Desert Storm - A Dangerous Low Level Bombing Mission from Hell

Early in the air campaign of Operation Desert Storm, the RAF must do a dangerous job. Panavia Tornado strike aircraft must maraud at low level through fierce Iraqi AAA and MANPAD fire to hit and disable Iraqi airfields. Given the most dangerous task of the campaign, losses are mounting.

[moshunit]

When a history channel can't use normal vocabulary to tell their story without fear of being demonetized you know the system is broken. Love this channel.

[lukesmith]

The YouTube algorithm and advertising is so ridiculous I can’t even describe it. Glad you guys seem to not care and just want to make the best content possible!

[MrMikeashly]

Youtube: High-quality educational content... better demonetize that.
Also Youtube: low-quality/scam/AI generated/rot your brain content.... Take my money.

[ryangspearing]

man youtube needs to fuck off, this channel is THE best at depicting almost every historical conflict. it’s purely educational and allows people historical context of how conflicts unfolded. It’s almost like they just don’t want people knowing about history

[ElectroAtletico]

The RAF had trained for +25 years to conduct low-penetration attacks in the Northern German Plain. They knew nothing else and were blindly tied to that Cold War strategy, and had developed tactics and weapons designed to support that strategy. The RAF believed that such tactics/weapons, along with their superbly-trained crews, were the superior answer to the USAF's emphasis on ECM. They quickly realized how utterly obsolete those ideas had become. When the RAF found itself in the flat Iraqi deserts, with negligible ECM coverage, the Iraqi AD began to score.

These tactics resulted in a "stand down" by the RAF Tornado squadrons, followed by a change in tactics - stay high. This remained until an absolutely brilliantly quick reaction by the RAF: Deploy Buccaneer strike jets, equipped with laser designators to illuminate the targets, while the Tornados tag along with LGB's to strike. No losses after that. Now that's what is known as "thinking on your feet"!

Interestingly, the same low altitude tactics had the same sad results with USN VAW units. After the loss of the 3rd (or 4th) A-6E, USAF LtGen Chuck Horner sent a very strongly worded message, to both the USAF and USN/USMC squadrons: Keep your boys above 18, 000 feet or the CO will quickly be relieved and sent home with a quick retirement in the near future.

[ammys_]

My dad was in the number 3 jet. Which actually did the same as the number 4 jet.
TORNADO NUMBER 3 :
Unknown pilot - R. COBELLI
Unknown Wso - J. TANK (My dad)

Corrections:
Tornado 1 & 2 went across the hardened shelter access with the JP233's
Tornado 3 & 5 attacked from the south east and pulled up to deploy 8 x 1000lb free fall airburst bombs and then both pulled hard left before the airfield.

Great video either way.

[CH-lcyf]

The most British understatement, "Start leveling off, mate. We've got 300 ft to go."

[lagboi]

The Desert Storm series was one my favorities from this channel. Glad to see it coming back

[tangogolf]

Youtube: "You broke a rule"
Operations Room: Which one?
YT: if we tell you, you might try to skirt around it.
OR: Then how are we supposed to follow the rules properly?
YT: Yes

[AJAJ-tguw]

OPERATIONS ROOOOM! IVE BEEN HERE FOR THE WHOLE 5 YEARS MAN! Always use to interact with you when it was a smaller group of us supporters lol.

Keep going man!!!

[solwit]

The desert storm series lives on! probably one of the most iconic series you've made, I also wish you the best through this youtube hell

[jonlannister]

The casualty allowance in modern militaries is pretty tight. For every 80 fights they are losing 1 aircraft and that's enough to cause shaking in the command structure.

[AirsoftReviewArgentina]

1:16 "you are breaking the rules, but i can't tell you which ones". What a joke!

[donarthiazi]

It's mind-boggling how much YouTube has changed since its beginning. And absolutely NOT for the better.

Greetings from North Carolina btw *Love Love Love this channel!*

[JR-utne]

Even tough it was a mission from hell they still managed to destroy the target while not losing a single aircraft. Impressive job by the RAF.

[brucegoodwin]

From the USA: Thank you for your grit & service!

[heymotivator]

Sorry to hear about these troubles, I’ve showed your videos to my Marines for educational purposes. You do amazing work and I hope something changes in this ecosystem so that you and people like you can continue to add valuable information to the public.

[flarvin]

I remember several Tornados flying very low over my units position, the early morning of the first day of desert storm. They were heading north into Kuwait, and I was just south of the border in Saudi Arabia.

[jamesscott]

I won’t lie, I always have respected RAF pilots. Testicles of solid brass.

[StrikEagle]

I appreciate the time you took to have the tornados' sweep wings change during their flight animation. Nice detail.