2003 Iraq War

AGM-65 Maverick in the 2003 Iraq War

U.S. Air Force, Navy, and USCENTAF sources document AGM-65 Maverick use in the 2003 Iraq War, including 918 Mavericks expended in the initial air campaign and later F-16 close-air-support employment in Bayji.

Weapon profileAGM-65 Maverick
SideUnited States and coalition forcesRoleFire SupportInterdictionAnti-Armor
AGM-65 Maverick, Air-to-surface guided missile, Munitions - 2003 Iraq War
Image source: VP-46 Onloads Maverick Missile Onto P-3C Orion

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
AGM-65 Mavericks were used in the 2003 Iraq War.

Sources: AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile, Operation Iraqi Freedom By The Numbers

USCENTAF counted 918 AGM-65 Mavericks expended in the initial Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign.

Sources: Operation Iraqi Freedom By The Numbers

U.S. F-16s used an AGM-65 Maverick in an October 2007 Bayji close-air-support strike.

Sources: Oct. 18 Airpower Summary

U.S. A-10 crews discussed electro-optical Maverick use in close-air-support target identification during the Baghdad phase.

Sources: Pilots Work To Eliminate Collateral Damage

Timeline

AGM-65 Maverick In 2003 Iraq War

  1. 14th Fighter Squadron begins non-stealth missions over Baghdad

    Misawa Air Base history says the 14th Fighter Squadron flew the first non-stealth missions over Baghdad and employed its air-to-ground inventory, including AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

    Sources: Misawa March History

  2. USCENTAF reports 918 Mavericks expended

    The USCENTAF Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign report listed 918 AGM-65 Maverick missiles among precision-guided munitions expended in the air campaign.

    Sources: Operation Iraqi Freedom By The Numbers

  3. Laser Maverick armed on F/A-18 during Truman deployment

    A Defense Department image documented an AGM-65 laser-guided Maverick mounted on an F/A-18 Hornet before launch from USS Harry S. Truman during a deployment tagged to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Sources: Petty Officer Arms AGM-65

  4. F-16s use AGM-65 in Bayji strike

    An Air Force airpower summary said F-16s targeted an enemy vehicle in Bayji with a GBU-38, GBU-12s, and an AGM-65 Maverick missile during Operation Iraqi Freedom close-air-support missions.

    Sources: Oct. 18 Airpower Summary

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The AGM-65 Maverick was used by U.S.-led forces in the 2003 Iraq War. The U.S. Navy fact file states that all Maverick variants were used in recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, while the USCENTAF Operation Iraqi Freedom air-campaign report counted 918 AGM-65 Maverick missiles among the precision-guided munitions expended by April 30, 2003.

Official Air Force reporting also records specific Iraq War employment after the invasion phase. In an October 2007 airpower summary, the Combined Air and Space Operations Center reported that F-16s targeted an enemy vehicle in Bayji with a GBU-38, GBU-12s, and an AGM-65 Maverick missile while the vehicle's occupants were firing at friendly forces.

Sources: AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile, Operation Iraqi Freedom By The Numbers, Oct. 18 Airpower Summary

Timeline

Public sources place the Maverick in the opening air campaign and in later Iraq close-air-support operations. On March 21, 2003, the 14th Fighter Squadron flew non-stealth missions over Baghdad and later Misawa Air Base history credited the squadron with employing its full air-to-ground inventory, including AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

By April 30, 2003, USCENTAF's campaign summary listed 918 AGM-65 Mavericks expended in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In December 2004, a Defense Department image showed an AGM-65 laser-guided Maverick mounted on an F/A-18 Hornet before launch from USS Harry S. Truman during a deployment tagged to Operation Iraqi Freedom. In October 2007, Air Force reporting gave a named strike example near Bayji involving F-16s and an AGM-65.

Sources: Misawa March History, Operation Iraqi Freedom By The Numbers, Petty Officer Arms AGM-65, Oct. 18 Airpower Summary

Role in the air campaign

In Iraq, the Maverick appears in official sources as an air-launched precision weapon for close air support, interdiction, defense suppression, and attacks on tactical ground targets. The Navy fact file describes the missile family as a tactical air-to-surface weapon for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression, and identifies target sets that include armor, air defenses, transportation equipment, ships, and fuel facilities.

Air Force reporting from April 2003 shows how A-10 crews discussed Maverick use in the urban close-air-support environment around Baghdad. An A-10 operations officer with the 190th Fighter Squadron said pilots used targeting pods and electro-optical AGM-65 Mavericks as part of their target-identification process while working with ground forces.

Sources: AGM-65 Maverick Guided Missile, Pilots Work To Eliminate Collateral Damage

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Sources