--- title: "Why Saddam Hussein buried Iraq’s air force in the desert" description: "Saddam's air force was buried for its own safety, but without his planes, he was soon forced to go underground himself." date: "2022-08-24" modified: "2025-07-25" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/iraq-buried-air-force-desert/" categories: - "Aircraft" - "Tactical" tags: - "Air Force" - "Aircraft" - "Iraq War" --- # Why Saddam Hussein buried Iraq’s air force in the desert ![saddam air force]() *(U.S. Air Force)* When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, U.S. troops were looking for [nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons](). The Americans found a lot of bizarre things—toilets and guns made of gold, a Koran written in blood, and Saddam's romance novel. **Also Read: [Why Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen troops wore Darth Vader helmets]()** While they didn't find any weapons of mass destruction, they did manage to find *some* weapons. Specifically, they found [aircraft buried in the sand]() next to a perfectly good airfield. ![saddam air force]() *Saddam was apparently not familiar with what a FOD hazard is (U.S. Air Force/Master Sgt. T. Collins)* One day in 2003, American forces near [al-Taqqadum Air Base]() in Iraq began pulling scores of MiG-25 Foxbat fighters and Su-25 Frogfoot fighter-bombers out of the sand. The aircraft were missing wings but, for the most part, remained fairly well-kept despite being in the sand for who-knows-how-long. If Saddam wasn't giving inoperable planes a good burial, one wonders why he would intentionally put his planes in the ground. The answer starts with the fact that the Iraqi Air Force sucked at defending Iraqi airspace. ![iraqi air force]() *But they were suuuuuuper good at bolting to other countries to escape the enemy.* During the nearly decade-long Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi Air Force could reasonably hold its own against the superior American-made aircraft flown by the Islamic Republic of Iran at the time. But contrary to what one might believe, Iranian fighter pilots were very, very good, and at least one U.S. fighter flown by the Iranians was enough to put the fear of death into the Iraqis: the F-14 Tomcats. In true "Top Gun" style, Iraqi pilots usually had to flee the skies before the onslaught of Iran's [F-14 Tomcats](). The Iran-Iraq War ended in 1988, and in the years to come, Iraq's air force could more than handle itself against any other Middle Eastern power. If all things were equal, Saddam's air force could actually make a difference in any battle or war with another regional power. The United States was another matter. When Saddam got the U.S. ultimatum to leave Iraq or face military action, Iraqi pilots were ready to defend their homeland from an invasion, but the Iraqi dictator would have none of it. Saddam Hussein knew what American technology could do to his aircraft, as demonstrated by the Tomcat's superiority over Iran. In 2003, the U.S. was flying the F-22 Raptor for air superiority missions, and Saddam knew his planes would get torn to shreds. He also remembered what his pilots did during the first Gulf War when they were sent to defend the homeland against American fighters: They flew to the relative safety of Iran rather than face annihilation, and Iran never gave the airplanes back. Saddam wanted his air force. So he decided to keep them all safe. Underground. ![buried plane]() *And he was correct. (U.S. Air Force)* At al-Taqqadum and al-Asad air bases, the dictator ordered that his most advanced fighters be stripped and buried in the sand near the airfields. In retrospect, this was probably a good decision for the aircraft, but bad for Saddam's regime. Whatever was left unburied was quickly and forcibly dismantled by the U.S. Air Force on the ground during the invasion. In trying to fight off the Coalition of the Willing, Iraq's air forces all but disappeared and the dictator was forced to go underground himself. Saddam hoped that by saving the aircraft in the sand, he could prevent their destruction, and when he was ready (because he assumed he would still be in power after all was said and done), he could unbury them and use their advanced status to terrify his enemies and neighbors. That, of course, didn't happen. ### Don’t Miss the Best of Mighty History - [**This pilot shot down an enemy fighter with his 1911**]() - [**This is what happened when the Navy banned alcohol on its ships**]() - [**21 facts about the First Gulf War**]() ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()