Sandstorms could be a big challenge for US-led forces in Iraq in coming days, senior officers on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier said yesterday.
But Rear Admiral John Kelly, head of all Navy aircraft in the Gulf, also told the crew of the Lincoln that the Iraqi army was "on the run" five days into a war to oust President Saddam Hussein.
Warplanes from the Lincoln kept up a high pace of sorties yesterday, including missions to provide air support for ground troops in Iraq.
PHOTO: AP
"We do not know exactly how much the weather will deteriorate over the next couple of days but we do know that it's going to deteriorate significantly," said Captain Kendall Card, commanding officer of the Lincoln.
Kelly told the crew more bluntly that the weather would be "a pain in the ass" in coming days.
Card said over the public address system that there were "still many challenges ahead ... the most significant is the call for support of US and coalition land forces around the clock and especially during all weather."
Navy F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets as well as F-14 Tomcats from the Lincoln and two other carriers in the Gulf have been flying missions around the clock in Iraq. Around 30 other ships have been launching missile strikes on Iraq.
Another two US aircraft carriers are launching strikes from the Mediterranean in the five-day-old war aimed at ousting President Saddam Hussein.
"We've got them on the run and we're going to keep them on the run," Kelly also told the crew.
Sandstorms can cut visibility to almost zero and force dust into high-tech equipment. It also cuts the efficiency of US thermal imaging gear that allows troops to see the heat given off by the bodies of Iraqi forces in the dark.
But it also has benefits for US-led forces, cooling the desert heat for attackers wearing stifling chemical weapons protection suits. Many modern missiles and bombs are unaffected by the weather since they rely on satellite navigation.
"This is like a road race here," Kelly said. "We're out of the blocks fast. We're settling in to a pace that we're going to sustain for the long run, however long that takes."
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