OV-10D BRONCO ''DESERT STORM''

The OV-10 Bronco aircraft was the result of a industry competition for a tri-service, multirole aircraft with Short Take-Off and Land (STOL) capabilities. The winning design came from North American, whose design was capable of operating from aircraft carriers without the aid of catapults or arresting gear.

The OV-10A was used extensively in Southeast Asia as a Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft by the USAF. In USMC service, the Bronco was capable of airlifting up to five fully equipped troops and inserting them anywhere on the battlefield with the rear fuselage doors removed. The Bronco was also capable of carrying two stretchers and a medical attendant or up to 3,200 pounds of cargo in this same compartment.

The OV-10D was developed to modernize the Bronco with advanced sensors and weapons under the concept of the Night Observation Gunship (NOGS) program, which mounted a FLIR turret in a stretched nose and a gun turret under the fuselage aft of the cockpit. While the gun turret didn't stay in service very long, the FLIR system gave the OV-10D a significant round-the-clock capability as an observation and FAC platform. The FLIR system also included a laser target designator which enabled the Bronco crew to guide LGBs to their targets. The OV-10D was retired from service a few years after Desert Storm.

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VMO-2 USMC, Al Zubail / Saudi Arabia, during Operation DESERT STORM, Januari 1991.
VOM-1 USMC, Al Zubail / Saudi Arabia, during Operation DESERT STORM, Januari 1991.

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