Operation Granby bombs

[XV107]

There were five aircraft that could carry the TIALD at the time - ZA393, ZA406, ZD739, ZD844 and ZD848 according to Jon Lake and Mike Crutch. Four went out to theatre to begin with - 393, 739, 844 and 848 - being joined by 406 on 20 Feb 91.

Lake and Crutch suggest that the TIALD aircraft occasionally carried a single GBU to add to the ordnance expended, but there is little doubt that the Buccs did most of the self-designated drops.

The carriage of TIALD (and now Litening III) alongside a GBU or two became common practice after the war - certainly in Desert Fox you'd see pairs carrying a TIALD and three or four GBU between them, with one of the GBU on the TIALD carrier.

One of the two pods that went out on Granby was, IIRC, built out of spare parts for the one pod that was then on test. Just in time - military procurement at its finest!