{"id":164362,"date":"2022-07-03T09:53:52","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T13:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=164362"},"modified":"2022-07-03T09:53:52","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T06:43:43","slug":"will-usaf-f-15e-versus-iraqi-mi-24-cant-we-all-just-be-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/will-usaf-f-15e-versus-iraqi-mi-24-cant-we-all-just-be-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"USAF F-15E versus Iraqi Mi-24: Can’t We All Just Be Friends?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"USAF
If you were a fighter pilot what weapon might you choose to rid the skies of something like this?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Young men are stupid. I am certain of this because, back in the early Mesozoic era, I was one. Don\u2019t believe me? Roughly 93% of America\u2019s incarcerated population is male. We are imprisoned at a rate fourteen times higher than is the fairer sex. Testosterone is the world\u2019s most potent poison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
I really, really wanted to fly one of these. Lamentably, I was born 45 years too late.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Back when dinosaurs roamed the plains I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I had grown up devouring everything I could find on World War 2 aviation. I knew I wanted to be a military aviator, but I wasn’t sure what sort. The Internet was but a gleam in the eye of a young Al Gore, so I just read books and talked to folks who had done it. Eventually, I settled upon Army helicopters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
This all just seems a bit tedious.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Driving jets was sexy and all, but those rascals were undeniably complicated. I wanted to really fly, not manage some hyper-complex technological system. Army helicopters seemed a bit closer to the Golden Age of aviation in my neophytic view. Additionally, if I didn\u2019t pull it off there seemed to be plenty of other cool stuff I could do as an Army officer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
That’s me doing my old job. I picked it because it seemed cool.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, there you have it. I sought out a career path based solely on how cool it would be. Not how amenable it might be to raising a family (hideous) or what sort of retirement it offered (decent, I guess), but rather simply because the job seemed like a rush and I thought I\u2019d cut a dashing figure in a flight suit. You recall I mentioned young men are stupid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
When I reminisce about my time in the Army I recall being really tired and really dirty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the benefit of hindsight perhaps I should have worn blue instead of green. The Air Force is commanded by pilots, while the Army is commanded by grunts and tankers. That simple observation makes all the difference in the world as regards lifestyle. As a result of my skewed logic, I ultimately spent a year in the Infantry living like some kind of farm animal, feasted upon some of the most unspeakably vile stuff in survival school, and averaged eight months out of twelve away from home on a good year. However, at least I got to enjoy the inter-service collegiality that comes from being a military aviator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
Captains Bennett and Bakke were flying an F-15E Strike Eagle like this one.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I did plenty of joint operations wherein I worked with the Wing Nuts of the US Air Force and the Squids of the Navy. I always felt like we enjoyed a productive relationship based on mutual respect. Then on Valentine\u2019s Day 1991, CPT Richard Bennett, flying a USAF F-15E Strike Eagle along with his Wizzo (Weapon Systems Operator) CPT Daniel Bakke, showed the world the insensate disdain in which they held Army aviation. Those guys pulverized an airborne Iraqi helicopter gunship with an enormous honking laser-guided bomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Setting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
Operation Desert Storm was designed to evict Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Operation Desert Shield ran from August 2, 1990, until January 17, 1991. This was the massive buildup of Allied forces in Saudi Arabia in response to Saddam Hussein\u2019s unprovoked invasion of Kuwait. Desert Storm was the combat phase. It ran for forty-three days from January 17, 1991, until the conclusion of hostilities on February 28, 1991.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
Scuds are intermediate-range ballistic missiles. They can carry conventional, chemical, or nuclear warheads.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Scud missiles were the regional scourge. Scuds had the range to reach Israel. Saddam was convinced that dragging Israel into the fray would splinter the Islamic nations from the Allied coalition. As a result, strike planners made taking out the Scuds a top priority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
This is Strike Eagle 89-0487. It remains in service to this day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The area of operations ranged from Al Qaim near the Syrian border over to Baghdad. We had about a dozen Special Forces teams active on the ground hunting Scuds. The Air Force cycled strike assets in and out 24 hours a day in support of the SF guys destroying high-value targets as they came available. It was this mission that put Captains Bennett and Bakke in the cockpit of Strike Eagle Tail Number 89-0487 on this fateful day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Plane<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
The F-15E Strike Eagle was designed to be versatile, rugged, and mean.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The F-15E Strike Eagle was designed to replace the F-111 Aardvark. The F-15A and F-15C were the single-seat air superiority versions of the airplane. The Strike Eagle carried a crew of two and was a true multi-role platform. That meant that the F-15E was capable of all-weather ground attack, deep interdiction, and air-to-air missions. It was and is an immensely capable airplane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
The F-15E has seen widespread use around the globe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Starting in 1985, we produced 523 of these magnificent machines. They have seen service in the Air Forces of Saudi Arabia, Israel, South Korea, and the US. The plane is 63 feet long and sports a max takeoff weight of 81,000 pounds. Its twin Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofans each put out 29,160 pounds of thrust on the afterburner. The Strike Eagle tops out at 1,434 knots or 1,650 miles per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
In ground attack mode the Strike Eagle packs an enormous quantity of ordnance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The F-15E features four wing pylons along with fuselage hardpoints and bomb racks that will carry an aggregate 23,000 pounds of ordnance. There is also the obligatory M61A1 20mm Vulcan six-barreled electric Gatling gun. The Vulcan packs 500 rounds onboard and cycles at 6,000 rounds per minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Engagement<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
