A-10s Over Kosovo: The Victory of Airpower over a Fielded Army as Told by the Airmen Who Fought in Operation Allied Force

by Phil M. Haun, Christopher E. Haave, Air University Press

First published in 2003. The NATO-led Operation Allied Force was fought in 1999 to stop Serb atrocities against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. This war, as noted by the distinguished military historian John Keegan, "marked a real turning point . . . and proved that a war can be won by airpower alone." Colonels Haave and Haun have organized firsthand accounts of some of the people who provided that airpower-the members of the 40th Expeditionary Operations Group. Their descriptions-a new wingman's first combat sortie, a support officer's view of a fighter squadron relocation during combat, and a Sandy's leadership in finding and rescuing a downed F-117 pilot-provide the reader with a legitimate insight into an air war at the tactical level and the airpower that helped convince the Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic, to capitulate.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Aviation

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed most of the memoirs included in this volume. Best ones of course put you in the cockpit with the fighter pilot seeing what they saw, hunting targets, dodging SAMs, and getting home. There are some, necessary, but not as interesting stories about how quickly they had to move and set up shop or about how the higher chain of command worked. Still, a solid collection of first person accounts of playing cat and mouse with the Serbian army in one of the finest CAS mounts in the world.

[Joseph Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by Airmen for Airmen, telling the story of the war in Kosovo from the A-10 pilots' and their commanders' points of view. Their personal stories are gripping--the successes, failures, and frustrations (particularly with Rules of Engagement) as they continued to prove both airpower's invaluable contribution to modern warfare in general and the venerable A-10 Warthog's prowess in particular.

Highly recommended!

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great historical work.

[Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the A-10 Thunderbolt II (AKA the Warthog). It is the plane I wanted to fly as a kid. I still love it, and I love the job it does of CAS protecting armed forces on the ground. After reading a book on John Boyd, I understood more about why aircraft like this and the F-16 were so interesting. I say all this to say that the book should have received the same review that Twilight received from a 14-year-old girl. Why three stars?

This book is really a collection of stories from A-10 pilots and support staff (mostly pilots) of their time flying in the brief air war over Kosovo during the Clinton administration. If you've spent any time around military pilots, especially if there's beer involved, you have a pretty good idea of the tone of this book. Just about every vignette could have started with "So there we were,...". The book will teach you more than most people (me included) know about how AFAC and other A-10 missions work (there was no Close Air Support of US forces in Kosovo, because none were on the ground), and how multiple aircraft types and Groups work together on a target. From a "how the Air Force runs missions" perspective, the book is just great.

If you love the aircraft, but don't know a lot about TTP for the AF using the A-10, grab a copy (it's free). A lot has been said in the news about retiring the A-10 for CAS missions and replacing it with other craft. Here I learned how yeah, actually, other aircraft are used to attack ground targets.

If you don't have an interest in the A-10 and the aircraft's capabilities, probably just leave it be.

[Tommy Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice review of the A10s role in the conflict. Chapters give insight into all aspects from leadership to logistics. The section on evolving tactics was interesting and I also enjoyed the narrative of various missions. Written by the participants themselves is enlightened me to an already otherwise forgotten conflict.

[Norbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different points of view about the missions over Kossovo of the A-10. Some I found more interesting, some less