Forum: General F-16 forum

Last edited by Jon on Jan 15, 2008 - 09:21 PM; edited 19 times in total

Any updates are welcome:

Operation Southern Watch Deployment List
Started officially August 27, 1992

<ul>
<li>September 20, 1991 to December, 1991 - 68th TFS - King Abdul Aziz RSAB</li>
<li>December 13, 1991 to March 1992 - 34th FS - King Abdul Aziz RSAB</li>
<li>?, 1992 to September 16, 1992 - 70th FS - Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>? to December 1992 - 19th FS - Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia with 12 F-16s (6 19th FS and 6 33rd FS)</li>
<li>December 1992 to March 1993 - 33rd FS - Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia where 90-0778 shot down a MiG-25</li>
<li>January 1993 to ? - 23rd FS - Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia where 86-0262 shot down a MiG-23 (should be in the ONW list?)</li>
<li>May 1993 to August 1993 - 69th FS - Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia with 12 F-16s</li>
<li>September 16, 1993 to ? - 34th FS - with 12 F-16s</li>
<li>December 1993 to January 1994 - 33rd FS - Dhahran with 18 F-16s</li>
<li>? to September 15, 1994 - 68th FS</li>
<li>? to September 15, 1994 - 307th FS</li>
<li>September 11, 1994 to ? - 34th FS</li>
<li>October 1994 to November 20, 1994 - 74th FS - Al Jaber, Kuwait with 18 F-16s</li>
<li>October 1994 to ? - 421st FS</li>
<li>December 1994 to February 1, 1995 - 74th FS with 18 F-16s</li>
<li>March to June 1995 - 307th FS Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>Summer 1995 - 68th FS - Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>June 1995 - 4th FS - Saudi Arabia and Kuwait at the same time with 18 F-16s</li>
<li>October 9, 1995 to November 1995 - 74th FS </li>

AEF I
<li>October 28, 1995 to December 18, 1995 - 347th Wg - Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain with 12 F-16Cs</li>
<li>October 28, 1995 to December 18, 1995 - 20th FW - Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain with 6 F-16Cs</li>

AEF II
<li>April 12, 1996 to June 28, 1996 - 68th FS - Shaheed Mwaffaq AB, Jordan with 12 F-16C.</li>
<li>April 12, 1996 to June 28, 1996 - 389th FS - Shaheed Mwaffaq AB, Jordan with 6 F-16C. Some reports say they stayed till Sept 28, 1996?</li>

<li>April 1996 to July 1996 - 79th FS - Dhahran, Saudi Araba (not with AEF II?)</li>

AEF III
<li>July 2, 1996 to August 20, 1996 - 347th Wg - Doha, Qatar with 12 F-16Cs</li>
<li>July 2, 1996 to August 20, 1996 - 20th FW - Doha, Qatar</li>
<li>Mid 1996 - 77th FS - Dhahran, Saudi Araba and then to Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain following the Khobar Towers bombing.</li>
<li>June 15, 1996 to October 1996 - 34th FS - Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and then to Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain following the Khobar Towers bombing.</li>
<li>July 1996 to December 1996 - 13th FS - Dhahran, then after Khobar tower 6 went to Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain and 6 went to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>September 10, 1996 to December 1996 - 69th FS - Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>? to December 21, 1996 - 4th FS</li>
<li>December 1996 to ? - 78th FS - Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia (need to confirm this deployment)</li>
<li>1996 - 121st FS - Al Jaber, Kuwait - (first ANG unit to fly OSW)</li>
<li>1996 - 170th FS - Al Jaber, Kuwait</li>
<li>1996 - 120th FS - Al Jaber, Kuwait</li>
<li>mid 1996 - 79th FS</li>

AEF IV
<li>February 18, 1997 to June 20, 1997 - 77th FS - Doha, Qatar with 6 F-16s</li> (see story below, same page)
<li>February 26, 1997 to March 1997 - 157th FS - Doha, Qatar with 12 F-16s</li>

