The planes of Operation Desert Storm

Aircraft Mond Ortiz 09/03/2026 0 Comments

I feel nostalgic when I think about Operation Desert Storm, and I notice how much it still stays with me. I was in elementary school when the 1991 Gulf War happened. Iraq invaded Kuwait, and Kuwait’s allied nations joined forces to force Iraq out of Kuwait. These nations included the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Italy, France, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and more.

Aviation grabbed my attention even at that age, so I followed Desert Storm closely because of the scale of the air campaign. I remember watching updates and focusing on the aircraft more than anything else. The number of planes involved felt massive, and the mix of aircraft types made it even more interesting to watch. I paid attention to how many different roles had to work together to make the campaign function.

I still believe Operation Desert Storm stands as one of the biggest and most intense air campaigns in modern history. The coalition strike package looked unlike anything I had seen before. Many of the coalition’s top air assets appeared in the same conflict, and each type had a clear role in the larger plan. You had F-15s, F-14s, F/A-18s, F-117s, Tornados, Harriers, A-10s, F-4Gs, and more. Watching those aircraft on TV became part of my routine, and it was something I looked forward to each night because I wanted to see how the air campaign was developing.

Recent events in the Middle East made me think about those days again. The current conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran brought back memories of how closely I followed Operation Desert Storm, especially the air campaign. That is why I want to share a list of the aircraft used during Operation Desert Storm from both the coalition side and the Iraqi side. The list will show how extensive the air campaign was, based on the number of aircraft types involved and the range of roles they had to cover.

I am glad I still have my Desert Storm books with me. They help me organize the details and keep the aircraft list accurate based on what I already have in my references.

Coalition aircraft

Fighters / interceptors

McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle (United States – US Air Force)
McDonnell Douglas F-15C/D Eagle (Saudi Arabia – Royal Saudi Air Force)
General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon (United States – US Air Force, Bahrain – Royal Bahraini Air Force)
Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II (Saudi Arabia – Royal Saudi Air Force, Bahrain – Royal Bahraini Air Force)
Grumman F-14A Tomcat (United States – US Navy)
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet (United States – US Navy, United States – US Marine Corps)
McDonnell Douglas CF-188A/B Hornet (Canada – Royal Canadian Air Force)
Panavia Tornado F3 (United Kingdom – Royal Air Force)
Panavia Tornado ADV (Saudi Arabia – Royal Saudi Air Force)
Dassault Mirage 2000C (France – Armée de l’Air)

Strike / attack

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk (United States – US Air Force)
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle (United States – US Air Force)
Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II (United States – US Air Force)
General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark (United States – US Air Force)
General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark (United States – US Air Force)
Lockheed AC-130H Spectre (United States – US Air Force)
Grumman A-6E Intruder (United States – US Navy, United States – US Marine Corps)
Ling-Temco-Vought A-7E Corsair II (United States – US Navy)
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II (United States – US Marine Corps)
SEPECAT Jaguar (United Kingdom – Royal Air Force, France – Armée de l’Air)
Panavia Tornado GR.1 (United Kingdom – Royal Air Force)
Panavia Tornado IDS (Italy – Italian Air Force, Saudi Arabia – Royal Saudi Air Force)
Dassault Mirage F1 (various) (France – Armée de l’Air, Qatar – Qatar Emiri Air Force, Kuwait – Kuwait Air Force)
Douglas A-4KU Skyhawk (Kuwait – Kuwait Air Force)
BAE Systems Hawk Mk 65 (Saudi Arabia – Royal Saudi Air Force)
BAC Strikemaster Mk 80 (Saudi Arabia – Royal Saudi Air Force)

Bombers

Boeing B-52G Stratofortress (United States – US Air Force)

Anti-radar / electronic warfare

McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel V (United States – US Air Force)
General Dynamics EF-111A Raven (United States – US Air Force)
Grumman EA-6B Prowler (United States – US Navy, United States – US Marine Corps)

Rotary wing

Boeing AH-64A Apache (United States – US Army)
Bell AH-1W Super Cobra (United States – US Marine Corps)
Bell UH-1N Twin Huey (United States – US Marine Corps)
Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight (United States – US Marine Corps)
Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallion (United States – US Marine Corps)
Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion (United States – US Marine Corps)

Support (ISR / C2 / tankers / airlift / carrier support)

Boeing E-3A Sentry (AWACS) (United States – US Air Force)
Northrop Grumman E-8A Joint STARS (United States – US Air Force)
Boeing RC-135 (Rivet Joint family) (United States – US Air Force)
McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II (United States – US Air Force)
Lockheed U-2 / TR-1A (United States – US Air Force)
Lockheed EC-130E (ABCCC) (United States – US Air Force)
McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender (United States – US Air Force)
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (United States – US Air Force)
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (United States – US Air Force)
Lockheed C-141B Starlifter (United States – US Air Force)
Lockheed C-130 Hercules (United States – US Air Force)
Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (United States – US Navy)
Lockheed S-3 Viking (United States – US Navy)
Grumman KA-6D Intruder (United States – US Navy)
Grumman C-2A Greyhound (United States – US Navy)
Lockheed KC-130 Hercules (United States – US Marine Corps)