Magnum! The Wild Weasels in Desert Storm: The Elimination of Iraq's Air Defence Paperback – August 8, 2017

I really enjoyed this book. I flew as a Navy EA-6B Prowler crewman in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, tasked with suppression of air defenses. Though a different aircraft, service, and conflict, I found this account very similar to my own experience, capturing perfectly many of the emotions and considerations involved in that type of mission, one not often written about. On top of that, the narrative flow is excellent, making the book a great read. Not only are the descriptions of combat vivid, but the brief descriptions of expeditionary living conditions back at base are also enjoyable. One more factor that makes this book a gem is that it represents an account of the last major combat employment of the legendary F-4 Phantom.Highly recommended for any reader interested in modern air power at war, and any reader who appreciates a vivid, personal narrative that puts you in the moment. When my sons are old enough, I will encourage them to read this book to get a feel for my own wartime flying experiences.

I read this book immediately after finishing Hunter Killers. I wanted to understand how different modern weasel combat compared to the Vietnam War. As I expected, particularly since we fought the Iraqis, and the technology so advanced, our guys had it much easier. Thus, when they honestly expressed fear and fatigue, it seemed like whining compared to their predecessors. This is entirely unfair on my part but hard not to given the recency of my reading of Hunter Killers. The book is well written and engaging, yet I had no fears that the crew I was reading about would still be alive in the the next few pages, as they were often not in Hunter Killers. Again, not fair on my part. I certainly recommend this title, but I would read these books in opposite order. I am certain that had the crews that fought in this war met an opponent as equally as tough as the Vietnamese, they would have performed equally as well. There is no questioning their bravery or their preparedness to pay the ultimate price. It was just a very different war and time.

Worth reading to learn the story of how the Wild Weasels contributed to the Gulf War (and some of the Vietnam history too). Sometimes confusing/hard to keep track of whose story is being told at any given point in the book since many aircrew contributed their individual stories. I did not appreciate the critical, denigrating comments about tanker pilots with no opportunity to defend their actions/provide their side of the story - it comes off as an unnecessary cheap shot against fellow service members trying to do their jobs under no doubt difficult circumstances. The same harsh criticisms were not equally applied to the many Weasel pilots who flamed out their own engines at missile launch, for example. It's not a very deep book in terms of research, e.g. were the SAM site attacks described in each story effective? What do the official post-attack reconnaissance/battle damage assessment and intelligence records indicate? It feels somewhat incomplete and unsatisfying to read "the radar went off the air at the time our missile would have struck, so either we destroyed it, or the enemy crew shut it off temporarily...". Maybe that's just the nature of the beast (i.e. no records exist due to the fast-moving war scenario), but if they do exist, the stories may have been made more complete via historical research? In summary, the book provides a lot of insight into the difficult missions, flying conditions (and living conditions) faced by the Wild Weasel pilots, but it's a little rough around the edges and could use some historical research to completely flesh out their story.

This book was written in a very likable and accessible manner. Anyone who reads this will come away better for it, whether you are an aviation enthusiast or a casual reader.

The book may not be for everyone and compared to some of the really good Vietnam fighter pilot books, it’s not as exciting and not as well written. On the other hand; for any who have an interest or connection to the WW mission it is definitely worth it. I was tangentially connected to the Weasel mission throughout this period and deployed with them for the war. It was fascinating to read of familiar events form the operator’s perspective. Also enjoyed hearing the familiar names of people and places and it explained “the rest of the story” regarding issues and events I was aware of, but didn't know the whole story. Overall, a satisfying read.

After reading this book you will appreciate and understand the valuable contribution that these brave men gave to our country. Not very many people really know what the Wild Weasels have done since the Vietnam War. Although they still have Wild Weasels that fly single seat F-16CJ fighters, there was something special about the two crew member Weasels that, unfortunately, were done away with soon after Desert Storm.