During the Gulf War, intense air battles broke out between Coalition and Iraqi forces as part of a massive aerial offensive. Between January 17 and February 23, 1991, Coalition aircraft flew over 100,000 sorties and dropped an impressive 88,500 tons of bombs, crippling Iraq’s military infrastructure.
Amid this campaign, one of the most remarkable and unlikely moments in aerial combat took place on February 14. Two pilots flying McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles pulled off a nearly impossible feat—they successfully hit an Iraqi helicopter with a bomb while it was still flying in midair. This rare event remains one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in modern air warfare history.
An ordinary mission with extraordinary results
US Air Force Capt. Tim “Rhino” Bennett and his weapons system officer Capt. Dan “Chewy” Bakke were on the lookout for Scud missiles near Al-Qa’im when they were discovered and came under attack from Iraqi helicopters.
In an article for Air Force Magazine, Bennett recalled:
“The mission was a Scud CAP [combat air patrol] in northwestern Iraq. During the Scud CAPs, we would look around with either the FLIR targeting pod or the radar to find the mobile Scuds. My wingman had twelve Mk. 82s, and I had four GBU-10s-2,000-pound LGBs-four AIM-9s, and two external fuel tanks. I was leading the flight.”
Enemy helicopters closing in
The mission began at 1:00 AM.
Thick clouds blocked their path, forcing Bennett and Bakke to fly above the storm. Just then, they received a warning from a Boeing E-3 AWACS aircraft about a serious threat on the ground—a Special Forces team was in immediate danger as five Iraqi helicopters were heading toward them.
Using radar, Bennett identified the helicopters as Mil Mi-24 Hinds, heavily armed aircraft often used to transport enemy troops and weapons. It looked like they were getting ready to back up an attack on nearby US Special Forces units.
Plan of attack
The two pilots aimed for the lead Iraqi helicopter using a GBU-10 Paveway II, intending to strike while it was still on the ground. A direct hit would destroy the aircraft completely, but even if the helicopter managed to lift off, the bomb would still likely kill the troops it had just deployed nearby.
Flying at 700 MPH and at an altitude of 2,500 feet, Capt. Bennett’s F-15 closed in from four miles out as they released the precision-guided bomb. However, almost immediately after release, their radar indicated the helicopter had already begun to lift off, climbing at 100 knots. Realizing they were now out of position for a direct strike, both Bennett and his weapons officer, Capt. Bakke, quickly understood that the bomb would fall behind its fast-moving target.
A near miss
As seconds went by with no sign that the bomb had exploded, Bennett told Bakke to keep the laser pointed on the Mi-24. He recalled saying, “There’s no chance the bomb will get him now,” but, remarkably, the helicopter turned toward them, allowing Bakke to secure the laser-guided bomb on the target.
“There was a big flash, and I could see pieces flying in different directions,” said Bennett. “It blew the helicopter to hell, damn near vaporized it.”
Worried about friendly fire
The AWACS came over the radio and told the pilot, “I understand you visually ID’d that as an Iraqi helo.” Bennett stated that, no, he hadn’t visually identified the target, but was able to tell it was an Iraqi Mi-24 using infrared technology. Both he and Bakke then grew tense, worried they’d accidentally hit a friendly helicopter. At the time, special operators were flying into Iraq in Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Lows, and Bennett wondered if they’d accidentally targeted one.
Thankfully, the AWACS confirmed that no friendly aircraft were in the area – the pair’s attack was successful.
Striker becomes the target
That wasn’t the end of Bennett’s unbelievable mission. After confirming the hit was an enemy helicopter, large flashes appeared all around. What he initially thought were surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) being fired from below were actually bombs being dropped from above.
“AWACS had sent another flight in and told them to drop bombs on a set of coordinates. Those coordinates happened to be us!” Bennett and Bakke immediately left the area, and with just 15 minutes remaining in their mission managed to strike an enemy Scud missile, before returning to base.
Tim Bennett left active duty following the Gulf War, but flew General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons with the South Carolina Air National Guard until he retired in 2017, having reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.