Scud CAPs are designed to prevent this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Strike Eagle 487 was on a Scud CAP (Combat Air Patrol) along with a wingman. CPT Bennett was tuned up to AWACS for general control and coordination. Amidst some foul weather with multiple cloud layers between 4,000 and 18,000 feet, they got word that an SF team was in trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
These guys lived and died by stealth. Once they were compromised Uncle Sam moved heaven and earth to keep them safe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Iraqis had located the Green Berets and were closing in with both ground and air assets. With five enemy helicopters operating nap of the earth, the two Strike Eagles started hunting. The helos were apparently emplacing ground troops and then essentially herding the SF guys toward their inserted blocking force. If the Special Forces operators were not going to end up in an Iraqi prison or worse those enemy helicopters had to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
Antiaircraft artillery used to be called flak. It is relatively crude but undeniably effective if you get any of it on you.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Strike Eagles dropped to 2,500 feet to get under the weather and were burning along at around 600 knots. The Wizzo CPT Bakke had acquired the enemy aircraft on his organic targeting equipment. As they were deep in Indian Country the AAA (antiaircraft artillery) was hot and heavy. Things were rapidly getting squirrely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
The Mi-24 Hind was a product of the Cold War. It remains in widespread service today.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Using the high-resolution FLIR pod the Strike Eagle crew identified a pair of Iraqi helicopters moving sporadically. They would land briefly and then lift off, move a bit farther on, and land again. The American crew rightfully assumed they were inserting troops to corral the SF team. They visually identified the Iraqi aircraft as Mi-24 Hind gunships. The Hind is unique among dedicated gunships in that it also includes an ample cargo compartment that can carry extra ordnance or ground troops. With the two target aircraft moving abreast, CPT Bennett and his WSO planned their attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
The primary strength of the modern combat helicopter is the capacity to fly comfortably within the ground clutter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They carried four AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, but these weapons were not meant to be used amidst the rocky ground clutter of the Iraqi desert. As the Hinds were hugging the contours of the ground apparently the Sidewinders had a tough time locking on. However, CPT Bennet\u2019s Strike Eagle also included four 14-foot GBU-10 Paveway II 2,000-pound laser-guided bombs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
The GBU-10 Paveway II is a beast of a thing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The mission this day had not necessarily been to shoot down enemy helicopters, but rather to protect the SF team and kill Scuds. By using one of their 2,000-pound bombs the Air Force strike crew appreciated that they stood a good chance of neutralizing any ground troops the Iraqi helos might have inserted. With verification from AWACS that there were no friendly aircraft in the area, they moved in for the kill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
Captains Bennett and Bakke used the tools they had at hand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CPT Bakke lased the lead Iraqi Hind while still four miles away. The Mi-24 was on the ground disgorging troops at the time. If my math is correct the time of flight for the big weapon would be about 20 seconds. Just as they pickled off the GBU-10 the Hind broke ground and accelerated to 100 knots. Presuming the guided bomb attack to be a wash, CPT Bennett then armed a Sidewinder and prepared to engage once the Mi-24 cleared the surrounding terrain. Meanwhile, CPT Bakke carefully maneuvered his targeting laser to keep it centered on the accelerating Iraqi gunship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
The F-15E Strike Eagle is ably equipped for air-to-air engagements. However, sometimes you just need to improvise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before CPT Bennett could loose his missile the massive bomb impacted the helicopter squarely. The resulting explosion simply vaporized the 26,000-pound gunship. The Special Forces team was eventually extracted and verified that the attack helicopter had been blown absolutely to smithereens. CPT Bennet resumed his Scud CAP and was actually vectored onto an active Scud TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher) about fifteen minutes later. Bennett and Bakke destroyed that Scud and headed home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruminations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
A ton of high explosive did a proper job on one unfortunate Iraqi Mi-24 Hind helicopter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now I wasn\u2019t there, of course, but as an Army helicopter pilot myself I\u2019m not completely certain that it was necessary to vaporize that enemy gunship with a 2,000-pound bomb. The Hind has a Vne (Velocity never-to-exceed) of 208 mph, roughly eight times slower than that of the Strike Eagle. Blowing the thing up with a massive bomb just seems a bit unnecessarily mean if not frankly bigoted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USAF
This is the scoreboard on the side of the fuselage of Strike Eagle 89-0487. The green star commemorates the Iraqi Mi-24 obliterated by a Paveway II laser-guided bomb on Valentine’s Day, 1991.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Strike Eagle 487 remains in service today. Though it has been crewed by a succession of crew chiefs and flown by countless pilots and wizzos, it still sports the green star on the side signifying that it scored the F-15E\u2019s first air-to-air kill. The fact that they dropped a bomb on a helicopter rather than shooting it down with guns or missiles just speaks to the curious nature of modern air combat and the sick sense of humor of Air Force fighter crews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a>***<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Operation Desert Shield ran from August 2, 1990, until January 17, 1991. This was the massive buildup of Allied forces in Saudi Arabia in response to Saddam Hussein’s unprovoked invasion of Iraq.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":164375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[257,772],"tags":[3395,132,102,1082,636,3394,2703],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-164362","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-historical-guns","8":"category-will-dabbs","9":"tag-air-force","10":"tag-buzz","11":"tag-feature-articles","12":"tag-historical","13":"tag-history","14":"tag-stories","15":"tag-war"},"yoast_head":"\nUSAF F-15E versus Iraqi Mi-24: Can't We All Just Be Friends?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"USAF F-15E versus Iraqi Mi-24: Can't We All Just Be Friends? - Will Dabbs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/will-usaf-f-15e-versus-iraqi-mi-24-cant-we-all-just-be-friends\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"USAF F-15E versus Iraqi Mi-24: Can't We All Just Be Friends?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Operation Desert Shield ran from August 2, 1990, until January 17, 1991. 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However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\\\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. 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