[
  {
    "name": "Operation Tidal Wave",
    "slug": "tidal-wave",
    "conflict": "world-war-ii",
    "year": 1943,
    "duration": "1 day",
    "cost": 50,
    "troops": 1726,
    "casualties": 310,
    "civilianDeaths": 100,
    "description": "The daring low-level B-24 bomber raid on the Ploesti oil refineries in Romania — Nazi Germany's primary source of petroleum. 177 B-24 Liberators flew 2,400 miles round-trip at treetop level to attack the heavily defended complex.",
    "outcome": "Refineries were damaged but recovered to full production within weeks. The mission suffered the highest loss rate of any major USAAF raid: 53 aircraft lost, 310 killed, 108 captured. Five Medals of Honor were awarded — three posthumously.",
    "keyFact": "Pilots flew at 50 feet altitude through walls of anti-aircraft fire and oil refinery smokestacks. The 30% loss rate made it one of the costliest air operations of WWII."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Overlord",
    "slug": "overlord",
    "conflict": "world-war-ii",
    "year": 1944,
    "duration": "3 months",
    "cost": 5000,
    "troops": 2000000,
    "casualties": 29000,
    "civilianDeaths": 20000,
    "description": "The Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the largest amphibious military operation in history. Over 156,000 troops landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of Normandy coast, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.",
    "outcome": "Established Allied foothold in France, leading to liberation of Paris within 3 months and eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.",
    "keyFact": "The first wave suffered a 50% casualty rate at Omaha Beach. Over 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the invasion."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Rolling Thunder",
    "slug": "rolling-thunder",
    "conflict": "vietnam-war",
    "year": 1965,
    "duration": "3 years",
    "cost": 3500,
    "troops": 500000,
    "casualties": 922,
    "civilianDeaths": 52000,
    "description": "A sustained aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam from March 1965 to November 1968. Over 864,000 tons of bombs were dropped — more than the entire Pacific theater in WWII — in an attempt to break Hanoi's will and stop infiltration into South Vietnam.",
    "outcome": "Failed to achieve any strategic objectives. North Vietnam dispersed industry, repaired damage rapidly, and continued supplying the south. Widely considered one of the greatest strategic failures in US military history.",
    "keyFact": "The US lost 922 aircraft and 1,054 airmen killed or captured. The bombing cost $6 for every $1 of damage inflicted on North Vietnam."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Linebacker II",
    "slug": "linebacker-ii",
    "conflict": "vietnam-war",
    "year": 1972,
    "duration": "11 days",
    "cost": 900,
    "troops": 0,
    "casualties": 43,
    "civilianDeaths": 1624,
    "description": "The 'Christmas Bombings' — an intensive 11-day strategic bombing campaign against Hanoi and Haiphong in December 1972. B-52 bombers flew 729 sorties, dropping over 15,000 tons of ordnance on North Vietnam's capital and largest port.",
    "outcome": "North Vietnam returned to peace negotiations. The Paris Peace Accords were signed a month later. Critics argue the terms were essentially identical to those available before the bombing.",
    "keyFact": "15 B-52s were shot down — the only significant losses of these 'invincible' bombers in the entire war. North Vietnam fired over 1,000 SAMs in 11 days."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Urgent Fury",
    "slug": "urgent-fury",
    "conflict": "grenada-invasion",
    "year": 1983,
    "duration": "1 week",
    "cost": 75,
    "troops": 7600,
    "casualties": 19,
    "civilianDeaths": 45,
    "description": "The US invasion of the tiny Caribbean island nation of Grenada following a Marxist military coup. The Reagan administration cited the presence of Cuban construction workers and the safety of American medical students as justification.",
    "outcome": "Marxist government overthrown. A pro-US government installed. The operation was widely seen as a demonstration of US willingness to use military force after Vietnam.",
    "keyFact": "Grenada has a population of 91,000 and an area of 133 square miles — roughly twice the size of Washington, DC. The US awarded 8,612 medals for 7,600 troops deployed."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation El Dorado Canyon",
    "slug": "el-dorado-canyon",
    "conflict": "libya-bombing",
    "year": 1986,
    "duration": "12 minutes",
    "cost": 200,
    "troops": 0,
    "casualties": 2,
    "civilianDeaths": 60,
    "description": "The US air strike against Libya in retaliation for the Berlin discotheque bombing that killed two US servicemen. F-111 bombers flew 6,400 miles round-trip from bases in England to strike targets in Tripoli and Benghazi.",
    "outcome": "Gaddafi survived (the strike hit his compound). Libya continued sponsoring terrorism, including the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people. The attack's main effect was symbolic.",
    "keyFact": "France denied overflight rights, forcing bombers to add 2,400 miles and 6 hours to the mission. One F-111 was shot down, killing both crew members."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Praying Mantis",
    "slug": "praying-mantis",
    "conflict": "Iran",
    "year": 1988,
    "duration": "1 day",
    "cost": 50,
    "troops": 5000,
    "casualties": 0,
    "civilianDeaths": 0,
    "description": "Largest US naval engagement since WWII. Destroyed half of Iran operational navy in a single day.",
    "outcome": "Destroyed half of Iran navy. Three days later USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 killing 290 civilians.",
    "keyFact": "Three days after this operation, USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 — 290 civilians including 66 children."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Just Cause",
    "slug": "just-cause",
    "conflict": "panama-invasion",
    "year": 1989,
    "duration": "6 weeks",
    "cost": 164,
    "troops": 27684,
    "casualties": 23,
    "civilianDeaths": 500,
    "description": "The US invasion of Panama to depose Manuel Noriega, a former CIA asset turned drug trafficker and dictator. 27,684 US troops invaded in the largest American military operation since Vietnam.",
