347 TFW PARTICIPATION IN DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, JAN-DEC 91, VOLUME 1

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three bombs; the first landed short and exploded, the third landed long and exploded, but the second scored a direct hit and failed to explode. Again, they did not get definitive confirmation on what they destroyed due to the lack of BDA. lLt Sweat pointed out that this proved very frustrating. (66)

THE 69TH'S FORWARD DEPLOYMENT BECOMES PERMANENT

(U) On 7 February 1991, the 388 TFW(P) Deputy Commander for Operations, Colonel Bill Huddle, informed the 69 TFS that they were changed from a seven-day temporary forward deployment to a permanent forward deployment to King Fahd AB. The squadron continued to fly SCUD missions with varying degrees of success. On 8 February 1991, the 69th's Rover flight scored a possible hit on a SCUD. Rover 23 and 24, Capt John Hunnel and 1Lt Kadar Padhye, were flying another night Scud hunting mission when they received information regarding a SCUD site from JSTARS. Once they reached the area, they used their on-board sensor (specifically the FLIR) to find the target. They located it, made their attack, dropped bombs, and as they egressed, witnessed a spectacular explosion which produced a 3000 foot fireball. Although the results were spectacular, confirmation proved more elusive. Again, the pilots pointed out that lack of BDA left them in doubt as to their success. (67)

(U) The squadron settled into the routine of providing a ready pool of night fighter-bombers to hunt SCUDs and other odd jobs. Between 8-17 February 1991, the 69th flew 296 sorties against various types of Iraqi targets. Under CENTAF directives, they flew SCUD hunting missions which included long-range missions to western Iraq. These missions were politically high profile missions, designed to give the Israelis tangible evidence that the US continued to protect them against Iraqi bombardment and keep Israel out of the war (68).