A B-52G Stratofortress aircraft is serviced on the flight line prior to flying a bombing mission against Iraqi forces during Operation Desert Storm. The aircraft is armed with M-117 750-pound bombs.
At 3:00 a.m. on the rainy morning of Jan. 16, 1991, Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB) crews were awakened to the alert, “All Sierra crews report to the vault.” It was the beginning of a historic attack led by seven B-52s that would launch the first strike of Operation Desert Storm, immediately weaken Saddam Hussein’s command and influence — and ultimately set a new precedent for air warfare.
Code named Operation Senior Surprise, aka Secret Squirrel, this 35 hour mission was the first combat use of the Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM). Developed in total secrecy, the strike delivered crushing blows to targets deep inside enemy territory.
As reported by Bossiernow.com, Barksdale AFB will host a panel discussion on Friday, Jan. 25 at 2:30 p.m. revealing details of the 35-hour, 14,000 mile, highly-classified, round-robin mission.
Members of the panel will consist of individuals who were involved with the planning and the execution of the historic operation.
You can read our article on Operation Secret Squirrel here.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com
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