Direct proof of use
The AGM-45 Shrike was used by U.S. forces during the 1990 Gulf War air campaign. A Gulf War Air Power Survey-derived munitions table lists 78 AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missiles expended during Desert Storm, separate from 1,961 AGM-88 HARM missiles.
Forecast International's archived Shrike report also directly connects the weapon to the conflict, stating that the AGM-45 was used against Iraqi air defenses during Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1991. Those sources support the compact conflict-use claim as direct U.S. anti-radar missile employment against Iraq's air-defense network.
Sources: Air-Delivered Munitions in Desert Storm, AGM-45 Shrike - Forecast International
Combat chronology
Operation Desert Storm's air campaign began on 17 January 1991 and ran until the 28 February 1991 ceasefire. The campaign opened with coalition efforts to blind, suppress, and strike Iraqi air defenses so follow-on aircraft could operate with lower risk.
Shrike appears in that air-defense-suppression record as an older anti-radiation missile still expended in limited numbers. CSIS's Gulf War analysis reported 2,039 U.S. HARM and other anti-radiation missiles plus 112 British ALARM missiles fired during the campaign, while noting that almost all of the U.S. anti-radiation missiles were HARMs because Shrike's shorter range limited its usefulness against Iraqi air defenses.
Sources: Gulf War Air Power Survey Summary Report, CSIS Gulf War Chapter Six, Air-Delivered Munitions in Desert Storm
Operational role
Shrike's Desert Storm role was suppression of enemy air defenses. The missile was an air-launched anti-radiation weapon that homed on hostile radar emissions, making it relevant to coalition efforts against Iraqi surface-to-air missile radars and other air-defense emitters.
The best public figures show Shrike as a secondary anti-radiation weapon in a campaign dominated by AGM-88 HARM and British ALARM employment. The 78-round expenditure count establishes use, while Forecast International provides the target context: Iraqi air defenses. The cited sources do not identify each Shrike launch aircraft, launch location, or target outcome, so this record limits the claim to documented U.S. expenditure and anti-air-defense employment.
Sources: AGM-45 Shrike Anti-Radar Missile | National Museum of the United States Air Force, Air-Delivered Munitions in Desert Storm, AGM-45 Shrike - Forecast International, CSIS Gulf War Chapter Six
