On 16 January 1991, coalition forces began concentrated air strikes on Iraqi military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.

On 18 January 1991, an Italian Tornado piloted by Major Gianmarco Bellini with Captain Maurizio Cocciolone as his navigator took off as part of a multi-national 48 planes squadron.

Bellini and Cocciolone were the only members of the flight able to execute in-flight refuelling, while the other 47 aircraft failed and had to abort the mission.

In an interview, Bellini said that multiple ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" locked them with the radar, and one shot hit the right rolleron and tore away almost 60% of the area.

[4][5] While Cocciolone was shown on Iraqi television on 20 January 1991, in a propaganda video,[6] no news of Bellini was given initially, and he was feared to be a casualty.