Repost: Detour to Aden CVW-9 and the Warm-up Strikes

[Matt Wiser]

Thanks to James 1978 for finding this on the wayback machine-I had lost mine when my original copy was on a laptop stolen in a burglary





Detour to Aden: CVW-9 and the Warm-Up Strikes
(From The Hook: Journal of Carrier Aviation, Spring 2010)

PART 1

Before the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) battle group arrived in the Arabian Gulf on 6 May 2005 to join Task Force 77, two strikes were conducted prior to the battle group's arrival in the Gulf. Both strikes were directed against Soviet installations that directly supported the Soviet Indian Ocean Squadron (SOVIORON) before its destruction at the hands of Air Force B-52s, and an informal wolf pack of U.S. and British submarines. Those installations were on Socotra Island, where the Soviet Navy had a major SIGINT station, the Island's air base at Ras Kharmah, which supported Soviet Naval Air Force (SNAF) operations in the Indian Ocean, with Tu-95 Bear-Ds and Il-38 Mays being the most common transients, as well as Aden itself. The air defense of the island was in the hands of a MiG-29 regiment, nominally part of the Yemeni Air Force, and flying in Yemeni markings, but was entirely Soviet-manned. To maintain the part, the MiGs were Fulcrum-A models, though equipped fully to Soviet standards, rather than the export version. In addition, there were two SAM batteries, one each of SA-2 and SA-3, also Soviet manned, as well as 23-mm and 57-mm AAA, manned by Yemeni Army personnel.

The second target was Aden proper, where the Soviets had base access to the naval and air facilities in and near the city. The old RAF base at Khormsakar housed a Yemeni AF MiG-23 regiment, which was partially Soviet manned. The naval base had a large Soviet Navy ammunition dump, as well as spare parts storage, and a fueling depot. However, the Soviets did not entirely man Aden's defenses, with the SA-2 and SA-3 sites around Aden being manned by Yemenis, though an SA-6 regiment was manned by both Soviet and East German “advisors.” As for ships in the harbor, there were a number of Soviet merchant ships that had made for Aden prior to the outbreak of war, along with several ships under East German or Polish flags. Two Soviet warships were also moored in Aden, one the Sovremenny-class destroyer Vazhny, which had been left behind with engine trouble when the SOVIORON's main body sailed from Aden on D-3, and the Krivak-II class frigate Rezvy, suffering from condenser trouble. The Yemeni Navy, consisting of several Soviet-supplied Osa missile boats, along with a few minesweepers and patrol craft, could do little other than local patrol, and totally lacked decent anti-air and antisubmarine weapons systems.

An additional target near Aden was Al Anad Air Base, which also hosted Il-38s and Tu-95s. The base housed a Soviet-manned MiG-25 reconnaissance squadron, with a mix of R, RB, and RBT airframes, along with a MiG-21 Regiment from the Yemeni AF.

In contrast, the Nimitz battle group was considered one of the best in the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Home-ported at Naval Station Everett, north of Seattle, CVN-68 had finished a IO/Gulf deployment, handing off to Kitty Hawk (CV-63), and sailing for home. However, as the Polish Crisis escalated, the carrier's departure from Singapore for home was postponed, and on 19 April 2005, the battle group was ordered to sail for Diego Garcia. Clearing the Straits of Malacca on D-2, CVN-68's battle group went on a full wartime footing, with war shots loaded on CVW-9's aircraft, and Condition-III, wartime steaming, being the norm for the crews on the ships.

Nimitz, though the lead ship in her class, had finished a major overhaul and refueling in 2001, and had returned to the Pacific Fleet that year. Her CIWS systems had been augmented with the RIM-116 RAM missile, while her CEC (Cooperative Engagement Capability) had been upgraded significantly. Her crew and air wing had been honed to a razor's edge, and had completed their SOUTHERN WATCH deployment without incident. Those aboard had been looking forward to an uneventful trip home, to reunion with family and friends, but when the group was turned around for Diego Garcia, everyone knew this time, it was for real, and that any day now, the balloon would go up.

The battle group's AEGIS cruiser was the USS Hue City (CG-66), with two embarked SH-60Bs from HSL-37. She was home-based at Pearl Harbor, and joined the carrier when CVN-68 stopped in Pearl. Her captain was responsible for overall AAW (Anti-Air Warfare) in the battle group, and could even provide some ATBM capabilities, should that be needed. One nuclear cruiser, USS Texas (CGN-39) provided additional AAW coverage, and with CEC, enabled AEGIS to direct the older ship's missile fire. Additional AEGIS coverage was provided by USS O'Kane (DDG-77), while a pair of Sprunace-class destroyers, USS Harry W. Hill (DD-986) and USS Fife (DD-991) handled ASW and general-purpose screening duties, with HSL-45 providing two dets with SH-60R. HSL-45's det 7 was also embarked on the battle group's only frigate, USS Carr (FFG-52) for the same mission.

