Air Force assesses impact of Iraq campaign

Nearly 2,000 U.S. and allied warplanes flew more than 40,000 missions over Iraq as part of the campaign to oust Saddam Hussein, according to a new Air Force assessment.

The report, "Operation Iraqi Freedom-By The Numbers," was prepared by Air Force personnel working for the air component of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), the military command overseeing all operations in the Middle East. Lt. Gen. Michael Moseley, commander of air operations for CENTCOM, signed off on the report April 30. Government Executive recently obtained a copy.

The report said the air campaign involved 1,801 aircraft-not including helicopters-that flew 41,404 sorties. The Air Force led the air campaign, with 863 aircraft logging 24,196 missions; Navy aviators were next, flying 408 aircraft on 8,945 missions; and Marines had 372 aircraft in the theater and flew 4,948 missions. The British Royal Air Force flew 2,481 missions with 113 aircraft. The report covered air operations from March 19 to April 18.

The mission-capable rates for most aircraft flying in the Persian Gulf region were usually above 75 percent. For example, Air Force F-15s averaged an 83 percent mission-capable rate and Navy F-18s (save for the oldest A models of the fighter plane) averaged rates nearing 90 percent. Air Force bombers had strong readiness rates, too. B-2 stealth bombers were able to undertake their missions 85 percent of the time, while Vietnam-era B-52 bombers had a 75 percent rating. C-130 cargo aircraft had a readiness rate of more than 88 percent. Readiness figures were not provided for C-17 or C-5 cargo aircraft.

Precision weapons played a far greater role in the Iraq campaign than in the first Gulf War, when laser-guided munitions accounted for less than 10 percent of all bombs dropped. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, 68 percent of the 29,199 munitions used were either laser-guided or satellite-guided. These included 6,542 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, older bombs outfitted with strap-on Global Positioning System tail kits. The Navy also launched 802 GPS-guided Tomahawk cruise missiles from ships and submarines. The report did not access the accuracy of any of the bombs.

In the report, Air Force officials tout the service's ability to quickly launch-and modify, if necessary-missions for attacking key targets. About 156 missions were carried out against suspected Iraqi leadership, terrorist or weapons of mass destruction targets; another 686 aircraft had their missions changed to go after mobile targets.

Overall personnel numbers for Operation Iraqi Freedom show 466,985 U.S. and coalition personnel participated. American forces included 233,342 Army soldiers, 74, 405 Marines, 61,296 Navy personnel and 54,955 Air Force personnel. Conducting the air war cost an estimated $917 million. "This is an initial report based on the best available data in the closing days of Operation Iraqi Freedom," the review says. "Future research may (and likely will) improve upon the data presented here."

The Air Force did not return telephone calls seeking comment on the report Thursday.