Operation Crescent Wind was the codename for the American and British air campaign over Afghanistan in October and November 2001. The bombing campaign was aided by British special forces troops on the ground to provide targeting information for airstrikes. The campaign significantly weakened the Taliban, paving the way for offensives by the Northern Alliance to take place in November which quickly overran Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan.
The initial strikes were launched from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri with two B-2 bombers of the 509th Bomb Wing taking off on the night of 7 October, followed by two on the nights of 8 October and 9 October as well. These bombers refueled with the help of KC-10 and KC-135 tankers of the 60th and 349th Mobility Wings along with the 319th Reconnaissance Wing with coordination by the Eighteenth Air Force, first doing so off the coast of California, followed Hawaii, Guam, and the Strait of Malacca, then a fifth refueling near Diego Garcia before striking their targets in Afghanistan with GBU-31 JDAMs. After delivering their ordnance, the B-2s turned back to receive a final refueling over the Indian Ocean before landing at Andersen Air Force Base. At this point the crews were swapped with the replacement crews who flew the B-2s back to Whiteman in Missouri. It took 30 hours of flying just to reach targets in Afghanistan, with the original crews flying 44 hours and 20 minutes total at the longest, and the aircraft operating for 70 hours in total. The operation remains the longest combat bombing sortie in history.[3]
Initial targets included command and control nodes, Taliban Air Defenses, as well as the modest Taliban Air Force, with the airports of Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, Zaranj and Mazar-i-Sharif being targeted. The Taliban were believed to have had 40 pilots capable of getting some 50 MiG-21s and Su-22s airborne, though there was less concern about these as traditional interceptors as there was about them eventually being loaded with explosives and used to suicide bomb American encampments.[4]
The opening night's B-2 strike was followed by ten B-52s and either five or eight B1Bs of 28th Bomb Wing from Andersen Air Force Base striking with both JDAMs and Mk 82 unguided bombs, with F-14Ds of VF-213 from CVW-11 of the USS Carl Vinson participating in the strikes with GBU-16s and 12s, while also armed with AIM-54Cs, AIM-7Ms and AIM-9Ls to provide top cover in the low chance of Taliban interceptors. Assistance was also provided by E2Cs from VAW-117.[5][6][7][8] While some of the aircrews on the first night reported encountering AAA and MANPADSAM fire, Taliban aircraft never left the ground, and virtually the entirety of their air force was destroyed in the first night.[9]
^Maloney, Sean M. (2005). Enduring the Freedom: A Rogue Historian in Afghanistan. p. 43. ISBN9781574889536.
^Lambeth, Benjamin S. (18 December 2007). Combat Pair: The Evolution of Air Force-Navy Integration in Strike Warfare. RAND Corporation. p. 50. ISBN9780833044327.
operation, crescent, wind, codename, american, british, campaign, over, afghanistan, october, november, 2001, bombing, campaign, aided, british, special, forces, troops, ground, provide, targeting, information, airstrikes, campaign, significantly, weakened, ta. Operation Crescent Wind was the codename for the American and British air campaign over Afghanistan in October and November 2001 The bombing campaign was aided by British special forces troops on the ground to provide targeting information for airstrikes The campaign significantly weakened the Taliban paving the way for offensives by the Northern Alliance to take place in November which quickly overran Taliban controlled regions of Afghanistan Operation Crescent WindPart of the War in Afghanistan 2001 2021 Date7 October 2001 17 December 2001LocationAfghanistanResultUS UK victoryBelligerents United States United KingdomIslamic Emirate of AfghanistanCommanders and leadersTommy Franks Charles F WaldMuhammad OmarUnits involvedUnited States Air Force 509th Bomb Wing 28th Bomb WingUnited States Navy CVW 11 VF 213 VAW 117 CVW 8 VF 41 VF 102 VAQ 141 Royal Navy Royal Air ForceCasualties and losses3 killed friendly fire 6 000 killed total from Oct Nov 2001 including casualties from the ground war 1 3 100 3 600 civilian deaths 2 Opening strikes editThe initial strikes were launched from Whiteman Air Force Base Missouri with two B 2 bombers of the 509th Bomb Wing taking off on the night of 7 October followed by two on the nights of 8 October and 9 October as well These bombers refueled with the help of KC 10 and KC 135 tankers of the 60th and 349th Mobility Wings along with the 319th Reconnaissance Wing with coordination by the Eighteenth Air Force first doing so off the coast of California followed Hawaii Guam and the Strait of Malacca then a fifth refueling near Diego Garcia before striking their targets in Afghanistan with GBU 31 JDAMs After delivering their ordnance the B 2s turned back to receive a final refueling over the Indian Ocean before landing at Andersen Air Force Base At this point the crews were swapped with the replacement crews who flew the B 2s back to Whiteman in Missouri It took 30 hours of flying just to reach targets in Afghanistan with the original crews flying 44 hours and 20 minutes total at the longest and the aircraft operating for 70 hours in total The operation remains the longest combat bombing sortie in history 3 Initial targets included command and control nodes Taliban Air Defenses as well as the modest Taliban Air Force with the airports of Kabul Herat Kandahar Zaranj and Mazar i Sharif being targeted The Taliban were believed to have had 40 pilots capable of getting some 50 MiG 21s and Su 22s airborne though there was less concern about these as traditional interceptors as there was about them eventually being loaded with explosives and used to suicide bomb American encampments 4 The opening night s B 2 strike was followed by ten B 52s and either five or eight B1Bs of 28th Bomb Wing from Andersen Air Force Base striking with both JDAMs and Mk 82 unguided bombs with F 14Ds of VF 213 from CVW 11 of the USS Carl Vinson participating in the strikes with GBU 16s and 12s while also armed with AIM 54Cs AIM 7Ms and AIM 9Ls to provide top cover in the low chance of Taliban interceptors Assistance was also provided by E2Cs from VAW 117 5 6 7 8 While some of the aircrews on the first night reported encountering AAA and MANPAD SAM fire Taliban aircraft never left the ground and virtually the entirety of their air force was destroyed in the first night 9 A few hours after the initial strikes the USS Carl Vinson was joined by the USS Enterprise with more F 14As of VF 41 and EA 6Bs of VAQ 141 from CVW 8 5 and later by HMS Trafalgar and HMS Triumph who launched cruise missiles along with the Vinson and Enterprise 4 References edit Afghanistan News Center Over 6 000 killed Taliban still prepared to fight Select a file and format for downloading Archived from the original on 12 October 2017 Retrieved 11 October 2014 Haulman Daniel L December 2016 44 Hours PDF Air Force Magazine 33 37 a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a CS1 maint location link a b Lambeth Benjamin S 2001 Air Power Against Terror America s Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom p 84 ISBN 9780833040534 a b Holmes Tony 2012 F 14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom Bloomsbury Publishing p 26 ISBN 9781782006732 Lambeth pp 78 80 Maloney Sean M 2005 Enduring the Freedom A Rogue Historian in Afghanistan p 43 ISBN 9781574889536 Lambeth Benjamin S 18 December 2007 Combat Pair The Evolution of Air Force Navy Integration in Strike Warfare RAND Corporation p 50 ISBN 9780833044327 Lambeth p 84External links editA map of air strikes as provided by BBC Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Operation Crescent Wind amp oldid 1205854776, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
