Okie, "the Iraqis only succeeded in shooting down 44 manned aircraft," did I read that right?
1991 (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm)
Find sources: "List of combat losses of United States military aircraft since the Vietnam War" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Main article: Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm
January 17 – An F/A-18C Hornet (Bureau Number : 163484) was shot down by an Iraqi Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 in an air-to-air engagement. The pilot (Lieutenant Commander Michael Scott Speicher) of VFA-81 was killed but his body was not found until July 2009.
January 17 – An A-6E Intruder (Bureau Number : 161668) was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Lieutenant Robert Wetzel) and navigator/bombardier (Lieutenant Jeffrey Norton Zaun) were captured. They were released on March 3.
January 17 – An F-15E Strike Eagle (Serial Number : 88-1689) was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery (AAA). The pilot (Major Thomas F. Koritz) and WSO (Lieutenant Colonel Donnie R. Holland) were killed. Their bodies were recovered.
January 18 – An A-6E Intruder (Bureau Number : 152928) was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery two miles from the Iraqi shore after dropping mines on a waterway linking the Iraqi naval base of Umm Qasr with the Persian Gulf. The pilot (Lieutenant William Thomas Costen) and navigator/bombardier (Lieutenant Charlie Turner) were killed. Their bodies were recovered.[8]
January 18 – An OV-10 Bronco (Bureau Number : 155435) was shot down by surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Lieutenant Colonel Clifford M. Acree) and observer (Chief Warrant Officer Guy L. Hunter Jr.) were captured. They were released on March 6.
January 18 – An F-4G Wild Weasel (Serial Number : 69-7571) crashed in the Saudi Arabian desert after attacking Iraqi air defenses. An investigation found that a single enemy 23 mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) round had punctured the fuel tank, causing fuel starvation. The pilot (Capt. Tim Burke) and EWO (Capt. Juan Galindez) ejected over friendly territory and were rescued.[9]
January 19 – An F-15E Strike Eagle (Serial Number : 88-1692) was shot down by a V-750AK (SA-2E) surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Colonel David W. Eberly) and WSO (Major Thomas E. Griffith) were captured. They were released on March 6 and March 3 respectively.
January 19 – An F-16C Fighting Falcon (Serial Number : 87-0228) was shot down by a 2K12 Kub (SA-6) surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Captain Harry 'Mike' Roberts) was captured. He was released on March 6.[10]
January 19 – An F-16C Fighting Falcon (Serial Number : 87-0257) was shot down by a S-125 (SA-3) surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Major Jeffrey Scott Tice) was captured. He was released on March 6.[11]
January 21 – An F-14A+ Tomcat (Bureau Number : 161430) was shot down by a V-750AK (SA-2E) surface-to-air missile while on an escort mission near Al Asad airbase in Iraq. The pilot (Lieutenant Devon Jones) was rescued by USAF Special Operations Forces but the RIO (Lieutenant Larry Slade) was captured. He remained a POW until his release on March 3.
January 24 – An AV-8B Harrier II (Bureau Number : 163518) was shot down by MANPADS. The pilot (Captain Michael C. Berryman) was captured. He was released on March 6.[12]
January 31 – An AC-130H Spectre (Serial Number : 69-6567) was shot down by a surface-to-air missile during the battle of Khafji. The entire crew of 14 were killed. Their bodies were recovered.
February 2 – An A-6E Intruder (Bureau Number : 155632) was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery (AAA). The pilot (Lieutenant Commander Barry T. Cooke) and navigator/bombardier (Lieutenant junior grade Patrick K. Connor) were killed. Connor's body was recovered and Cooke's body was never found (officially listed as KIA-BNR).
February 2 – An A-10A Thunderbolt II (Serial Number : 80-0248) was shot down by an Igla-1 (SA-16) surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Captain Richard Dale Storr) was captured. He was released on March 6.[13]
February 5 – An F/A-18A Hornet (Bureau Number : 163096) crashed in the Persian Gulf. The pilot (Lieutenant Robert Dwyer) was lost over the North Persian Gulf after a successful mission to Iraq. Dwyer served in Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8). His body was never recovered (officially listed as KIA-BNR).[14]
February 9 – An AV-8B Harrier II (Bureau Number : 162081) was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Captain Russell A.C. Sanborn) was captured. He was released on March 6.
February 13 – An EF-111A, USAF ser. no. 66-0023, callsign Ratchet 75, crashed[15] into terrain while maneuvering to evade a missile fired by an enemy Mirage F1 fighter[16][17] killing the pilot, Capt Douglas L. Bradt, and the EWO, Capt Paul R. Eichenlaub.
February 15 – An A-10A Thunderbolt II (Serial Number : 78-0722) AAA ground fire 60 miles northwest of Kuwait city while attacking Republican Guard targets. Thought to have been engaged by SA-13 Gopher SAM. Pilot Lt Robert Sweet ejected and made POW; released on March 6.[18][19]
February 15 – An A-10A Thunderbolt II (Serial Number : 79-0130) Hit by ground fire approx 60 miles northwest of Kuwait city while attacking Republican Guard targets. Thought to have been engaged by SA-13 Gopher SAM. Pilot Captain Steven Phyllis killed in action. Phyllis died while protecting his downed wingman (1st Lieutenant Robert James Sweet). Phyllis' body was later recovered.[20]
February 19 – An OA-10A Thunderbolt II (Serial Number : 76-0543) was shot down by a Strela-1 (SA-9) surface-to-air missile 62 nm North West of Kuwait city. The pilot, Lt Col. Jeffery Fox (call sign "Nail 53"), was injured as he ejected, captured and held as a POW, until his release on March 6.[21]
February 22 – An A-10A Thunderbolt II (Serial Number : 79-0181) Wheels up, hard stick landing after being hit by a SAM. Captain Rich Biley brought 79-0181 in at King Khalid Military City, Forward Operating Location 1 where the CLSS team stripped it of parts, some sent to King Fahd International Airport, Main Operating Base for use on other birds, and then buried it in the desert. Biley was unhurt during the crash.[22]
February 23 – An AV-8B Harrier II (Bureau Number : 161573) crashed when it failed to recover from a high angle dive during a night attack on a tank park in Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, possibly hit by AAA or a MANPAD. The pilot (Captain James N. Wilbourn) was killed and his body was later recovered.
February 25 – An AV-8B Harrier II (Bureau Number : 163190) hit by MANPADS, crashed while trying to land at Al Jaber airfield, Kuwait. The pilot ejected safely.[23]
February 25 – An OV-10 Bronco (Bureau Number : 155424) was shot down by surface-to-air missile. The pilot (Major Joseph Small III) was captured and observer (Captain David Spellacy) was killed. Major Small was released on March 6 and Captain Spellacy's body was recovered.
February 27 – An AV-8B Harrier II (Bureau Number : 162740) was shot down by MANPADS. The pilot (Captain Reginald Underwood) was killed and his body was later recovered.[24]
February 27 – An OA-10A Thunderbolt II (Serial Number : 77-0197) crashed killing pilot Lieutenant Patrick Olson (posthumously promoted to Captain) after a reconnaissance mission over Kuwait on 27 Feb 1991, call sign Nail 51. Aircraft had been hit by surface-to-air missile and was attempting a landing at KKMC FOL in Manual Reversion after losing all its hydraulics, in extreme weather conditions and with only one engine.[25]
February 27 – An F-16C Fighting Falcon (Serial Number : 84-1390) was shot down by an Igla-1 (SA-16) MANPADS. The pilot (Captain William Andrews) was captured. He was released on March 6.[26]