Accompanying the battle group, and sailing in the formation, was the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC), aboard the Amphibious Assault Carrier USS Makin Island (LHD-8), the assault ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), and the dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47). Aboard these ships were the Marines of 2/1 Marines, along with their support elements. While the MEU would not take part in the Socotra-Aden strikes, the embarked Harriers, Ospreys, Cobras, and Super Stallions would be available for CSAR operations, and to augment both CAP and SUCAP as needed.

One final member of the battle group lurked underwater. SSN support was provided by USS Topeka (SSN-754). Her job was to screen ahead of the battle group, to hunt and, if necessary, kill, Soviet submarines before they could threaten the carrier or any other ship in the battle group. The SOVIORON had a number of both nuclear-powered and diesel boats assigned, and though other Allied subs would be on the prowl for them, Topeka's job was to “get them before they get in range of the carrier.”

Embarked aboard Nimitz was Carrier Air Wing 9, or CVW-9. CAPT Richard Stanton was CAG, and though he thought that war was coming, he expected that the carrier would head up to Cam Ranh Bay and neutralize it, before going anywhere else. Stanton was just as surprised as anyone aboard when the carrier sailed for the IO, but he threw himself and the air wing into preparations for a showdown with the Soviets. After a meeting with RADM Paul Edwards, the battle group commander, Stanton and the Squadron COs were drooling at the thought of a carrier-versus-carrier clash in the Indian Ocean, potentially the first since Philippine Sea back in 1944.

CVW-9 was organized as a standard Carrier Air Wing, with two fighter squadrons, two strike-fighter squadrons, one attack squadron, one antisubmarine squadron, one electronic warfare squadron, one airborne early warning squadron, one helicopter ASW squadron, and a detachment of ES-3A ELINT aircraft.. VF-24 and VF-211 were the two F-14D squadrons, and they had a wealth of experience on SOUTHERN WATCH that they brought back to the IO with them. In addition, VF-211 handed the air wing's reconnaissance duties with their TARPS pod-equipped Tomcats. Handling the strike-fighter side of things were VFA-146 and VFA-147, both flying the F/A-18E. While they had not had any encounters with Iraqi aircraft during their No-Fly Zone enforcement, this time would be different, as the Soviets and Yemenis would be expected to come up and fight. The Hornets would also back up the A-6s on strike missions, being equally capable with not only dumb bombs and CBUs, but were deadly proficient with the latest smart weapons. VA-165 had the A-6F for medium attack, and their Intruders would play a major role in both war-at-sea and in land attack strikes, while VS-33's S-3Bs would handle the submarine threat, handle SUCAP along with the A-6s, and could even play a role in a war-at-sea strike, shooting Harpoon ASMs if so tasked. VAQ-138's EA-6Bs would take care of the EW mission, jamming enemy radars and communications for the “soft kill”, and shooting HARMs at radars for a hard kill if the radar operators became too persistent, dangerous, or both. HS-2's helos would take care of the inner zone ASW mission, along with the escorts' own helos, but would have their HH-60Hs on standby for CSAR tasking. The E-2Cs of VAW-112 would be very busy, not only providing AEW coverage, but would quarterback strikes, and direct CAP on any inbounds. Finally, the ES-3As from VQ-5 would help out with their ELINT Shadow Vikings, and aircrew were advised to treat any warning calls from the Shadows as gospel.

D-Day found the battle group 300 miles east of Madras, India, on a course for Diego Garcia, when a message was received at 0530 local time to “Execute Unrestricted Warfare Against Warsaw Pact Forces.” The battle group didn't have a shadow, but S-3s had picked up a submarine contact to the east of the battle group. Well aware that the contact could be an Indian Navy submarine, the sub-hunters couldn't drop on the contact unless positive identification of the target as Soviet could be made. That problem soon resolved itself when the submarine fired on and sank a passing Liberian freighter, which was making a run for Madras and safety. Two S-3s responded, and after a hunt lasting over two hours, sank a Tango-class SSK, identified postwar as the B-386, out of Vladivostok and Cam Ranh Bay.

The Indian Navy that morning declared an exclusion zone of 200 Nautical Miles off its coastline as off-limits to all belligerent warships, and Indian Navy ships and aircraft began patrolling the area. An Indian destroyer began shadowing the battle group, now designated as Task Group 77.2, and Indian Navy Tu-142 Bear-Fs also began regular surveillance of the American force.

