Direct proof of use
The AGM-65 Maverick was used by U.S.-led coalition forces during the 1990 Gulf War's Operation Desert Storm air campaign. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy fact sheets both report more than 5,000 AGM-65 Mavericks used or launched during Desert Storm in 1991.
The Navy fact sheet identifies Air Force F-16s and A-10s as the main launch aircraft and adds Marine Corps AV-8s. The Air Force fact sheet describes the Desert Storm employment as mainly against armored targets and says Mavericks contributed materially to the destruction of Iraq's military force.
Sources: AGM-65 Maverick Fact Sheet, AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile
Combat chronology
The Gulf War began with Iraq's 2 August 1990 invasion of Kuwait, but documented Maverick combat use in these sources belongs to the January-February 1991 Operation Desert Storm phase. The Gulf War Air Power Survey summary report places Desert Storm's air offensive in the coalition campaign that preceded the 28 February 1991 ceasefire.
Within that air campaign, the AGM-65 appears as a high-volume precision air-to-surface missile rather than a transfer or possession claim. The official Maverick fact sheets connect the weapon directly to combat launches in 1991 and identify the mission set as close air support, interdiction, defense suppression, and attacks on tactical targets such as armor, air defenses, ships, transportation equipment, and fuel facilities.
Sources: Gulf War Air Power Survey Summary Report, AGM-65 Maverick Fact Sheet, AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile
Operational role
Maverick's Desert Storm role was air-launched precision attack from coalition tactical aircraft. The cited Navy source gives the clearest platform statement: Air Force F-16s and A-10s launched most of the missiles, with Marine Corps AV-8s also launching Mavericks.
The weapon's role centered on anti-armor and other tactical strike missions. Air Force and Navy descriptions define the AGM-65 as an air-to-surface missile for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression, and both sources tie Desert Storm use to attacks on Iraq's military force. The public sources used here do not break the more-than-5,000 total into individual sorties, launch locations, variant counts, or confirmed target outcomes.
Sources: AGM-65 Maverick Fact Sheet, AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile
