All you need to know about the SAS Operation Mustang

Here is all you need to know about the SAS Operation Mustang.

Operation Mustang

Operation Mustang was a codename associated with Special Forces operations during the opening stages of the 2003 Iraq War.

The mission formed part of the wider coalition campaign to secure western Iraq, disrupt Iraqi military activity and prepare the way for follow-on operations during the invasion.

British SAS and Australian SASR

The operation involved British SAS troops working alongside members of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR).

The special forces units conducted long-range desert operations, using heavily armed patrol vehicles to move rapidly across western Iraq.

Strategic airfields and Scud missiles

One of the operation’s primary aims was to seize strategic airfields in western Iraq and deny their use to Iraqi forces.

Special forces were also tasked with searching for Scud missile launchers that could potentially be used against neighbouring countries, particularly Israel.

H2 and H3 airfields

During the campaign, British and Australian SAS units captured the H2 and H3 airfields near the Jordanian border.

The forces cleared defensive positions, hangars and administrative buildings before the sites were established as forward operating bases for further special operations.

Desert reconnaissance

Following the capture of the airfields, SAS patrols pushed deeper into Iraq’s western desert.

Their role included intelligence gathering, target identification and locating Iraqi military assets. Predator drones and coalition aircraft supported the patrols by providing reconnaissance and air cover.

Strategic importance

Operation Mustang helped secure a vast area of western Iraq early in the conflict and reduced the threat posed by mobile missile launchers.

The operation demonstrated the SAS’s ability to conduct deep-penetration desert warfare, echoing similar missions carried out during the 1991 Gulf War.

Legacy

Although far less well known than operations such as Barras or the Iranian Embassy Siege, Operation Mustang is regarded as an important SAS contribution to the Iraq campaign.

Much of its detail remains little publicised because of the secrecy surrounding UK Special Forces activities.