Our Conflict Series is designed to draw attention to events since the end of World War Two. The Gulf War air campaign began on 17th January 1991 and continued until the ceasefire on 28th February 1991.
Operation Desert Storm, with the British contribution codenamed Operation Granby, marked an important turning point in modern air 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 minimising collateral damage.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is the RAF’s frontline multi-role combat aircraft, used for air defence and precision strike missions. Developed through a four-nation partnership involving the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain, Typhoon combines advanced avionics with high agility. With twin engines, a delta wing and canards, Typhoon was designed for high performance across both air-to-air and air-to-surface roles.
In Royal Air Force service, Typhoon provides Quick Reaction Alert for UK airspace and has also supported NATO commitments and overseas operations. Its RAF weapons fit includes Meteor and ASRAAM air-to-air missiles alongside precision-guided weapons for the strike role.
Mike Sutton led the RAF’s No. 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 aircraft before becoming an instructor on the RAF’s first Typhoon multi-role 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.
