Petit plateau wrote
And what did the USA want to use for airfield strike in opening days other than JP233 given the forces available to the allies at the time ? Presumably nothing or they would have done it differently ?
The USAF had the BLU-107 Durandal. There are claims that it was used by the US during the 1991 Gulf War but I've never seen any confirmation of this. Definately it was in the inventory but I've not seen any official confirmation of use.
Weasel Pilot
According to the USAF's Gulf War Air Power Survey, Vol 5, no Durandal were dropped during Desert Storm. I have found some errors in GWAPS, but have talked to several DS Vark crews and I believe this (no Durandal in DS) to be correct
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/foru...c=6669.0;nowap
The following is the reference widely quoted in likely error.
An evaluation of the unique Durandal "runway-buster" motor was performed at the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory beginning in 1982. The 20th Fighter Wing first tested the Durandal runway-buster bombs during Exercise Red Flag in January and February 1988. During the 1991 Gulf War the 20th Fighter Wing, flew F-111Es from Turkey, initially in low level night attacks on airfields, using the Durandal anti-runway weapon. 20th Wing flight commander Captain George Kelman said "there is nothing better at destroying a runway than a Durandal."
BLU-107 Durandal - Dumb Bombs
Noted fitted on F-15E and F-111
TooCats - Original Thoughts ? Matra (now MBDA) BLU-107/B Durandal - Anti-Runway...
Image links of Durandal at RAF Upper Heyford during late 1980s
http://www.raf-upper-heyford.org/20M...T-90-01987.jpg
http://www.raf-upper-heyford.org/20M...T-90-02045.jpg
From
20th Munitions Maintenance Squadron - RAF Upper Heyford, England
The USAF gave the Greeks the Durandals free of charge.
Some of free-of-charge deliveries to Greece in 1990-94 523 BLU-107 Durandal
Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies - ¹1, 1999 (January - February)<br>Transfers of the USA Surplus Weapons