HAVOC 01

ATTACKING MISINFORMATION: TheGreatest Tank Killer of Desert Storm This is another good one that's often quoted against the A-10, and that's the success of the F-111 in 1991 in the "tank-plinking" mission. Like so many other "discussions," this one hinges on definitions, and the more we try to tack down statistics, the more we get muddled in terminology. We've sifted through many different sites and after-action reports, still coming up without definitive numbers that ultimately close the case. Still, we're not sure the case "needs" closing, as it's actually a two-fer on the success story. Hog-haters extol the statistic that the F-111 killed more tanks in Desert Storm, quoting the number at 1,500 : 987 in favor of the Aardvark. When we dig into the data, the number 1,500 is often followed by "armored vehicles," and the only statistic that directly and specifically referenced tanks in relation to the F-111 was 920, found in an Aviation Geek Club article that discussed a single crew killing 20 tanks and bringing the war's total to that 920 number. From our research, we've been able to list that the F-111 killed 920 tanks, 252 artillery pieces, 113 bunkers and a total of 2,203 Iraqi targets. In contrast, we listed the A-10 at 987 tanks, 1,026 artillery pieces, 501 APCs, 299 command vehicles/posts, 11 FROGs/53 Scuds, 96 radars, 3 SAM sites, 1,306 trucks, 10 aircraft on the ground, and 2 helicopters in flight. That's a total of 4,300 if the list is complete. Again, A-10s were credited with over HALF of the total kills in Desert Storm while only flying approximately 30% of the sorties. Take it for what you will-- let's go back to the 1,500 number for the 'Vark and assume that it's accurate. First of all, outstanding job! But again, we have to ask the "why" behind the numbers. Why is it that a medium bomber could rack up 66% more kills on the target set that the Hog was designed to kill? To quote Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters, "We have the tools, we have the talent!" It comes down to the fact that the F-111s carried GBU-12s and a critical sensor-- the PAVE TAC pod that allowed them to identify and engage the tanks both day and night effectively and efficiently. On the other hand, A-10s only had binoculars in the daytime, and parachute flares with IR Mavericks to use at night; a far less capable "sensor" than the targeting pods of the day. Other than the Mavericks, they could only employ visually-aimed free fall (dumb) bombs. To use the gun at night, they either employed Maverick-aided strafe, or found the targets visually with the overt parachute flares. While effective, it was much more time consuming than utilizing advanced optics as the Aardvark crews had access to alongside the weapons to deliver accurate effects in that regime. So whether the score is 987 to 920 in favor of the Hog, or 1,500 to 987 in favor of the Aardvark, the end result is extremely impressive both in the ingenuity and application of a medium bomber, and the total tally of the Warthog and her pilots. We have NO doubt that had the A-10s carried the advanced optics and weapons in 1991, they would have been incredibly more successful. Had the A-10A been A-10Cs in 1991, the score would have been so lopsided as to be unrecognizable. So the next time someone extols the fact that the A-10 "only" killed 987 tanks in that first Gulf War, smile, nod, and know that they just identified themselves as a rank-and-file military history amateur.