The F-15 Pilots Who Fell Into An Iraqi Trap And Won

The F-15 Pilots Who Fell Into An Iraqi Trap And Won
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In August 1990, a hundred thousand Iraqi troops started invading Kuwait. Iraqi prime minister Saddam Hussein was hunting for oil and blood. 39 countries allied together to liberate Kuwait from Hussein’s invasion. The United States Lead the way and the plan to liberate Kuwait started with air attacks. They called it Operation Dessert Storm.

On January 17 of 1991, eight F-15 Eagle fighter interceptors took off and they were followed by a group of strike bombers. Marine captain Chuck Magill, was an exchange pilot with the Air Force and he was also a mission commander during operation desert storm. His mission was to clear the skies and protect the F-16 aircraft which were carrying 2,000 lb bombs. The bombs are meant for Al Taqaddum Airfield and weapons center, 45 miles west of Bagdad. In Al Taqaddum was also the Iraq Air Force and they had very seasoned fighter pilots because of the long war with Iran.

About 20 miles west of their targets, the F-15s receive an urgent message from the airborne warning and control center. They get to know that enemies have two MiG-29 aircraft airborne south of the target. Magill and his wingman quickly realized that they have fallen into the trap led by the Iraqi forces. Apart from the air-to-air threat, the F-15 pilots started getting a lot of indications from surface-to-air missiles and they were in the middle of heavy anti-aircraft attacks too.

While Magill and his squadron are distracted, the MiGs close in for a fight. MiGs closed in fast and while they are seconds away, Magill locks into his target and fired.

The first missile was down low and it came up and popped the MiG right in the right wing. When I go to fire the second missile, everything got quiet. I could tell I was moving but I couldn’t feel I was moving. I watched the missile come off and watched it kind of flow away. Lasted maybe four or five seconds and all of a sudden it’s like someone hit you with a symbol.

Said the pilot Magill.

After less than 10 minutes of spotting the targets, Magill could obliterate the enemy aircraft. Minutes later the bomber aircraft moved in and finished the job they came for. Operation Dessert Strom is the most effective air campaign world has ever seen.

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