Air Force Special Operations Command

Air Force Special Operations Command — page 1 — FORCE FACTS The 105-millimeter howitzer mounted on AC-130 gunships is the largest airborne cannon in the world It is capable of firing one round every six seconds with pinpoint accuracy The airframe or body of Hercules planes can be converted for multiple uses such as a gunship

Air Force Special Operations Command — page 2

Air Force Special Operations Command — page 3 — D N A M M O C S N O I T A R E P O L A I C E P S E C R O F R I A 8 INTRODUCTION

Air Force Special Operations Command — page 4 — A I R F O R C E S P E C I A L O P E R A T I O N S C O M M A N D 9 INTRODUCTION As United States Commander-in-Chief General Norman Schwarzkopf began making plans to liberate Kuwait after Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s invasion in August 1990 his first objective was to knock out two radar installations near the Iraqi border Those electronic eyes provided a significant obstacle to American aircraft that would attack Hussein Eliminating them would make it much safer for those aircraft to conduct their mis sions Schwarzkopf asked Colonel George Gray of the Air Force Special Operations Command AFSOC if he could guarantee that the mission code-named Plan Eager Anvil would be completely successful Yes sir Gray responded You get to start the war Schwarzkopf said Plan Eager Anvil started shortly after midnight on January 17 1991 Four AFSOC Pave Low helicopters equipped with a variety of electronic aids led eight heavily armed U S Army Apache attack helicopters The AFSOC pilots realized that the stakes were high Oh my gosh the weight of the world is on this mission said one A lot of people could die if we fail Skimming over several hundred miles of terrain at a maximum elevation of 50 feet 15 m the pilots zigzagged back and forth to avoid radar detection Their navigation was flawless At 2 38 a m they arrived at the target The Apaches began their barrage raining down missiles rockets and machine gunfire on the radar stations Four minutes later both facilities were obliterated Soon afterward a massive air armada headed for Iraq There was no interference AFSOC had done its job ZzZ General Schwarzkopf retired in 1992 after serving an illus trious career in the military

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