Yeoman
a 40 strong strike wing is more aircraft than we deployed in total to Iraq
Are you sure? Certainly seemed to me to be a lot more there. According to
here the combat air power deployed in support of TELIC 1 (or what most people refer to as Gulf War 2) was:
30 x GR4
18 x GR7
14 x F3
2 x PR9
+ 32 x multis and 27 x RW.
And if memory serves me right the FJ were split over 5 different air bases (of which only 1 (maybe 2) were within Iraq missile (SCUD) range.