<li>June 1997 to ? - 522nd FS - Doha, Qatar</li>
<li>1997 - 523rd FS</li>
<li>1997 - 113th FS</li>
<li>1997 - 107th FS</li>
<li>1997 - 170th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>March 1997 to April 1997 - 111th FS - Ahmed, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 6 F-16s</li>
<li>March 1997 to June 1997 - 389th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 12 F-16s</li>
<li>March 15, 1997 to April 30, 1997 - 182nd FS - Kuwait</li>
<li>April 30, 1997 to June 15, 1997 - 163rd FS - Kuwait</li>
<li>September 2, 1997 to October 25, 1997 - 421st FS – Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 18 various F-16s from the 388th</li>
<li>September 24, 1997 to October 2?, 1997 - 389th FS - Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain (interim AEF)</li>
<li>October 15, 1997 to December 2, 1997 - 34th FS – Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 18 F-16s from 388th still in theatre</li>
<li>November 21, 1997 to April 1998 - 78th FS – Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain with 6 F-16Cs (interim AEF some aircraft borrowed from 77th)</li>
<li>November 23, 1997 to March or April 1998 - 68th FS – Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain with 12 F-16Cs (interim AEF lead unit)</li>
<li>December 3, 1997 to January 18, 1998 - 4th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 18 F-16s from 388th still in theatre</li>
<li>December 1997 to January 1998 - 176th FS - Ahmed, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 4 F-16s (aircraft deployed Dec 97 to May 98 )</li>
<li>January 1998 to February 1998 - 120th FS - Ahmed, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 2 F-16s (aircraft deployed Dec 97 to May 98 )</li>
<li>January 1998 to April 1998 - 23rd FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>January 16, 1998 to March 1998 - 524th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 18 F-16s</li>
<li>February 1998 to March 1998 - 175th FS - Ahmed, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 3 F-16s (aircraft deployed Dec 97 to May 98 )</li>
<li>March 1998 to April 1998 - 174th FS - Ahmed, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 3 F-16s (aircraft deployed Dec 97 to May 98 )</li>
<li>March 1, 1998 to May 6, 1998 - 523rd FS - Ahmed, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 18 F-16s (USAF reported 20)</li>
<li>April 1998 to May 1998 - 188th FS - Ahmed, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 6 F-16s (aircraft deployed Dec 97 to May 98 )</li>
<li>1998 - 120th FS - Al Jaber, Kuwait</li>
<li>1998 - 457th FS</li>
<li>1998 - 421st FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>March 1998 to May 1998 - 389th FS Shaikh Isa AB, Bahrain with 12 F-16Cs (interim AEF)</li>
<li>October 1998 to December 1998 - 18th FS - Al Jaber AB, Kuwait</li>
<li>December 1998 to ?, 1999 - 34th FS - with 12 F-16s (In theatre for Desert Fox)</li>
<li>December 1998 to February 1999 - 522nd FS - with 12 F-16s (In theatre for Desert Fox)</li>
<li>December 1998 79th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia (In theatre for Desert Fox)</li>
<li>January 1999 to ? 1999 - 55th FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait</li>
<li>June 1999 to August 1999 - 68th FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 10 F-16s</li>
<li>September 1999 to December 9, 1999 - 421st FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait</li>
<li>December 7, 1999 - 4th FS</li>
<li>2000 - 138th FS</li>
<li>2000 - 77th FS</li>
<li>March 3, 2000 to June 2000 - 510 FS FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 10 F-16s</li>
<li>June 2000 to September 2000 - 555 FS FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 10 F-16s</li>
<li>June 8, 2000 to September 12, 2000 - 523rd FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>August 30, 2000 to November 22, 2000 - 524th FS??? - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 12 F-16C</li>
<li>October 2000 to December 2000 - 23rd FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>December 2000 to March 2001 - 22nd FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>September 9, 2000 to October 2000 - 134th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 2 F-16C</li>
<li>October, 2000 to November 15, 2000 - 111th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 2 F-16C</li>
<li>November 15, 2000 to December, 2000 - 119th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 2 F-16C</li>
<li>December 2000 to January 2001 - 421st FS</li>
<li>Fall 2001 - 55th FS</li>
<li>September 11, 2001 to ?, 2001 - 107th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia with 6 F-16s</li>
<li>September 11, 2001 to ?, 2001 - 125th FS - Al Jaber, Kuwait</li>
<li>October 2001 to December 2001 - 93rd FS - OSW/OEF - Al Jaber, Kuwait with 4 F-16s</li>
<li>October 2001 to ? - 457th FS - OSW/OEF - Al Jaber, Kuwait with 3 F-16s</li>
<li>October 2001 to ? - 466th FS - OSW/OEF - Al Jaber, Kuwait with 3 F-16s</li>
<li>November 2001 - 175th FS - Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>October 24, 2002 to December 2002 - 184th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>December 2001 to February 2002 - 523rd FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>December 15, 2001 to March 15, 2002 - 18th FS - OSW/OEF - Al Jaber, Kuwait with 16 F-16s</li>
<li>October 25, 2002 to December 2002 - 186th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>December 3, 2002 to May 2003 - 194th FS</li>
<li>December 10, 2002 to May 9, 2003 - 524th FS – in region stayed for OIF and only Cannon AFB OIF deployment with 12 aircraft.</li>
<li>March 2002 to May 2002 - 79th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>March 2002 to June 2002 - 170th FS - OSW/OEF - Al Jaber, Kuwait</li>
<li>May 2002 to September 2002 - 389th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia</li>
<li>September 2002 to December 2002 - 510th FS</li>