By the time TG 77.2 arrived near Diego Garcia, the situation had changed considerably. The SOVIORON's main assets, including the carrier Leningrad, had been sunk in a combined B-52 and submarine attack, and the convoy carrying Army and Air Force equipment, munitions, and other supplies, had already left Diego Garcia for the Gulf. Orders soon came down from Fifth Fleet in Bahrain to proceed to the area of Socotra Island to eliminate the Soviet facilities there, and to follow up with strikes against Aden, before proceeding to the Gulf to reinforce the Kitty Hawk Battle Group. As TG 77.2 proceeded to the area to launch its strikes, it picked up more substantial shadows from the Indian Navy, namely a battle group built around the Indian carrier Virrat and her escorts. En route, on 27 April, a second submarine contact was detected by Topeka, and confirmed as a nuclear boat. Topeka's skipper closed in, and a quick identification soon followed, as the target was identified as the K-358, a Victor-III class SSN. The Soviet sub had apparently not detected the American submarine, but had picked up the carrier group on its sonar, and was closing in for an attack, when a single Mark-48 ADCAP put K-358 on the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

30 April found the task group in range to attack Socotra Island. After a preliminary volley of TLAMs fired from Hue City and Fife, CVW-9's aircraft would strike the airfield and the SIGINT station. Opposition was expected to be moderate, with a single MiG regiment, plus single SA-2 and SA-3 batteries, MANPADS, and light and medium AAA. The first Alpha Strike would take the airfield at Ras Kharmah, and put its single 15,000 foot runway out of action, as well as smashing up the base infrastructure. A follow-on Alpha would knock out the SIGINT station and its satellite tracking and communications facility, putting a large gap in the Soviet Navy's Intelligence-gathering network.

On the island, the Soviets were expecting an attack, although when and how big was as yet unknown. Since the destruction of the Indian Ocean Squadron, Rear Admiral Vassily Maslov, the base commander, had his men prepare for anything, from air raids to a possible amphibious landing. Any kind of seaborne resupply was out of the question, as he had been informed that on 26 April, B-1s from Diego Garcia had mined the approaches to Aden harbor, and both a Soviet freighter and a Yemeni patrol vessel had been mined and sunk in the channel. Maslov had expected a B-52 attack from Diego Garcia, but had counted his lucky stars that the B-52s and B-1s were busy supporting the Allied effort in Kuwait to bother striking his base. However, he had been told by Moscow that the Nimitz group was headed in his general direction, and would likely strike his base while en route to the Persian Gulf. Accordingly, his MiG-29s maintained a pair of aircraft on CAP at all times, with additional aircraft sitting on five-minute ground alert. The bulk of the regiment was on a fifteen-minute alert, and Col. Andrei Yevchenko considered that sufficient. Both SAM sites were also alerted, and the early-warning radars were continuously scanning the sky for approaching aircraft. Admiral Maslov regretted that he didn't have any AEW aircraft or helicopters, for the sole surviving AEW helicopter from the Leningrad had to ditch after its home ship had been sunk, and that his prewar requests for either An-74s or Yak-44s had been denied.

The first salvo of Tomahawks was launched at 0330 on 30 April, as both Hue City and Fife each launched a dozen missiles targeting the air base and air defenses on Socotra. Four of the missiles were TLAM-Fs, with antirunway submunitions, while the rest were either TLAM-Cs with unitary warheads, or TLAM-Ds with antipersonnel and antivehicle submunitions. After a two-hour flight, the Tomahawks were on target at 0530, with the TLAM-Fs spraying their runway-cratering submunitions on the runway and taxiways, ripping holes in the concrete, and tearing apart the parking apron, before the missiles, their submunitions expended, smashed into several buildings on the base. The rest of the missiles targeted the two SAM sites and the EW radars, while TLAM-Ds sprayed the parking ramp and HAS area with their own submunitions. Both SAM sites were put out of action for good, as both the SA-2 and SA-3 sites each took a TLAM to the battery control center, while one of the two EW radars was blasted apart by a missile, and the air defense control center ate a pair of TLAM-Cs.

