2003 Iraq War

B-52 Stratofortress in the 2003 Iraq War

U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers flew Operation Iraqi Freedom missions for long-range strike and fire support, including a March 21, 2003 CALCM attack and April 2003 targeting-pod guided strikes in northern Iraq.

Weapon profileB-52 Stratofortress
SideUnited States and coalition forcesRoleLong-Range StrikeFire Support
B-52 Stratofortress, Long-range heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVs - 2003 Iraq War
Image source: B-52 flying over clouds

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
U.S. Air Force B-52Hs launched approximately 100 CALCMs in Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 21, 2003.

Sources: B-52H Stratofortress | U.S. Air Force

B-52H crews had flown more than 100 missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom by April 2003.

Sources: B-52 Still a Force to Be Reckoned With

A B-52 used a Litening II pod in combat on April 11, 2003 to strike targets at an airfield in northern Iraq.

Sources: B-52 Litening II Pod Used in Combat

The CFACC report identifies the first wartime employment of a laser-guided bomb by a B-52 with a Litening pod as an Operation Iraqi Freedom airpower first.

Sources: Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers

Timeline

B-52 Stratofortress In 2003 Iraq War

  1. B-52H CALCM night mission

    The U.S. Air Force says B-52Hs launched approximately 100 CALCMs during a night mission in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Sources: B-52H Stratofortress | U.S. Air Force

  2. Large-scale coalition air strikes begin

    The CFACC report dates A-Hour for large-scale coalition air strikes at 1800Z and lists more than 1,700 air sorties, including 504 TLAM and CALCM cruise missiles.

    Sources: Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers

  3. B-52H reaches 100 OIF missions

    An Air Force account says a B-52H crew flew the 100th B-52 mission of Operation Iraqi Freedom, striking regime fortifications north of Baghdad.

    Sources: B-52 Still a Force to Be Reckoned With

  4. First B-52 combat use of Litening II pod

    A B-52 used a Litening II targeting pod to strike an airfield in northern Iraq with two GBU-12 Paveway II bombs.

    Sources: B-52 Litening II Pod Used in Combat, Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The B-52H Stratofortress was used by U.S. forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The U.S. Air Force fact sheet says the aircraft launched approximately 100 Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missiles during a night mission on March 21, 2003.

A separate Air Force report from April 12, 2003 documents a B-52 using a Litening II targeting pod in combat for the first time, striking targets at an airfield in northern Iraq on April 11 with two GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs.

Sources: B-52H Stratofortress | U.S. Air Force, B-52 Litening II Pod Used in Combat

Timeline

The campaign-level air component report dates the large-scale coalition air strikes against Iraq to March 21, 2003 at 1800Z and counts more than 1,700 air sorties, including 504 TLAM and CALCM cruise missiles, in that opening phase.

By April 10, 2003, B-52H crews had reached more than 100 missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. An Air Force account of that milestone describes the 100th mission as a strike against regime fortifications north of Baghdad.

Sources: Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers, B-52 Still a Force to Be Reckoned With

Operational role

The documented Iraq use combined long-range standoff attack, strategic bombing, and direct support to coalition ground operations. The Air Force described B-52 OIF missions as ranging from strategic attack to close air support, with targets communicated through command nodes and coalition ground forces.

The April 11 Litening pod strike showed the B-52 being adapted for more flexible precision attack. The Air Force report identified a mixed Reserve and active-duty crew flying from a forward-deployed location and using the pod to designate targets for laser-guided weapons without relying on another aircraft or ground designator.

The available public sources support specific dated missions and aggregate campaign milestones. They do not provide a complete sortie-by-sortie public history of every B-52 mission flown during the 2003-2011 Iraq War.

Sources: B-52 Still a Force to Be Reckoned With, B-52 Litening II Pod Used in Combat, Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers

Related Weapons by Role

AGM-86B/C/D Missiles, Air-launched cruise missile family, MunitionsMunitionsAGM-86B/C/D MissilesAir-launched cruise missile familyThe AGM-86B/C/D missiles are Boeing-built U.S. air-launched cruise missiles developed for B-52 bomber standoff strike. The AGM-86A prototype did not enter production; the longer-range AGM-86B became the nuclear ALCM, while the AGM-86C and AGM-86D CALCM conversions replaced the nuclear payload with conventional blast/fragmentation or penetrating warheads. Air Force material lists AGM-86B as the remaining active-force variant and says the C/D stockpile was demilitarized by October 2022.
F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical), Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF/A-18 Hornet (Tactical)Carrier-capable multirole strike fighterThe F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical) is the National Naval Aviation Museum's label for the original McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 A-D Hornet family, a twin-engine carrier-capable strike fighter that entered Marine Corps service in 1983 and U.S. Navy service in 1984. NAVAIR describes the Hornet as the nation's first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft; its documented combat record spans Libya, Desert Storm, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and later coalition campaigns.
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Sources