The service decided to restart production of the air-launched cruise
missile after the U.S.A.F. arsenal dropped to an all-time low of 60 weapons.
The Air Force missile shortage reportedly was caused by the Clinton
administration, which used large numbers of the robot missile weapons for
strikes against Iraq and Kosovo.
In 1996, Air Force officers were openly critical of the Clinton
administration for wasting missiles, following strikes against Iraq. One
specific example cited was the unsuccessful “Desert Strike” operation, in
which air-launched cruise missiles with fragmentary warheads were
mis-targeted against hardened Iraqi bunkers on White House orders. The
missile fragmentary warheads, designed to destroy “soft” targets such as
trucks, are ineffective against hardened concrete bunkers.
U.S. Navy Tomahawk cruise missile. Janes Defense reported that
China acquired unexploded Tomahawks that failed in combat, and has
successfully tested a copy for production. Photo by B. Smith.
The White House reportedly bypassed the U.S.A.F. Air Combat Command and
directly ordered airborne B-52s to fire the cruise missiles against the
Iraqi bunkers. The missiles exploded harmlessly outside the Iraqi bunkers,
causing no damage. The Iraqi bunkers were destroyed later by a second
follow-on strike, using U.S. Navy Tomahawk missiles armed with conventional
blast explosive warheads.
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