Al Jaber was the scene of heavy U.S. bombing during the Gulf War. Iraqi forces took the base and occupied it until the last days of the war. A direct hit on the top of this HAB is plainly visible in this photograph, which was taken by a GWAPS team from a helicopter on a visit in July 1992. From this angle, it is unclear whether the bomb penetrated the inner shelter beneath the middle layer of fill and the outer layer of concrete "blaster slabs." No penetration hole is visible and the rest of the structure appears to be intact. Particularly early in the Desert Storm, BDA analysts would have probably assessed, at most, light damage to the structure based on imagery from this perspective. If the bomb penetrated the inner shelter and exploded inside, however, the likely damage to any aircraft inside would have been catastrophic despite the absence of visible damage on the outside of the HAB.
Hardened Aircraft Bunker at Al Jaber Airfield in Kuwait, July 1992.
