"I gotta say that being shot at is pretty intimidating," Lieutenant Commander Scott Moran, 33, who flies the EA-6B Prowler, told AFP recently.

It's the Prowler's job to jam and, if necessary, bomb radars that control surface-to-air missiles. At least one Prowler has itself had to dodge missile fire during the two-week old US and British war against Iraq.

Fighter-bomber pilots have also reported missiles in the air, seen again Wednesday night when an F/A-18 Hornet went missing during a strike mission over Iraq, a navy spokesman said aboard this aircraft carrier in the Gulf.

Rescue efforts to find the unidentified airman were continuing Thursday, the navy said.

A military spokesman in Qatar said it is too early to say what caused the plane to disappear.

As well as missiles, pilots have frequently reported anti-aircraft artillery fire known as Triple A.

Despite the missile fire and a level of bombing which has increased in recent days the most senior naval officer aboard this ship said Wednesday it was not inevitable that US Navy aircraft would sustain combat damage.

"Well, no," Rear Admiral Matthew Moffit told reporters just hours before the Hornet disappeared. "We try to place our aircraft in an environment where we minimize that to the largest possible extent."

That is done, he said, by using bombs such as the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) which allows pilots to launch their ordnance many kilometers from the target.

Airmen say the Iraqis have been firing their missiles without the radar guidance that makes them more accurate.

But Navy pilots have expressed confidence that if they are hit, the F/A-18 Hornet could still fly.

"I was pretty confident going into this about....the Hornet's ability, even if it takes a hit, to be able to fly out of the country before you have to either eject or it lands successfully," Lieutenant Anthony Smith, 28, said in a recent interview with AFP.

"But there's always a very real chance that somebody could reach up and touch you with a missile, so it goes through my mind and try not to dwell on it too much."

Before they leave for missions over Iraq pilots are briefed about threats they might face and how to respond.

They always wear a survival vest that contains a first aid kit, radio for communication with rescue forces, a flashlight, water and a pistol.

One pilot said after a recent mission that he also packed a couple of health bars in case he went down.

Airmen are also trained in how to survive over the longer-term if forced down in enemy territory.

SPACE.WIRE