Osprey Publishing US Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Part Two) COM58

US Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Part Two)

The second installment examining the US Navy Hornet Units' participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–present). These units were the first Navy Reserve unit to be mobilized since the Korean War, and their attacks were launched from carriers off the coast of Turkey. The conflict for these squadrons was very different from the campaign fought in southern Iraq: they worked almost exclusively with clandestine Special Forces teams from the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy SEALs, British and Australian SAS and Kurdish guerrillas. First-hand accounts accompany the indispensable role these units had in the battle to liberate Iraq.

Key Features

• Detailed analysis of five US Navy Hornet units conducting combat operations in northern Iraq
• First-hand accounts from pilots and ground crews
• Extensively illustrated with archival photographs
• 12 color aircraft profiles and seven scrap views detailing tail art and mission logs
• Technical appendices with Bureau Numbers (BuNos) and assigned Modexes
• Coverage of precision-guided munitions including Laser Guided Bombs (LGBs) and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM)

Table of Contents

• Lead up to Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Shock and Awe
• War in the North
• Reservists to the fore
• Appendices
• Index

About This Historical Volume

This historical volume provides a detailed analysis of the five US Navy Hornet units that conducted combat operations in northern Iraq during the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Unlike units operating in the south, these squadrons were launched from carrier decks (CVN-71 and CVN-75) stationed off the coast of Turkey and worked almost exclusively with clandestine Special Forces teams, including US Army, Marine Corps, Navy SEALs, British and Australian SAS, and Kurdish guerrillas.

The book highlights the unique nature of this northern campaign and includes the first mobilization of a Navy Reserve unit since the Korean War. The text features first-hand accounts from pilots and ground crews, offering insight into the deployment of precision-guided munitions.

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