Seen by many as the last piece in the air assets jigsaw puzzle was the deployment of F-117s to the Gulf region (probably to Qatar). Well, it’s in the middle of happening right now. I won’t bore you all with the details but they should be sat in Spain at the moment and will press-on and complete the route tomorrow most likely. Six KC-135 tankers were also involved crossing the pond. My guess would be 24 aircraft involved as the figure of 50 pilots was quoted in another piece on-line.
Stealth Fighters Depart Under Cover Of Darkness
Date: February 4, 2003
Source: KRQE News 13 / AP
Location: Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
Under cover of night, five black stealth fighters roared off the runway
at Holloman Air Force Base Monday night.
Air Force officials would not say how many planes left during the course of
the day or exactly where they were going. But they are part of a military
build up in the Middle East.
49th Fighter Wing Colonel Jim Hunt called this the big game. The departure
was the first deployment into a real-world confrontation since 1999 when 24
F-117As were deployed to support operation Nobel Anvil in Kosovo.
Colonel Rich Treadway says the F-117As have been used against the most vital
targets, including the heart of Baghdad.
The pilots are in for a long flight and will be refuelled in the air up to
eleven times.
Treadway said 85 percent of the pilots have some Middle East combat
experience and six are Desert Storm aviators.
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Best wishes
Steve ~ Touchdown-News
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February 4, 2003 at 8:29 pm