While the Tomahawks were flying to their targets, CVW-9 began launching its first Alpha Strike at 0500. As the air wing staff wasn't sure how many MiG-29s were airborne, eight F-14Ds from VF-24 would escort the strike, each mounting a standard loadout of two Phoenixes, three AIM-120s, and two Sidewinders, as well as a full load of 20-mm cannon ammo. Four VFA-147 Hornets would fly IRON HAND, with HARMs and JSOW-A, to kill any remaining radars, whether EW, SAM, or AAA, and put JSOW on the SAM sites to ensure their destruction. Eight VA-165 Intruders would fly strike, each packing four GBU-24 laser bombs, while eight more Hornets, from VFA-146, would back up the A-6s as strike escort, with AGM-65G Mavericks and Rockeye CBUs A single VAQ-138 EA-6B would provide standoff ECM, while a second Prowler would fly strike escort ECM. For CSAR, two HH-60Hs were on alert from HS-2, and four Marine AV-8Bs from Makin Island were on standby to fly cover for any rescue helos. Finally, a pair of VF-211 Tomcats would fly a TARPS run after the strike, to get BDA.

The Russians had been expecting an attack, but were still caught off guard by the Tomahawks. The four alert MiG-29s had managed to scramble, but the rest of the regiment had been caught on the ground. Once airborne, Maj. Valery Kurasov had his aircraft orbit, while the remaining EW radar tried to burn through the jamming and give the MiGs a vector. Just before a HARM from the standoff Prowler smashed the radar, the MiGs were vectored in on the inbound strike, and the six Fulcrums headed off to try and intercept the incoming aircraft.

Fortune did not smile on the Russians, however, as the Hawkeye picked up the MiGs at 0545 and the VF-24 escorts fell on the MiG-29s. Once cleared by the E-2, with the MiGs on their nose at 75 miles, CAG Stanton told his boys and girls “Weapons free; let's go get 'em.” Phoenix missiles were soon in the air, and though the MiGs couldn't pick up the APG-71 radars from the Tomcats, there was no missing the Phoenix missile radars as AIM-54Cs came down on the hapless MiGs. Four of the six Fulcrums exploded in fireballs as Phoenixes struck home, while the other two, with no place to land, went on a death-and-glory ride against the Tomcats. Major Kurasov and his No. 5 were all that was left, and they never saw their attackers, as a second Phoenix volley came their way, splashing both MiGs. Kurasov and his No. 4 were the only survivors, with the both of them being picked up by a passing Chinese freighter and landed in Mombasa.

With the sky clear of MiGs, the strike elements went in on their attack runs. First in were the IRON HAND flight, led by VFA-147's Skipper, CDR Jason Biehl, in Jason 401. All four Jasons picked out radar-guided 57-mm batteries, and quickly put HARMs down on the guns, killing the radars, before sending JSOW-As their way to finish the job. The JSOWs killed the guns, as well as finishing off the two SAM sites, ripping apart missile launchers, reload missiles, and vehicles.

Right on the heels of the SAM-suppressors came VA-165's Intruders, led by CDR Gary Putnam in Boomer 501. Putnam's A-6 crews put their bombs on the hangars, control tower, the runway/taxiway intersections, POL storage, and a pair of Il-38s on the ramp, along with a couple of MiGs that had been stuck taxiing to the runway, and were stuck right where they were. VFA-146's Hornets ripped up a number of 23-mm and heavy machine gun sites that were spewing lead up at the strikers, and one, LCDR Traci Carter, put her Mavericks into a pair of Mi-17 Hips that were sitting out of their shelters. Two Hornets stayed to cover the TARPS flight, which came in shortly after 0600, and once they got their pictures, the Tomcats and Hornets turned for home.

All aircraft recovered safely aboard Nimitz, with the last trap at 0740. After reviewing the TARPS pictures, RADM Edwards asked CAG if a second Alpha was necessary to kill the SIGINT site. Wanting to conserve both aircraft and munitions for what came after the Aden strike, he asked the CAG if SLAMs could do the job. CAG went back and talked to his staff and squadron COs, and the discussion that followed was intense. Both Hornet skippers were adamant that SLAMs and JDAMs could do the job, while CDR Putnam wanted his A-6s with LGBs to kill the target. A compromise was reached, with a strike based around four Hornets from VFA-146 and two A-6s to kill the SIGINT site. The SLAMs would be targeted on the satellite dishes and a control bunker, while the antenna farm would be the Intruders' target. CAG approved the plan, and after meeting again with Admiral Edwards, who approved it, scheduled a launch for 1245.

