Australian troops find 51 fighter planes in western Iraq: spokesman

AS-SALIYAH, Qatar (AFP) Apr 18, 2003
Australian forces have found 51 combat planes at an abandoned airfield in western Iraq, a military spokesman said Friday at the war command's headquarters in Qatar.

"In the last 24 hours, we were asked to secure an airfield in the western Iraq region. We encountered very little resistance, there were no casualties," said Lieutenant-Colonel Mark Eliott.

"We found 51 attack aircraft ... well camouflaged, well concealed, and a lot of small weaponry - all conventional," the Australian military spokesman said.

Brigadier-General Vincent Brooks said that several MiGs were among the planes found by the Australian troops.

Coalition forces encountered no enemy aircraft during their three-week war on Saddam Hussein's regime and enjoyed complete freedom of the skies apart from some ground fire.

SPACE.WIRE