Capture of Torrijos Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Capture of Torrijos Airport |
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| Part of the United States invasion of Panama | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
 Panama |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Robert W. Wagner |
 Unknown |
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| Units involved | |||||||
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75th Ranger Regiment
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| Strength | |||||||
| unknown 4 C-130 1 AC-130 gunship |
200 1 ZPU-4 |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 wounded | 5 killed 50 captured 398 civilians detained |
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The Capture of Torrijos Airport was an important military action. It happened during the U.S. invasion of Panama. The main goal was to take control of the Panamanian air force. This force was based at the airport. They also wanted to stop all air traffic into Panama. Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment carried out this mission.
Why the Airport Was Captured
The U.S. military had a special plan to take over Torrijos Airport. This plan had three main steps. First, they wanted to isolate the main airport building, called "Objective Bear." Second, they planned to remove any enemy forces. Third, they aimed to stop the Panama Defense Force (PDF) from getting in the way. This was all part of a bigger mission called Operation Just Cause.
The U.S. Army's Company C had strong air support for this mission. They had an AC-130 "Spectre" gunship. This is a large plane with powerful weapons. They also had AH-6 attack helicopters. The plan was for the AC-130 to destroy enemy machine gun positions. It would also take out an anti-aircraft weapon called a ZPU-4. The AH-6 helicopters would disable the PDF guard tower.
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Unexpected Challenges
At first, U.S. intelligence thought there would be very few people at the airport. However, two international flights had just landed. This meant the airport was still very busy. Instead of a few dozen people, there were actually 398 civilians there.
Also, the PDF's 2nd Company was ready for action. They were patrolling inside and around the airport buildings. This made the mission more difficult than expected.
What Happened After
On the morning of December 20, 1989, around 7 AM, the Ranger company met up with other U.S. soldiers. These soldiers were from the 82nd Airborne Division.
The Rangers then handed over everything they had found. This included prisoners, people who had been held, and any documents or weapons. These were given to the military police from the 82nd Airborne Division.
During the entire operation to capture the airport, only two U.S. Rangers were hurt. On the other side, five PDF soldiers were killed. Another 21 PDF soldiers were captured.
See also
In Spanish: Captura del Aeropuerto Omar Torrijos para niños
