused collateral damage.
Uploaded
July 7th, 2021
Statistics
Viewed 250 Times - Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 04/25/2024 at 4:15 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments
There are no comments for Callsign Doom . Click here to post the first comment.