Our Conflict Series is designed to draw attention to events since the end of World War Two. The Gulf War Air War started on the 17th January 1991 and ended on the 23rd February 1991.
Operation Desert Storm or Operation Granby as known by UK forces, revolutionised modern military aviation by ushering in the precision age of warfare. Coalition air forces, spearheaded by advanced fighters such as the F/A-18 Hornet, quickly achieved absolute air superiority over the Iraqi Air Force.
Crucially, this was the first conflict where precision-guided munitions (PGMs) were deployed en masse, allowing aircraft like the Panavia Tornado to hit critical targets with unprecedented accuracy while minimizing collateral damage.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the most advanced multirole fighter jets in service today, designed for both air superiority and precision ground attack missions. Developed by a European consortium including the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain, the aircraft combines cutting-edge avionics with exceptional agility. Powered by twin engines and featuring a delta wing with canards, the Eurofighter Typhoon delivers outstanding performance, including supersonic speeds and rapid climb rates together with its advanced radar system which allow pilots to detect and track multiple targets.
In operational service with the Royal Air Force, the Eurofighter Typhoon plays a vital role in protecting national airspace and supporting NATO missions worldwide. The aircraft is equipped with a wide range of weapons, including air-to-air missiles like the Meteor and ASRAAM, as well as precision-guided bombs for strike missions. Its combination of speed, flexibility, and advanced technology makes it one of the most capable fighter aircraft in the world today.
Mike Sutton led the RAF’s legendary 1(Fighter) Squadron into action against ISIS in 2015 and conducted what remains the first and only gun attack by a Typhoon against the enemy.
An RAF fighter pilot for 18 years, he flew the Jaguar low level strike jet before becoming an instructor on the first RAF Typhoon multi-role attack squadron.
During his time as a tactics instructor he conducted a live scramble in response to a potential terrorist hijacking, introduced new precision weapons to the RAF frontline and served on operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
He left the RAF as a Wing Commander aged 39, and now flies commercially providing operational readiness training for the UK armed forces. He was awarded the OBE in 2017.