AEF 7/8
<li>November 2002 to March 2003 - 14th FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia (stayed for OIF)</li>
</ul>

Updates from below will be done to this post.

F-16.net Sponsor

Last edited by Jon on Nov 27, 2006 - 04:04 AM; edited 2 times in total

Operation Northern Watch list:

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-6894.html

and...

Operation Desert Fox
<ul><li>1998 - 77th FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 15 F-16C</li><li>1998 - 79th FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait</li><li>December 16, 1998 to December 20, 1998 - 34th FS - Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait with 10 F-16C</li></ul>

October 2000 - 22nd FS - Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia

This was actually the 23rd FS. We went for two shifts, with the majority of us swapping out at the halfway point.

[updated, Jon]

Hello Jon,

This is a very neat topic!! I have a small update;

"January 1993 to ? - 23rd FS Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia where 86-0262 shot down a MiG-23" - the 23rd FS was at Incirlik AB, Turkey at the time of this shoot down.

And the base in Bahrain is Sheik Isa AB (known from "Desert Shield/Storm as Shakey´s Pizza). Also home to the "Fighter Wing" of the RBAF with two squadrons of F-16s and one with F-5s.

Greetings,

Henrik.

Henrik wrote:

The 23rd FS was at Incirlik AB, Turkey at the time of this shoot down.

So was this a ONW deployment with a cross over flight to OSW flight where the aircraft was downed?

Southern Watch updates

16 January 1996 thru 18 April 1996
77FS out of Shaw. Dhahran w/12 CJ's

24 Mar 1998 - 05 May 1998
77FS Prince Sultan w/12 CJ's

We also deployed to Doha in 1997. I believe it fell under OSW also:
Was touted as the initial AEF Concept Proof?
Deployed -flew no-stop (vipers too), landed and turned jets on 1st mission into the box within 4 hours of landing. McEntire deployed 12 blk 52's with us as the fighter pkg- then was replaced by 522nd. SJ was our bomber pkg.
We were 12 hrs from departure when we all got extended an additional 30 days. Back to the line, reload jets, rebuild tent city...

18 Feb 199 - 20 Jun 1997
77FS w/6 CJ's.

Really not sure if this one counts:

03 Sept 1993 thru 16 Sept 1993
17th FS "Hooters" with 12 Blk 42's
Masirah Oman and Al Jaffa Jordon.

This was part of the "Hooter Farewell" Tour.
They took 12 CG's to Oman and Jordan - returned to Shaw for 2 weeks - took same 12 jets to Japan. Shortly after return, we began conversion to Blk 50 and were renumbered to 77FS.

[updated, thank you, Jon]

The 34FS replaced the 421FS about 25 Oct 1997 and left when the 4FS showed on 02 Dec 1997 at PSAB

The Rams then replaced the 18FS at Al Jaber and took part in Desert Fox from Dec 1998-Feb 1999 along with Fireballs of the 522FS (I think maybe the 523FS) from Cannon who replaced the A-10s from Alaska.

The June-Oct 1996 deployment of the Rams also needs to reflect the end of the deployment was at Shaikisa AB in Bahrain following the Khobar Towers bombing.

MSgt R. W.
53 TSS Tyndall AFB FL
Deployed in Basrah Iraq

[updated, Thank you, Jon]

What happened at the blk 40 bases is that Moody and Hill each had 6 months of responsibility in the AOR, 2 bases covered one year. At Moody and I'm sure at Hill, an 18 jet package was put together pulling acft from each of the 2 squadrons that would be going. One squadron would take the first 3 months and then the other would swap out with them but the jets stayed for 6 months.

