At the dawn of the Gulf War in early 1991, the skies over the Middle East became a dangerous gauntlet. Among the large forces sent by the Royal Air Force to liberate Kuwait were only 12 models of a supersonic jet attack aircraft: the aging SEPECAT Jaguar.

Dismissed as obsolete, it was unexpectedly thrust into this hostile environment. Tasked with roles from ground attack and close air support to battlefield air interdiction, the Jaguars faced relentless challenges to disrupt enemy operations and protect coalition forces.

Attacks against SAM sites were routine, pushing the pilots’ luck every single time. These missions were sheer madness by Cold War standards, as the Jaguars dove right into the heart of the enemy’s missile engagement zone at medium altitude, fully exposed to surface-to-air defenses.

There was no chance to climb above the missile's reach, no room for error.

Against all odds, camouflaged in desert hues and armed to the teeth, the 'Desert Cats' took to the stormy skies time and time again without losing a single aircraft.

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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.