Operation Northern Watch
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Operation Northern Watch, the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a US European Command Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing the United Nations mandated no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission, which began on 1 January 1997, included monitoring Iraqi compliance with UN Security Council directives.
Section
Overview
The coalition partners of the United States, United Kingdom, and Turkey provided approximately 45 aircraft [link] and more than 1,400 personnel to support Operation Northern Watch. The joint U.S. forces of some 1,100 US personnel, included sailors, soldiers, as well as sorties from every arm of the Military of the United States, with the exception of the paramilitary United States Coast Guard. The original mandate from the Turkish government allowed the operation to continue for 6 months. Turkey subsequently approved two 6-month extensions, but indicated that it would not become a permanent mission.Though the majority of the U.S. contingent was made up of Air and Space Expeditionary Forces on three month tours, Operation Northern Watch was a Combined Task Force which included active duty US Army, US Navy, US Marine and US Air Force members as well as US National Guard and reserve troops on 14 to 180 day tours. It had a 700 percent annual turn-over rate in personnel, with more than 9,000 cycle through Northern Watch each year.
The task force included more than 50 U.K. and U.S. aircraft that participated in the operation. Coalition fighters, tankers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets worked as a team that enforced the no-fly zone. Missions required a mix of aircraft and on any given day could include: EA-6B Prowler, E-3 Sentry AWACS, F-15C, F-15E, F-16CJ, F-16CG, HH-60, HC-130, KC-135 Stratotanker, UH-60 Blackhawk, EP-3, C-12 Huron, British SEPECAT Jaguar, Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod and VC-10 Tankers.
U.K. and U.S. aircraft flew patrol missions over Iraq an average of 18 days each month. By the end of November 2002, coalition forces had flown 106 days in the Northern No-Fly Zone. In 2001, they flew 146 days over northern Iraq and in 2000, they flew 164 days. Nearly every mission, they came under fire and threatened by elements of the Iraqi integrated air defence system. Anti-aircraft-artillery fire was the most common threat and was usually seen firing from two to five different locations. Operation Northern Watch was the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, which officially ended in December 1996. With the closing of the Military Coordination Center in 1996 the Secretary of Defense approved a modification of the mission in Northern Iraq. Since 1991, Operation Provide Comfort had provided humanitarian assistance to the Kurds and enforcement of the northern no-fly zone.
The enforcement of the No Fly Zone continued for almost two years witnessing a change for the worse in Iraq’s compliance with United Nation’s (UN) resolutions. Specifically Security Resolution 687, requiring Iraq to dispose of its weapons of mass destruction ballistic missiles with a range over 150 kilometers, and related production facilities and equipment. Since ONW started, Iraq grossly interfered with any progress made by UN arms inspectors on three separate occasions. The first of these occurred on November 13, 1997 when Iraq expelled arms inspectors only to see them returned one week later.
On January 13, 1998, Iraq banned UN arms inspectors led by an American to continue their work forcing their expulsion three days later. This resulted in a build up of troops and an 11th hour mission by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan geared toward convincing Iraq in signing a tentative deal allowing full access to suspected Iraqi weapon sites. Finally on October 31, 1998, the Iraqi government suspended cooperation with UN Inspectors who were forced to withdrawal on November 7, 1998. With this, military units in the U.S. prepared for deployment under Operation Desert Thunder. After some diplomatic wrangling, Iraq backed down and agreed to let UN weapons inspectors do their work.
One month later, a report summarizing a continued history of uncooperative actions and violations of the weapons of mass destruction disposal requirements broke the proverbial straw on the camel’s back. This resulted in Operation Desert Fox, a four-day long military response in which ONW aircraft stood down to make way for aircraft designated for the contingency to reach their targets. Shortly after the conclusion of Desert Fox, Iraq announced they would no longer recognize the Northern and Southern no-fly zones. When the ONW mission resumed, Iraqi assets built for air defence went on the offensive as they shot at coalition aircraft with surface to air missiles on December 28, 1998. This act of aggression threatened the lives of the aircrew who responded in turn. This action resulted in the first delivery of ordinance over Northern Iraq by coalition forces since August 1993. Iraq anti aircraft assets continued to antagonize and threaten the coalition aircraft with weapon systems not belonging above the 36th parallel in the first place, prompting aircrews to respond to such hostile acts.
The results of these engagements resulted in a severe loss of Iraq’s integrated air defence systems with all coalition aircraft returning to base safely, despite a $14,000 bounty by the Iraq leader himself to anyone who downed a coalition aircraft. All the while, the relationship between the participating nations of ONW strengthened as they signed a unilateral agreement in February 1999 in the form of America’s first multi-national rules of engagement to be followed above the 36th parallel in Iraq.
In the year covering June 1998 to June 1999 Combined Task Force personnel participated in the most intense combat operations in eight years employing 485 weapons, to include the first ever US combat use of the AGM-130, against 225 targets by way of over 5,000 combat/combat support sorties. Such accomplishments most recently earned ONW CTF the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (June 98 - 31 Dec 98).
Northern Watch was officially ended on March 17, two days prior to the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Notable Events
1998
•December 28, 1998 -- At approximately 1:30 p.m., Iraqi time, coalition aircraft were attacked by Iraqi surface-to-air missiles fired from sites in northern Iraq. The Iraqis fired three SAMs at Northern Watch aircraft; all missed. Although initial reports claimed that the planes retaliated by launching three AGM-88 HARMs, in fact three F-15Es each dropped two GBU-12 500-pound precision guided munitions (PGMs). Two of the F-15Es hit the SA-3 target site tracking radar and optical guidance unit. The other F-15E had one bomb hit the SA-3 missile site command and control van, and the other hitting the target site tracking radar and optical guidance unit. The other F-15E in the four-ship formation did not drop bombs because he did not have positive target identification. Video footage from U.S. aircraft responding in self-defence to Iraqi aggression on Dec. 28 show that coalition forces attacked the launch sites only after being fired upon. Video of the Iraqi missile firings clearly shows time of their fire prior to any release of coalition ordnance. The SA-3 site used both radar and optics when firing their offensive missiles.
•December 16-19 1998 -- Following an UNSCOM report detailing continued Iraqi obstruction, the US and Great Britain conducted a four-day aerial bombing campaign, nicknamed Desert Fox. Northern Watch aircraft did not participate.
1999
• Between January 11 and March 19, ONW aircraft responded in self-defence on 27 reported incidents. Aircraft dropped weapons on radars, SAM installations and anti-aicraft guns that had fired on coalition aircrafts.2002
• Between February 4 and November 4 , ONW aircraft responded in self-defence on 17 reported incidents. Aircraft dropped weapons on radars, SAM installations and anti-aicraft guns that had fired on coalition aircrafts.2003
• Between February 25 and March 14 , ONW aircraft responded in self-defence on 2 reported incidents. Aircraft also dropped propaganda leaflets prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom• The final combat air patrol occurred on March 17 2003 (from the Incirlik Air Base). Six weeks later, the Operation concluded with an official stand down on May 1 2003.
See also
External links
- [Global Security brief on Operation Northern Watch]
- [Operation Northern Watch Photo Album with captions]
- [U.S. Navy article on stand down]
- [Stars & Stripes article]
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