In the meantime, the cruiser Texas and the destroyer Fife were detached from the battle group and both sailed into the Gulf of Aden. When the two ships reached a point 500 miles from Aden, both ships launched Tomahawks, Texas putting four missiles into the air, and Fife launching eight. Three hours later, their missiles arrived on target, with two of Fife's missiles being targeted on the runway at Khormsakar Airfield, while two missiles each targeted an SA-2 and SA-3 site near the city, and Fife's last two missiles slammed into the munitions storage at the naval base. The Swedish Consul in Aden reported to Stockholm that the resulting explosions from the munitions bunkers going up “shattered every window in Aden, and had many convinced it was an earthquake.” Both SAM sites were neutralized, while Khormsakar's runway was liberally sprinkled with anti-runway submunitions from the pair of TLAM-Fs, ensuring that the MiG-23 regiment would be grounded for a while. Texas' four missiles struck Aden's main EW radar site, a Yemeni Navy communications station, and Khormsakar's control tower.

After launching against Aden, a second salvo of Tomahawks was sent from Fife, this one to Al Anad. A dozen missiles were targeted against the POL storage, two maintenance hangars, and the ramp area, while four TLAM-Fs laid down antirunway submunitions. The runway-cratering bomblets made sure the base's single runway was out of action, and the MiG-21s based there would play not part in the following day's events.

While their missiles were flying, Texas picked up a contact on sonar, and her captain directed Fife to launch a helo to prosecute the target. Knowing that a French SSN was headed for Djibouti, positive identification was necessary to avoid a blue-on-blue incident. The SENSO on the SH-60R soon had an identification, the target was a Tango-class SSK, and the Seahawk dropped a Mark-50 on the target. The torpedo ran straight and true, and the helo crew was soon rewarded with an explosion. Oil, wreckage, and two bodies came to the surface, giving the crew of Pacer 22 the right to claim a kill. A postwar check of Soviet Navy records confirmed the kill as B-498, lost with all hands.

At 1245, the second strike on Socotra launched from Nimitz, with four F/A-18s from VFA-146 and two VA-165 Intruders, with a single Prowler from VAQ-138, comprising the strike. No Tomcats were deemed necessary, as the runway was out of service, and would be so for some time. The Hornets closed to within 40 miles of the target, and launched their SLAM missiles. All eight missiles guided successfully, and tore into the two satellite dishes, the base's power generator, a command bunker, and the base communications center. The two A-6s came in right afterwards, each striker putting two GBU-24s on the antenna farm, and ensuring that the SIGINT facility was out of action for the duration. As the strike returned to CVN-68 at 1500, a single VF-211 TARPS bird was launched, and had an uneventful ride over the target, and returned with its pictures at 1725. BDA results confirmed that the SIGINT facility had been neutralized, and with that, the battle group sailed away from Socotra Island, moving into the Gulf of Aden, for the next day's strikes on Aden itself.



PART 2

It took some twelve hours of steaming, but the battle group soon joined up with Texas and Fife, within strike range of Aden on the morning of 1 May. Two strikes were initially planned, with the first strike aimed at the naval base and anchorage, with priority targets being the two Soviet warships anchored in Aden harbor. Unwilling to repeat Nagumo's mistake at Pearl Harbor, RADM Edwards decided the base facilities would also merit attention, with the single drydock, repair shops, and both fuel and munitions storage being targeted as well. A second strike, planned for midday, would take out Khormsakar airfield for good, with the base infrastructure being taken apart, along with any exposed aircraft. While the MiGs were primarily based at Khormsakar, Aden International Airport was also a potential target, and would be struck if any Soviet aircraft appeared on the ramp. Fortunately for the Yemenis, a satellite pass the afternoon of 30 April found no Bears or Mays at Aden International. CDR Putnam and the two Hornet skippers argued for taking out the fuel storage at least, making the airport useless. RADM Edwards declined, but added a target for a third strike, to be launched at his discretion: Aden's only oil refinery.

While RADM Edwards and CAG Stanton made their plans, the Soviets and Yemenis were frantically making their own. Maj. Gen. Dimitry Chabenekno was the commander of the Soviet MAAG in Yemen, and he flew down to Aden from Saana to see things for himself. Chabenekno was an Army tank officer, but was well familiar with both naval and aviation matters, having done a previous tour in Cuba and in Angola, but this time would be his first real experience under fire. Colonel Yevgeny Suslov was the senior Soviet Air Force officer in Aden, and he was now in charge of the MiG-23 regiment. Suslov was lamenting the fact that the MiG-29s on order for the regiment weren't ready yet, as only a squadron's worth had arrived, and most of those were still in their delivery crates. To make matters worse, only a few of the SAF or East German pilots were qualified in the MiG-29, and the Yemeni pilots who were to transition to the Fulcrums were still in the Soviet Union, undergoing their conversion training. The cruise missile attack on 30 April only made a bad situation worse, as the runway was repeatedly cut, one of the underground fuel storage tanks had been torched, and the base control tower was a heap of junk. When General Chabenenko asked Suslov for an estimate of how long the runway would be out of action, Suslov replied, “Comrade General, I have no way to tell. If one of our repair crews was at work, I'd have this runway working in a day. However, the Yemenis are at work, and we don't have the engineers to do the job. If you want an estimate, I'll give three days, minimum. And that's without the delayed-action mines and cratering charges going off. And whenever one does go off, the Yemeni ordnance technicians scatter like rabbits.” As far as the SAM defense went, one each of the SA-2 and SA-3 sites were down, but the two warships in Aden harbor could pick up some of the slack. Capt. 2nd Rank Nikolai Chernavin (a nephew of a former CINC-Soviet Navy) was captain of the destroyer Vazhny, and was Senior Officer Present Afloat. He assured the general that, even though both ships were immobilized by the mines in the channel, they could at least fight. Vazhny had steam up, as her engineering plant had been repaired, and could at least maneuver in the harbor. The frigate Rezvy was still anchored with bad condensers, but her captain had his radars and weapons systems ready. Captain Chernavin, though, wasn't optimistic after General Chabenenko left the ship, and ordered his exec to have everyone in life jackets and prepared for the worst.

