AT SEA: US FIGHTER PLANES LEAVE AIRCRAFT CARRIER U.S.S LINCOLN FOR NIGHT RAIDS ON SELECTED IRAQI TARGETS

Record ID: 376285

  • Title: AT SEA: US FIGHTER PLANES LEAVE AIRCRAFT CARRIER U.S.S LINCOLN FOR NIGHT RAIDS ON SELECTED IRAQI TARGETS
  • Date: 21st March 2003
  • Summary: (U7) AT SEA IN THE GULF (MARCH 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (NIGHT SCENES) 1. WIDE VIEW FLIGHT DECK OF CARRIER USS LINCOLN / FIGHTER PLANES LINED UP ON FLIGHT DECK (2 SHOTS) 0.07 2. VARIOUS, FIGHTER PLANE AS IT TAKES OFF FROM FLIGHT DECK FOR MISSION OVER IRAQ (3 SHOTS) 0.19 3. SMV CREW AND FIGHTER PLANES LINED UP ON FLIGHT DEC
  • Embargoed: 5th April 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AT SEA
  • Country: AT SEA
  • Reuters ID: LVABKG7NGDXGAKLSWIY77AZXVIO2
  • Story Text: Fighter planes have begun fresh missions over Iraq from
    the USS Lincoln at sea in the Gulf on the second day of the
    U.S.-led offensive against Iraq.



    A wave of fighter planes roared from the USS Abraham
    Lincoln on Friday (March 21), headed toward selected targets
    in Iraq.

    Plane after plane soared into the clear night sky, most of
    them using after-burners for maximum thrust because of the
    heavy load of weapons including 2,000 pound satellite-guided
    bombs.

    Dozens of sailors gathered on the flag bridge of the
    carrier to watch the planes depart on their mission and to
    catch a glimpse of Tomahawk missiles fired from nearby ships.

    Incongruously the bridge-to-bridge radio used by any ship
    in the region to communicate was picking up Arabic music that
    echoed around the bridge just before the launch of a wave of
    planes.

    Dozens of bombs and missiles were lined up in the
    cavernous hangar bay throughout the day, waiting to be taken
    up on elevators to the flight deck and attached to the planes.

    Ordnance men conspicuous by their red shirts buzzed around
    the flight deck from the early hours of the day, moving bombs
    and attaching them to the wings of the planes.

    On return one of the pilots outlined the scene for the
    media.

    "You can see the different strikers coming through the
    different aircraft. It looked, continuous explosions, it kind
    of looked like fireworks going off down there. Pretty
    continuous for a good 30-45 minutes from where we were," said
    attack pilot Eric Doyle.


    (jd/dw)

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