Attack on Ras Tanura

Attack on Ras Tanura
Part of the air campaign of the Persian Gulf War
Date 24 January 1991 Location Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Saudi Arabia  United States	Iraq
Commanders and leaders
Capt. Iyad Al-Shamrani	Maj. Ali Hussein Fadel † [1]
Strength
2 RSAF F-15Cs Several USMC harriers	2 MiG-23s 2 Mirage F1s
Casualties and losses
None	2 killed 2 F1s shot down

The attack on Ras Tanura was an attempted aerial bombing of the Ras Tanura oil production facility in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. Employing Dassault Mirage F1 fighters loaded with incendiary bombs, and two Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23s as fighter cover, Iraq intended to demonstrate to the coalition that it was capable of offensive air actions. Although the aircraft penetrated well into Saudi airspace due to skilled flying and luck, both bombers were shot down before they could reach their target by a McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle of the Royal Saudi Air Force after their fighter cover fled.

This was the only major instance during the war that Iraq attempted an offensive air operation outside of Iraq. Offensive air operations by the Iraqi Air Force would cease nearly entirely six days later after a last ditch operation to shoot down coalition F-15s.