It was still dark on the morning of 1 May when CVW-9 began to launch at 0430. A full deck Alpha strike was spotted and ready, with the Intruders tasked with putting the Soviet ships on the bottom of Aden Harbor, and doing the same to any Yemeni Navy ships that got in the way. The A-6 crews were advised to sink any Soviet merchantmen or Warsaw Pact merchantmen found, after the two Soviet warships were sunk. The Hornets were tasked with both SAM-suppression and to attack base facilities, while a pair of VAQ-138 Prowlers handled the EW side of things. Although fighter opposition was not expected, four Tomcats each from VF-211 and VF-24 would go along, just in case the Yemenis brought down additional aircraft from Saana or from the Omani border region. CAG Stanton led the strike in Diamond 400, flying with VFA-146.

Time-over-target was 0645, just as dawn had fully broken over Aden. While Aden's main air defense radar had been killed in the cruise missile attack the previous day, Vazhny's main air-search radar picked up the incoming strike and she sounded the alarm. As her SA-N-12 missiles began to power up, two HARMs from one of the two Prowlers ripped into the destroyer, killing the missile control radars. Rezvhy powered up her own SA-N-4s, but a pair of HARMs from Jason 404 knocked out her missile radar, and killed the fire-control radar for her 76-mm guns. Aden's remaining SA-2 and SA-3 also came up on the destroyer's warning, but Jason 405's two HARMs saw to their being knocked out. JSOW from those two Hornets came in on the two fixed SAM sites, putting them out of business for good, while two more JSOWs each found SA-6 batteries that were coming on line as the other missile batteries went off the air, and the rain of submunitions from JSOW put both batteries out of action.

CDR Putnam in Boomer 501 then led his A-6s into their runs on the shipping in the harbor. Despite both warships having their missile radars knocked out, both still launched SAMs, using the optical backups. The A-6s let loose with Skipper-II laser-guided missiles, and it was a race. The first two A-6s won, as Boomer 501 and 511 each put two Skippers into Vazhny. One of the Skipper-IIs ripped into the destroyer's helo hangar, wrecking the hangar and the Ka-27RT inside, and exploding the store of jet fuel for the helo. A second Skipper blew the stern off the destroyer, while a third exploded between the superstructure and the funnel. The final hit tore into the waterline just forward of the bridge, and tore a hole both above and below the waterline. After receiving the damage reports, Captain Chernavin ordered his crew to abandon ship, as the fires and flooding were out of control. He was the last man over the side, and he watched as the fires aft reached the aft 130-mm magazine, and the resulting explosion and sympathetic detonations in the aft SAM magazine blew his ship apart. Of Vazhny's crew of 350, 145 men were casualties, of whom 85 went down with the ship. Captain Chernavin said later that the only good thing that came out of the sinking was that his “insufferable Zampolit” was among those who had went down with the ship.

The second pair of A-6s, Boomers 503 and 507, went down on the frigate. Despite losing her SAM fire control radar, Rezvhy's SA-N-4 crews managed to launch using the optical backup mode, and it was a similar race between SAMs and the Skipper-IIs. Again, the Soviets lost, with three of the laser missiles ripping into the ship. The first missile wrecked the bridge and superstructure, killing the Captain, the Zampolit, and the XO, and wrecking the ship's CIC. A second Skipper struck the waterline just aft of amidships, just opposite the funnel on the starboard side, while the final hit was the fatal one, striking between the SS-N-14 launcher forward and the forward SA-N-4 launcher. The resulting explosion virtually destroyed the ship, as everything forward of the funnel simply disintegrated. The aft portion of the ship managed to stay afloat long enough for the surviving crew to go over the side, but within minutes, the shattered stern simply tilted forward and sank. Over two-thirds of the 200-man crew, including most of the officers, were lost, with the senior survivor being the damage-control officer.

