Shower said they hear a 'Splash one Mig-29' call from AWACS from the South strike package. The strike packages were made up of 10 F-117s and two B-2 bombers with escort coming from F-15Cs and F-16CJs.Īpproximately four minutes into the push, Capt. Mike Shower was escorting the first of two strike packages - one package flew into Southern Serbia which was actually Kosovo while Shower's package went north over Belgrade. ''A USAF Weapons School captain recently recieved the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts in Operation Allied Force over the former Republic of Yugoslavia March 24 during the first offensive action in NATO's history.Ĭapt. The following was published in the Nellis AFB 'Bullseye' Base Paper (edited): Therefore, whenever possible, the F-117A is supported by other aircraft during high risk missions. EscortsĪlthough it's low observable characteristics makes the F-117A less vunerable to enemy fire, it is not invisible nor invincable. On June 10, 1999NATO suspended air attacks against Yugoslavia after 78 days of bombing.Between the 8th and the 9th, the F-117As flewmore than 850 sorties without one combat fatality.As a whole, NATO aircraft flew more than 34,000 sorties in the 11 week operation. This move reunited the 8th EFS with the 9th EFS, both under the 49th EOG-the sameorganization that exists at Holloman AFB. Many cargo aircraft were seen also this week atAviano-assumed to be used to re-deploy the Aviano based F-117A personal to Spangdahlem.After the F-117As left Aviano, their HAS (Hardened Air Shelters) became occupied by Shaw AFBF-16s. From that point, on all F-117A operations wereflown from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. On Jitwasreported by an Italian spotter that the Aviano based F-117As (8th EFS) haddeparted for Germany earlier in the week using the callsign 'Shabah'. On asecond round of attacks took place on the Serbian power grid. The early reports that theattack was just an annoyance were wrong. However, on May 5, the Serbians announced that their powergrid had largely collapsed- only limited parts of Serbia and Belgrade hadpower 3 days after the F-117 attack. Early reportsstatedthat the Serbians restored some power as soon as seven hours after theattack. Theweapon is sometimes referred to as a 'softbomb' since its effects are largely confined to the targeted electricalpower facility, with minimal risk of collateraldamage.įollowing the May 2attack, lights went out over 70 per cent of the country. The BLU-114/B is a special-purpose munition forattacking electrical power infrastructure (a highly classified weapon)functions by dispensing a number of submunitions which inturn disperse large numbers of chemically treated carbon graphitefilaments which short-circuit electrical powerdistribution equipment such as transformers and switching stations. On May 2, 1999F-117As used a previously undisclosed weapon to attack the nationalpower grid of Serbia. In late April, new callsigns were heard: 'Flash' and'Hand'.

After that various callsignswere used in rotation with other units both at Aviano and other bases inItaly. (One ship or two ship launches) The call sign used was'Nighthawk' for the first missions of familiarization. An Italian spotter reported: 'The F-117As flew only in night-time and often all twelve were launched. EST March 24, heralded byexplosions reported near Belgrade.

OnMarch 24 NATObegan OPERATION ALLIED FORCE as an effort to compel President SlobodanMilosevic to make peace in Kosovo.

Serb missile commander f 117