Saddam Hussein was unable to battle in the air during Desert Storm because of coalition forces’ air superiority. He decided to use Scud missiles to attack Israel in January 1991. Tactically, the Scud would not have a major impact, but its strategic effect was felt Jan. 18 when seven Scuds hit several Israeli cities. The Joint Special Operations Task Force was given the mission to stop the Scud attacks on Israel. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) armed MH-60s and SOF teams went hundreds of miles inside western Iraq to destroy the Scud infrastructure. SOF Scud hunting operations greatly reduced the attacks, persuading Israel to not enter the war.

Image and context provided by U.S. Special Operations Command