Despite the two warships being sunk, there was a lot of AAA as the shoreside gun batteries responded. The third pair of Intruders, Boomers 505 and 509, threaded the flak as they picked out targets. 505, flown by LCDR Chris Eichhorn and LTJG Megan McKenzie, found a Soviet freighter for their Skipper-IIs, leaving her sinking, while their wingmates in 509, LTJGs Kyle Rothery and Tara Collins, nailed a Yemeni minesweeper with their missiles, sending the T-43 up before she went down. The final pair of Intruders, Boomers 506 and 510, were unable to find ship targets due to the smoke, and they put their Skipper-IIs on warehouses next to a naval pier before egressing the area.

While the A-6s were sinking ships, the Hornets were pounding the naval facilities. CAG led a flight of VFA-146 Hornets onto the munitions storage area, and noted the two bunkers that had already been blown apart by the cruise missile attack the previous afternoon. GBU-24 LGBs tore into other bunkers, and the pilots were rewarded with secondary explosions as the missiles, heavy-caliber gun ammunition, and light AAA rounds went off in sympathetic detonations. Four more Blue Diamond Hornets went down on the dockyard, their bombs ripping into the base workshops, a dockside crane, a pier, and, for good measure, Aden's largest fuel barge, which went up in a very big (and oily) fireball.

As the naval base was being pounded, four VFA-147 Hornets orbited overhead, waiting for any additional SAM activity. One SA-6 battery, manned by East Germans, did come up and launch, and Jason 408 put a HARM in the air. The HARM struck the Straight Flush radar track, knocking out the radar, and after that, Jason 412 came down with Rockeyes to finish the job, the CBUs ripping the SA-6 launch tracks apart. Two more -147 Hornets went down on the naval base's fuel storage, with each F/A-18E delivering eight Mark-83 1,000 pound bombs onto the fuel tanks.

The only ones left out were the CAP Tomcats, who noticed that no MiGs had come down from Saana to Aden IAP, and thus the fighter guys were left out of the party. The CAP stayed to cover the TARPs flight, as a single VF-211 Tomcat came in to get photos, even as the rest of the strikers were on their way back to Nimitz. It was 0850 when the strike returned to the carrier, and CVN-68 began recovering aircraft. As usual, the MIGCAP came in last, after the TARPS bird, with recovery complete by 0930.

While the aircrews were debriefed, their aircraft were being turned around for the second strike on Khormsakar airfield, scheduled for 1300. RADM Edwards and CAG Stanton had a look at the photos from the TARPS run, and both were pleased. Though the dry dock hadn't been hit, it would be easy enough to add either an A-6 or Hornet element to target the dock gates. It turned out that the Hornet pilot targeted on the dry dock had noticed the target obscured by smoke from the burning Rezvhy, and hadn't been able to get a laser lock, so she simply put her two GBU-24s on the fuel barge.

While CVW-9 was engaged in the turnaround, there was some action from the Marines embarked on Makin Island. Two AV-8B+s had been on SUCAP, each armed with a pair of AGM-65G Mavericks and a pair of Rockeye CBUs, and CAPT Kevin Dean picked up a surface target on radar, closing with the battle group. Leading his wingman, 1LT Brian Dodd, down on the target, it was soon identified as a Osa-II from the Yemeni Navy. The target was soon classified hostile by the ASuW commander aboard O'Kane, and Dean brought his Harrier down on the target. Two AGM-65s were launched in quick succession, and both ripped into the missile boat, which blew up and sank in a large fireball as its SS-N-2 missiles exploded. Both Marines made a quick search for possible survivors, and after finding none, returned to Makin Island.

The Khormsakar Airfield strike launched from CVN-68 at 1300 as a full Alpha Strike. In a switch, VFA-146 handled the SAM-suppression role, while the Argonauts of VFA-147 loaded LGBs and Rockeyes. Eight Boomers A-6s packed GBU-24s, while the usual Prowler support came from VAQ-138. Two additional A-6s, with SLAM, tagged along to go after the dry dock.

The second strike came into Aden at 1330, with the two SLAM-equipped A-6s launching their missiles first, and then orbiting long enough to guide the weapons to their target. Two missiles ripped the sluice gate apart, while one ripped into the gate's control shed, and the final SLAM buried itself in a Yemeni Navy T-43 that was in the dock, blowing it apart. The two Intruders then turned for home as the rest of the strike went in on the airfield.

