Operation Southern Focus Operation Southern Focus was a period in the months leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq ( called " Operation Iraqi Freedom " in the United States ) in which the military responses to violations of the southern Iraqi no - fly zones were increased , with more intensive bombing of air defense artillery installations and other military complexes . It also marked a period of increased intelligence gathering . The operation lasted from June 2002 until the beginning of the invasion in March 2003 . It was intended to be a " softening up " period prior to invasion , degrading Iraq ' s air defense and communication abilities . Lieutenant General T . Michael Moseley revealed the operation ' s existence in mid - 2003 . Operation . The operation was not publicly declared at the time , and was just said to be an intensification of the already - existing Operation Southern Watch . When it began , the United States Defense Department and CENTCOM stated that increasing numbers of bombings of Iraqi installations in the region were merely in response to more attacks by the air - defense forces of that country . The Iraqi no - fly zones had been patrolled continuously since the end of the 1991 Gulf War , and bombings by American and coalition fighter aircraft had taken place on a regular basis . However , Southern Focus saw many more engagement s . Coalition forces responded to 651 attacks by dropping 606 bombs on 391 targets over the course of the operation . Bombs usage . The tonnage of bombs dropped increased from 0 in March 2002 and 0 . 3 in April 2002 to between 7 and 14 tons per month in May – August , reaching a pre - war peak of 54 . 6 tons in September - prior to Congress ' 11 October authorisation of the invasion . The September attacks included a 5 September 100 - aircraft attack on the main air defence site in western Iraq . According to " New Statesman " this was " Located at the furthest extreme of the southern no - fly zone , far away from the areas that needed to be patrolled to prevent attacks on the Shias , it was destroyed not because it was a threat to the patrols , but to allow allied special forces operating from Jordan to enter Iraq undetected . " Success . Iraq ' s only success came on 23 December 2002 , when a USAF RQ - 1 Predator UAV was experimentally armed with AIM - 92 Stinger s and sent to patrol the no - fly zone in an attempt to bait Iraqi fighters into combat . It was spotted by two Iraqi MiG - 23 s and attacked , however both planes were unable to achieve a lock - on . A MiG - 25 of the 1st Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was then scrambled to assist . Both aircraft fired missiles at each other , however , the Iraqi jet was outside of the range of the Stinger so the American missile fell short . The Iraqi missile hit the Predator , destroying it . This was the first time an unmanned aircraft had been used in air - to - air combat . The first combat use of the U . S . Navys new F / A - 18E Super Hornet fighter - bomber occurred in November 2002 during Operation Southern Focus , when aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron 115 ( VFA - 115 ) flying from the aircraft carrier struck surface - to - air missile sites and command and control targets near Al Kut .