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| Iraq |
| Australian Flag Flies Over Iraq Airfield |
| 2003-04-25 |
| AL ASAD AIRFIELD: Not a single Iraqi plane was believed to have made it off the ground during the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein, and this isolated airfield in the western Iraqi desert shows why. Australian troops who captured the airfield earlier this month say the Iraqis were convinced they had no chance of surviving if they put up a fight. The Special Air Service Regiment met with little resistance when it entered the airfield. ``The Iraqi air force understood that it needed to stay on the ground for its own safety,'' said Gen. Peter Cosgrove, chief of the Australian Defense Forces, who spoke to troops at the airfield on Thursday. The Al Asad airfield, which housed the largest known contingent of Saddam's jet fighters, represents one of the big catches of the war. Three fighter squadrons — the bulk of the Iraqi air force — were stationed there, 112 miles northwest of Baghdad. The Australians say they are still taking inventory but have so far found 57 fighter aircraft, mostly Soviet-era MiGs but also three advanced MiG 25 Foxbats, the fastest combat aircraft today. Helicopters, radar systems and 18 million pounds of explosives were also found. Not a bad haul. Intel boys will appreciate it, and the Air Force can bring the 25's home for use in training. The troops also discovered armored vehicles, anti-aircraft weapons systems, and a French-made Roland anti-aircraft missile system when they took the airfield April 16. The MiGs escaped detection during the coalition bombing campaign. Some were buried, others were parked in date palm tree groves or tucked in dried out riverbeds and covered with camouflage sheets. Aircraft destroyed in prior wars were littered across the airfield to make it more difficult for bombers to choose their targets. Sounds like the only thing the Iraqis had in mind was survival, not fighting. Much of the equipment at the airfield looked woefully out-of-date, but more is stored in a vast network of underground bunkers that has yet to be evaluated, according to Brig. Maurie McNarn, commander of the 2,000 Australian troops in the Persian Gulf. Australian forces say they have not determined how many of the aircraft are in flying condition. Troops found gas masks, instruction manuals and training materials on chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. McNarn said it wasn't clear whether the material instructed soldiers on using such agents or in protecting against them. No chemical or biological weapons were found. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Won't you come a waltzin' Matilda with me? Thanks, mates! |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-04-25 11:37:25 |
| #2 I was one of those concerned about the Iraqis witholding their air power to make one "last gasp" attack, but I'm so glad I was wrong! Looks like our competent allies had a good hand in seizing their air assets so they never had a chance to employ any of it. Thanks, mates! |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-04-25 09:19:03 |
| #1 Thanks again Australia - like UK, a nation that "punches above its weight" |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-25 08:44:54 |