Operation Granby was the codename for Britain’s contribution to the coalition campaign following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. When the air campaign began on 17 January 1991, RAF aircraft joined a large multinational force tasked with defeating Iraqi air power and ultimately supporting the liberation of Kuwait.
Tornado GR1 and Jaguar aircraft carried out the majority of Britain’s fast-jet attack sorties. Tornados initially flew demanding low-level strike missions before tactics evolved during the campaign, while Jaguars undertook attack and reconnaissance operations. Michael Rondot’s Coup De Grace Jaguar print depicts an RAF Jaguar during the Gulf War campaign.
Buccaneers deployed with laser-designation equipment and supported precision attacks, while Tornado F3s performed air-defence duties. The campaign demonstrated the importance of combining different aircraft, weapons, support units and coalition capabilities rather than relying on a single platform.
The 43-day air campaign placed enormous demands on RAF aircrew and ground personnel operating far from their home bases. It also accelerated experience with precision-guided weapons, joint operations and rapidly adapting tactics to battlefield conditions.
For JET Art Gallery, the aircraft and people of Operation Granby form an important part of the modern military aviation story. Michael Rondot’s In The Air Tonight captures the Tornado during an era in which the aircraft became closely associated with RAF combat operations.