General Chabenenko was busy with his Yemeni counterparts, discussing the morning's events, when explosions sounded from the naval base. With Aden's air-defense radars reduced to junk piles, and the ATC radar jammed, the initial warning of the second strike was the impact of the SLAMs on the dry dock. The general went on the roof of the building, the former South Yemeni Ministry of Defense, with his aides and watched as the second raid of the day came in on Khormsakar Airfield. While he was impressed with the AAA response, the remaining SA-6s stayed silent, as an aide reported that there was heavy inbound jamming, and the three remaining missile radars were practically useless. Helpless, the general watched as the A-6s and F/A-18s went on their attack runs against the airfield.

The Boomers' A-6s were targeted on the hangars, aircraft shelters, and the underground fuel storage. This time there were no radar SAMs, and as long as the strikers stayed above 10,000 feet, the MANPADS that did come up (mainly SA-14s) had no effect. Each Intruder put two GBU-24s on their assigned targets, with hangars, aircraft shelters, and the runway/taxiway intersections being targeted. After the A-6s made their runs, VFA-146 made theirs, with the base munitions storage, POL dump, and as an added bonus, a single Il-38, being hit by GBU-10Gs. A pair of Hornets made a low-level pass with Rockeyes, scattering more delayed-action bomblets around the runway and tarmac area, and further hindering runway repair. Finally, a single VF-211 TARPS bird came over on a BDA run as things wound down, with the strike returning to Nimitz at 1600.

While the second strike was in the air, RADM Edwards decided on a mini-Alpha to take down Aden's oil refinery. His intelligence officer told him that it was highly doubtful that the Yemenis would be able to repair the refinery, as they would need foreign assistance to get it fully repaired, and with World War III going on, “who's going to help them now?” Admiral Edwards laughed, and after the Khormsakar strike recovered, informed CAG of one final strike for the day, before the battle group turned and headed in the direction of the Arabian Gulf. The Admiral looked out the windows of Flag Country on Nimitz's island, and saw the Indian shadowers still around. At least we'll have them out of the way when we head into the Gulf, but they won't leave us until we're in the Gulf of Oman, he thought, recalling a message from the Naval Attache' in New Delhi via Fifth Fleet. As things turned out, the Indian Navy was taking a professional interest in the strikes, having launched Harriers on their own reconnaissance flights after the American attacks on Socotra, and Indian Naval Intelligence had no problem obtaining commercial satellite photos showing Aden after the 1 May strikes.

CVW-9's crews did a fast turnaround, with four Hornets from VFA-146, four Intruders, and a single Prowler ready to go for an 1800 launch. The Aden oil refinery was the only target, and though the Intruders each packed a pair of GBU-10s, the four Hornets would each deliver eight Mark-83s each on the fuel tanks. A single Tomcat from VF-211 would make a final run with TARPS, and as soon as this strike recovered, the battle group would set course for the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and ultimately, the Arabian Gulf and a rendezvous with Kitty Hawk's battle group and a chance to join the fight in Kuwait and Iraq. CAG didn't lead the final mission, but left it to his deputy, CAPT Mace Hamlin. Hamlin led the strike in Diamond 400, launching on time at 1800.

It was 2030 and early evening when the final strike came in. As had happened in the afternoon raid, the first warning of an attack didn't come from radar, but from bombs going off as the lead Intruder, flown by VA-165's XO, CDR Sheryl Coates, put its laser bombs on the refinery's control building. The other three Intruders put their bombs on the refinery's “Cat Cracker” and on the maze of pipes leading to the storage tanks. As the Intruders went off target, the VFA-146 crowd rained thirty-two Mark-83s down on the fuel storage itself, and Aden was rocked by multiple explosions as the tanks went up in oily fireballs. There was hardly any opposition from AAA, and the remaining SA-6s stayed off the air, as the Prowler had effectively jammed their Straight Flush radars. The final American aircraft to fly into Aden's airspace in the Third World War was Checkmate 210, the TARPS bird, as LCDR Joe Kari and LT Nanci Redding made their photo runs. No SAMs or AAA came up after the Tomcat, and after Checkmate 210 recovered at 2315, the last to land aboard CVN-68, the battle group turned and headed north, to meet up with Kitty Hawk, and give their friends and colleagues in CV-63 a much-needed hand in the GTO. And when they arrived in the Gulf on 6 May, there was applause from the Kitty Hawk group as CVN-68 arrived to join Task Force 77, and the aircrews from Nimitz didn't waste any time as they got their first ATO from CENTAF and went on with the war.