certain of hitting the target, also had a
detrimental effect on the operation. On
the positive side, the lessons learnt from
working with the Pave Tack systems were to
prove invaluable some four years later when
the 48th went to war in the Gulf.DESERT WARFARE
On August 2, 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait
and the world reacted. The US defensive
operation, known as Desert Shield, was
followed by action to drive the Iraqis out of
Kuwait – Desert Storm. The latter began on
January 17, 1991. Between August 1990 and
May 1991, the 48th TFW deployed to the
Middle East to take part in the operations
against Iraq.
The wing was heavily involved in the
operations. Eighteen F-111Fs departed
Lakenheath for Taif in Saudi Arabia on
August 5, 1990 and by December 1990,
66 aircraft were based there. Missions
own by the Aardvarks were many and
varied. Targets included artillery, SAM
sites, bunkers, hangars, runways, hardened
aircraft shelters, bridges, missile batteries,
tanks and armour. In total, the wing ew
2,500 sorties of which 2,200 were deemed
successful. This constituted an impressive
88% mission success rate.
By far the most effective of these sorties
were those own at night against tanks
and other armour. A total of 920 targets in
this category were put out of action. ‘Tank
plinking’ as it became known was a new
mission for the 48th TFW. To adequately
prepare for the role, the 48th’s F-111s
took part in two exercises in the theatre
during Desert Shield: Night Camel and
Night Cannon. Both involved medium-
altitude ights against friendly armour using
simulated cluster bombs.
The aircrews soon became so pro cient
at the role of ‘tank plinking’ that this soon
became their primary mission, with as many
as 60 sorties per night own against armour.The standard weapons load for the anti-
tank sorties was four 500lb (227kg) GBU-12
laser-guided bombs (LGB).
Many of the ights over Iraq were met
with considerable anti-aircraft opposition.
On the rst night of the war, January 17,
1991, Lt Col Dennis R Ertler was engaged
on an attack on a hardened aircraft shelter
(HAS) near Ali Al Salem air eld.
Heavy defensive re had caused some
of the Aardvarks to turn back, but Lt Col
Ertler and his WSO, Capt Keith Zuegel,
continued to the target with the remaining
aircraft. They were attacked by surface-to-air
missiles moments after dropping two GBU-
24 LGBs at the target. Lt Col Ertler released
Chaff and a SAM blew up behind them (but
suffered no damage), while the bombs hit
dead centre of their aim point.
For this mission Lt Col Ertler was awarded
the Silver Star. There were four other such
awards for gallantry to 48th TFW aircrew
during the Gulf War. Two Aardvark aircrew,
pilot, Lt Col James F Slaton and WSO,
Capt John F Daughtry were awarded the
Silver Star for their part in the attack on
the Al Tuwaitha nuclear research facility on
the outskirts of Baghdad on February 4.- The target was protected by 19 SAM
systems and some 200 AAA emplacements.
A total of 18 F-111Fs were involved in the
strike accompanied by four F-4G Wild
Weasel Phantoms for SAM suppression, four
McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagles for ghter
cover and two EF-111A Ravens for electronic
countermeasures. The F-111Fs were carrying
GBU-24 bombs. The anti-aircraft environment
over the site was so intense that only three
aircraft managed to reach their targets.
The rst successful delivery of the
GBU-28 was by an F-111F of the 48th
TFW. On February 27, 1991 Lt Col Dave
White, pilot, and WSO, Capt Tom Himes
destroyed a Iraqi command and control
centre north of Baghdad which was buried
100ft underground. The GBU-28 had the
distinction of being developed and delivered
to the wing within 17 days of the request
for a more powerful bomb for attacking the
harder targets.ENDGAME
The 48th TFW returned to Lakenheath from
the Gulf on May 13, 1991, hostilities effectively
having ceased on February 23. Not only
had the aircrew and the Aardvark acquitted
themselves with distinction during the con ict;
but they had done so with the unfailing
commitment of the maintenance personnel.
On October 1, 1991 the 48th Tactical
Fighter Wing was redesignated the 48
Fighter Wing and the 495th TFS was
deactivated. In February 1992 the wing
began conversion to the F-15E Strike
Eagle. The last F-111Fs left Lakenheath in
December 1992.http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 53F-111F 70-2390 Miss Liberty in special 48th Tactical Fighter Wing markings and an impressive
tally of 29 mission marks from the Gulf War. Key CollectionThese two F-111Fs belong to the 494th
Tactical Fighter Squadron. They ware on
detachment to Zaragoza air base in Spain
for weapons training and carry Mark 82
high-drag bombs. USAF Archives48-53_usaf_f111DC.mfDC.mf.indd 53 06/06/2018 11:20