I know that the 389th FS was there (PSAB) May 2002- Sept 2002. I don't remember the exact dates but I know that those are the correct months... Evil or Very Mad

[updated, Thank you, Jon]

Thank you for all the updates guys, keep em coming!

Davis83

Question about the block 50's arriving just before the 77th FS formed. Did they truly belong to the 17th FS before the 77th FS/20th FW formed?

Thank you very much for starting this long overdue topic, Jon! (Already planned in my head) Together with your parallel ONW topic, that should shake up the F-16.net forums at least for months or years. As a "CENTCOM observer", I will provide all of my archived stuff to your topic. Please await! At first, I must check out my own archives, with info downloaded some years ago. Secondly: Please change your topic headline from "Soutern Watch" to "Southern Watch"!

Hi, Jon! As I announced above, I will do what I can to support this topic and also your new ONW topic. Both topics are very important for our upcoming new section "F-16 Combat History". Dear F-16.net users: Jon and I would be very grateful for any support!

The following facts and figures are an excerpt from a PDF which I downloaded some years ago from www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil (Air University). It covers the four AEF test deployments to SWA for the AEF concept. The author was Dr. William L. (Lee) Dowdy. I still search the web to get the PDF´s URL again.

AEF I
Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain (28 October – 18 December 1995)
12 F-16Cs, 347th Wg, Moody AFB, Georgia
6 F-16CJs, 20th FW, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
Note: The aircraft and people from Shaw were already in theater, having deployed on 30 September to nearby Qatar where they had participated in exercises.

AEF II
Shaheed Mwaffaq Air Base near Azraq (dubbed Azraq Air Base by U.S. military), Jordan (12 April – 28 June 1996)
12 F-16CGs, 68th FS, 347th Wg, Moody AFB, Georgia
6 F-16CJs, 389th FS, 366th Wg, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho

AEF III
Doha, Qatar (02 July – 20 August 1996)
34 F-16Cs/CJs
Note: 12 F-16Cs, already stationed in the Gulf, arrived in Qatar on 24 June 1996 [probably the 12 F-16CGs of AEF II from Moody AFB?]. On 2 July F-16Cs and F-16CJs deployed from CONUS (including jets from the 20th FW, Shaw AFB, South Carolina).

AEF IV
Doha, Qatar (09 February – 21 June 1997)
12 F-16s (probably already F-16CJ), 157th FS, 169th FW, McEntire ANGB, South Carolina
Note: AEF IV was the first in the series that employed Air National Guard assets, in this case for 45 days. Twelve F-16s from the 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire ANGB particpated.

Note: Doha, Qatar, means the military part of Doha IAP (with hardened aircraft shelters for Qatari fighter jets).

To Jon: You should split-up your listing for a better view (at least with the start of AEF Cycle 1 in October 1999). That should be very helpful for archiving any further replies.

[updated, Thank you, Jon]

The 18FS was in AL Jaber, Kuwait from Dec 15 2001- 15 Mar 2002 for OSW and OEF the 93rd left in Dec 2001

[updated, Thank you, Jon]

I was at PSAB Jan through April 98 with a 15 sqaudron. The 23rd FS was there at that time.

[updated, Thank you, Jon]

Yesterday, I found again my old online source related to the four Test AEFs I - IV (see above): "Testing the Aerospace Expeditionary Force Concept: An Analysis of AEFs I - IV (1995-97) and the Way Ahead", by William L. Dowdy, PhD, Military Defense Analyst, Research Paper 2000-01, Airpower Research Institute, College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education - Air University):
https://research.maxwell.af.mil/papers/ ... 000-01.pdf
(highly recommendable)

Jon! At first: In your listing please change AEF 1 to AEF I and also Shaikasa Isa AB and Shaikasa AB to Shaikh Isa Air Base.
Secondly: Please tell me: Should this topic only posted to generate a "skeleton" OSW Deployment List? After checking my own archive (with print-outs of older ACC news and more related stuff), some F-16.net topics (including "Operations Northern/Southern Watch related press releases", posted by Allesandro Aspesi), we also can rename this topic to "OSW Vipers (F-16 Combat History)" or "Southern Watch (F-16 Combat History)".
Please understand: From my viewpoint, F-16 OSW deployments (and also F-16 ONW deployments) need some more background info (including released photos as a very important deployment proof).

Forum: General F-16 forum

Operation Southern Watch (F-16 Combat History)