Osprey Combat Aircraft 56 : US Marine Corps and RAAF Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Some 84 of the 250 Hornets committed by Central Command to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) proudly bore MARINE titling on their rear fuselages. A further 14 were marked with the distinctive kangaroo roundel of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The exploits achieved by the units that flew these jets into combat is detailed in this book, the third of three books published in the Combat Aircraft series on what has been dubbed by many TACAIR insiders the 'Hornet's War'. Although the bulk of this book deals with the major hostilities phase of OIF I, which ran from 20 March to 20 April 2003, the decade of pre-war OSW missions and ongoing post-war OIF II operations are also covered in significant detail from the Marine Corps perspective. Profusely illustrated with rare frontline photography and more than 30 specially commissioned colour artworks, this book also features the combat experiences of 24 pilots and Weapons Systems Officers. Text by Tony Holmes with illustrations by Chris Davey.

Contents

• Prelude to War
• The Final Build Up
• Shock and Awe
• War at Sea : The Persian Gulf
• War at Sea : The Mediterranean
• Operation Falconer
• Appendices