European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes sunday August 26,1990 ti4i crisis in the Mill air strength critical if War erupts . Holds the Edge analysts say by de Blanche associated press Nicosia Cyprus a . Air Power in the persian Gulf ranging from radar evading stealth fight ers to carpet bombing b-52s, will be decisive in an fighting with Iraq military analysts say. And the americans technological superiority gives its pilots a critical Edge Over Iraq s War seasoned Veter ans they believe. The United states backed by Britain has built up an massive strike capability since the iraqi army invaded Kuwait on aug. 2. As of Friday the americans and their allies had an estimated 700 combat aircraft in the Region the Iraq air Force has about 500 planes. Air Power alone cannot win wars. But the strength of . And British air forces in the Gulf and their electronic and technological capability is enough to be extremely effective in any conflict said Don Kerr of London s International Institute for strategic studies. Allied air Power can give the iraqis a very hard time in the air As Well As against strategic targets an Iraq s tank formations he said. But More significantly he added they can carry out Long Range penetration inside Iraq to hit lines of communication and Supply beyond  the iraqis fought Iran for eight years and most of their pilots known As Eagle warriors have combat experience. But for most of the 1980-88 War they were up against a seriously depleted iranian air Force weakened More by shortages of spare parts than combat losses. They became adept at blasting attacking iranian ground forces and mounting Long Range raids on Irani an Oil terminals in the Southern Gulf. Dogfights were rare so they have Little experience Nair to air combat. They also never had to contend with the kind of operations the americans and British can carry out and they re not very experienced in electronic War fare Kerr said. They la have a lot of  strategic bombing offensives against iranian Industry were never sustained Long enough to do lasting damage. Most of Iraq s pilots Are not considered to be High Quality by Western analysts. But they have a Core of top guns flying soviet built Mig-29 combat aircraft and some Mirage Al interceptor attack aircraft the Best jets in Saddam s Arsenal. Superiority in the air is vital because the United states is outnumbered and outgunned on the ground. The iraqis have an estimated 200,000 troops and 1,000 tanks in Kuwait. They have another 3,500 tanks in Iraq. The americans have about 40,000 troops with Light armoured vehicles in place backed by Arab forces. These include saudi Arabia s 450 Battle  analysts deem Allied air Power augmented by the army s anti tank missiles and tank killing Apache ah-64 attack helicopters sufficient to counter an iraqi thrust South from occupied Kuwait. But they believe the United states won t be Able to mount a major offensive until it has built up its heavy Armor. . Units with tanks Are in route to saudi Arabia. But it could take weeks before the americans have marshalled enough Armor possibly up to four Divi Sions to have a lethal punch. At sea the . Aircraft carriers Independence and Dwight d. Eisenhower have a combined air strength of More than 100 fighter planes. The aircraft Carrier Saratoga in the Eastern Mediterranean has More than 50 aircraft capable of hitting Iraq from the West. Two More Carrier Battle groups led by the John f. Kennedy and the Midway Are heading for the Middle East with about 100 fighters. Britain s Royal air Force has 12 Tornado f3 fighter bombers in saudi Arabia and a Squadron of Jaguar ground attack jets in Oman. Backing them is the saudi air Force s nearly 200 combat aircraft with another 150 from other Gulf states. Kuwaiti pilots got most of their 36 fighters to saudi Arabia before the iraqis overran the emirate. The . F-l6 Multi role fighters which Are deployed in the Gulf area Are considered More than a match for Iraq s mirages and Mig-29s. Moscow is reported to have recently supplied Bagh dad with Long Range Su-24 fighter bombers. But the analysts believe the . And British pilots can handle that. Reserve units from at least 23 states mobilized by the associated press the mobilization of military Reserve and National guard units ordered by the Bush administration May reach nearly50,000 by october. Here is a partial list of those units called and those units that have Volu to Rcd since Iraq s invasion of Kuwait. Numbers of personnel have been included if known. Arizon members of the 161st refuelling group and elements of the 1 Ith signal brigade have left fort Hua Chuca to be deployed to saudi Arabia. Alabam Gulf duty has been ordered for 111 members of the air National guard s 117th tac recon Wing which flies of 4c phantom ii jets and has been trained in chemical warfare also called up were 26 members of the air National guard s 226th combat comm group from Gadsden 1241st adjutant general co in Montgomery a mail handling unit the 1207th Hospital unit from Tuskegee the 1184th terminal det from Mobile a transportation unit the 1207th Quarter master det from Wetumpka a unit with water purification duties and Volunteer reservists from the 908th tac Airlift group which flies c-130 Hercules cargo planes. Californi seventeen air National guardsmen with communications specialities from the 162nd combat comm group we recalled. Delaware sixty National guard members from the 166th tac Airlift group were called. Georgia reporting for duty were six members of the 224th joint support comm so in Brunswick 30 National Juard members from the 283rd combat comm so i Savannah 437 members of the 1148th trans co a Petroleum truck unit in Augusta and 298 members of the 166th Maint co a Forward maintenance unit  Glennville. Illinois the 126th air refuelling Wing had 108 members called to duty. Kansas the 190lh air refuelling group had 500members called. Maryland the 756th military Airlift so from the air Force Reserve at Andrews fab which flies c-141b Star lifters was called. Massachusetts the 337th military Airlift so from the air Force Reserve at Westover fab which flies c-5a galaxies was called. Mississippi the 183rd military Airlift so from the air National guard at Jackson which flies c-141b Star lifter transport showing his True colors Lech. Set. Ishmael hurts of the Texas air National guard s 136th Mobile Aerial port so Naves a Fla at Hen Ley Field in Dallas. The reservists in his cargo handling unit were called up Fri Day in he Gulf crisis. Planes was called. Missouri two Hundred members of the 139th tac Airlift group of the Missouri National guard based in St. Joseph were called. New Hampshire forty members of the 157th air refuel ing group were called. New Jersey members of the 170th air refuelling group 732nd military Airlift so from the air Force Reserve at Mcguire fab which flies c-141b Star lifters were called. New York members of the 105th military Airlift group 137th military Airlift so from the air National guard at Stewart which flies c-5a galaxies were called. North Carolina Twenty one members of the 156th Aero medical evacuation flight were called. Ohio fourteen members of the 160th air re fueling group 20 members of the 179th tac Airlift group and 20 members of the 179th tac Airlift group were called. Rhode Island three members of the 143rd tac Airlift group were called. South Carolina five members of the 228th signal Bri Gade were called. Tennessee members of the 134th air refuelling group 164th military Airlift group and 118th tac Airlift Wing were called. Texas eleven members of the 136th tac air Craft Wing 136th Mobile Aerial port so of the air National guard from Dallas were called to provide an Airlift terminal and cargo managers. Utah Twenty five members of the 151st re fueling group and three members of the 169th electronic Security so of the air National guard were called. West Virginia the 167th tac Airlift group and 130th tac Airlift group had 196 member called. Wisconsin sixty nine members of the 128th air re fueling group were called