CENTCOM Press Briefing 21 FEB 91

File: doc33_01.txt
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Subject: CENTCOM Press Briefing 21 FEB 91

 CENTCOM News Briefing
 Brig. Gen. Richard I. Neal, USMC
 Riyadh Saudi Arabia
 Thursday, February 21, 1991    10:00 a.m. (EST)

       General Neal:   Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.  This is the 36th day of
 36th day of Operation Desert Storm.

       Our air operations continue.    Our focus remains on battlefield preparation,
 attack and re-attack those selected strategic targets, a continuation of an aggres-
 sive SCUD carnpaign, anti-SCUD campaign1 destruction of the Republican Guards, and
 continuation of the interdiction of the enemy's lines of communication.

       Weather was mixed over most of Iraq and the Kuwaiti theater o~ operations
 during this reporting period, and did tiave a significant iit~act resulting in some of
 our nissions `Laving been cancelled.   Nevertheless, we flew approximately 2400 sorties
 during this reporting period, bringing our total to S8,OOO sorties to dote.

       An Army OH-58 crashed last night during a combat mission.  It failed to return
 from a zone reconnaissance mission.    There was no enemy contact in the area.   Both
 pilots were killed.

       Total of friendly contat losses is now 32 coalition aircraft -- that's 23 u.S.~
- nine allied.  There `Las been no enemy aircrart shot down during this reporting
 period, and no additional aircraft have fled to Iran during this period.     Air-to-air
 losses for Iraq re~ins at 42 -- 36 fixed wing and six helos.

       Last evening an P-16 returning from a mission in Iraq had an engine failure
 while conducting aerial refueling operations.    The pilot e~ected safely and was
 recovered.   We carry that as a rion~co~at loss.

       Also, another non~comoat loss was a United States ~arine Corps C~-46 made a
 controlled emergency landing.   One of the crew :neit~>ers did break his le~, and upon
 investigation the ai~craft was dete~~ntd not repairable, so that is a second
 n~n-conbat loss.

       The total n~ber of non~co~at aircraft losses stand at 18 for U.S. forces -~
 seven fixed wing and 11 rotary.

       Turning to the Xuwaiti theater of operations, today we flew over 900 sorties,
 and an additional 100 sortIes against the ~epublican Guards.

       There vere no 5CUD5 launched last night.   Itowever, ~ust prior to com~ng over
 here, two ~Ct1DS were launched from the cenLrai ~raq area and were, obviously1 aimed
 tow*r~s ~C.     I don't flave any results as to any in~t:ries or damage,.and if that
 comes in prior to the conclusion of this news conference we'll update you.     That
 brings the total n~uober of SC~s fired to date to ~O.

       Turning to ground operations, coalition forces continue to engage Iraqi forces
 with artillery, attec~ helicopters, tactical air throughout the border region.