    "outcome": "Noriega captured and imprisoned. Panama's defense forces dissolved. Critics noted the US had supported Noriega for years before turning against him.",
    "keyFact": "Noriega had been on the CIA payroll at $100,000/year. The US invaded to remove an asset it had helped install and protect for two decades."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Desert Storm",
    "slug": "desert-storm",
    "conflict": "gulf-war",
    "year": 1991,
    "duration": "43 days",
    "cost": 61000,
    "troops": 697000,
    "casualties": 383,
    "civilianDeaths": 3500,
    "description": "The US-led coalition air and ground campaign to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. A 38-day air campaign followed by a 100-hour ground war demolished the world's fourth-largest army in under six weeks.",
    "outcome": "Kuwait liberated. Iraqi military devastated. But Saddam Hussein remained in power, setting the stage for the 2003 invasion.",
    "keyFact": "Coalition forces destroyed 3,847 Iraqi tanks while losing only 31 of their own — a 124:1 kill ratio unprecedented in modern warfare."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Provide Comfort",
    "slug": "provide-comfort",
    "conflict": "gulf-war",
    "year": 1991,
    "duration": "5 years",
    "cost": 700,
    "troops": 20000,
    "casualties": 15,
    "civilianDeaths": 0,
    "description": "The humanitarian and military operation to protect Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq following the Gulf War. After Saddam Hussein's brutal crackdown on Kurdish uprisings, the US established a no-fly zone and safe haven for 500,000 Kurdish refugees.",
    "outcome": "Successfully protected Kurdish population and established de facto Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq. This autonomous zone eventually became the Kurdistan Regional Government.",
    "keyFact": "Operation Provide Comfort created the foundation for Kurdish autonomy that persists today, fundamentally reshaping Iraq's political geography."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Restore Hope",
    "slug": "restore-hope",
    "conflict": "Somalia",
    "year": 1992,
    "duration": "15 months",
    "cost": 1500,
    "troops": 25000,
    "casualties": 43,
    "civilianDeaths": 1000,
    "description": "Humanitarian intervention that became Black Hawk Down debacle. 18 Americans killed in Battle of Mogadishu.",
    "outcome": "US withdrew. Somalia remained failed state. Inspired al-Qaeda. Led to US inaction during Rwanda genocide.",
    "keyFact": "The failure in Somalia led to US inaction during Rwanda genocide — 800,000 died in 100 days."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Gothic Serpent",
    "slug": "gothic-serpent",
    "conflict": "somalia-intervention",
    "year": 1993,
    "duration": "2 days",
    "cost": 25,
    "troops": 160,
    "casualties": 19,
    "civilianDeaths": 500,
    "description": "The failed US special operations raid in Mogadishu to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's top lieutenants. Two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, leading to a 15-hour urban battle that killed 19 Americans and an estimated 500-1,000 Somalis.",
    "outcome": "US withdrew from Somalia within months. The debacle shaped US reluctance to intervene in Rwanda (1994) and influenced risk-averse military policy for a decade.",
    "keyFact": "The 'Black Hawk Down' incident lasted 15 hours and involved just 160 US soldiers, but its political impact shaped US foreign policy for a decade."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Enduring Freedom",
    "slug": "enduring-freedom",
    "conflict": "afghanistan",
    "year": 2001,
    "duration": "13 years",
    "cost": 815000,
    "troops": 100000,
    "casualties": 2372,
    "civilianDeaths": 71000,
    "description": "The US invasion of Afghanistan following 9/11, initially targeting al-Qaeda and the Taliban. What began as a targeted strike became America's longest war, spanning four presidencies and costing over $2 trillion when veteran care is included.",
    "outcome": "Taliban removed from power in 2001 but returned to power in 2021 after US withdrawal. Al-Qaeda leadership decimated but ideology spread. Afghanistan Papers revealed senior officials knew the war was unwinnable for years.",
    "keyFact": "The US spent $300 million per day in Afghanistan. The Taliban now controls more territory than at any point since 2001, armed with $7 billion in abandoned US equipment."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Anaconda",
    "slug": "anaconda",
    "conflict": "afghanistan",
    "year": 2002,
    "duration": "17 days",
    "cost": 200,
    "troops": 2000,
    "casualties": 8,
    "civilianDeaths": 100,
    "description": "The first major ground operation of the Afghan War, targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the Shah-i-Kot Valley. US and Afghan forces attempted to encircle and destroy an estimated 150-200 fighters but found 700-1,000 instead.",
    "outcome": "Militants dispersed into Pakistan rather than being destroyed. The operation exposed intelligence failures and coordination problems between conventional and special operations forces.",
    "keyFact": "The operation was planned for 150 enemies but encountered 1,000. Despite massive firepower including B-52 strikes, most fighters escaped into Pakistan."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Iraqi Freedom",
    "slug": "iraqi-freedom",
    "conflict": "iraq-war",
    "year": 2003,
    "duration": "8 years",
    "cost": 815000,
    "troops": 177000,
    "casualties": 4431,
    "civilianDeaths": 200000,
    "description": "The US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq based on claims of weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. The initial invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 21 days but triggered a sectarian civil war and insurgency lasting years.",
    "outcome": "Saddam Hussein overthrown and executed. No WMDs found. Iraq destabilized, giving rise to ISIS. Iran's regional influence dramatically increased — the opposite of stated US goals.",
    "keyFact": "The Iraq War created 4.5 million refugees and an estimated 200,000+ civilian deaths. The total cost including veteran care exceeds $3 trillion."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Neptune Spear",
    "slug": "neptune-spear",
    "conflict": "War on Terror",
    "year": 2011,
    "duration": "38 minutes",
    "cost": 7,
    "troops": 79,
    "casualties": 0,
    "civilianDeaths": 4,
    "description": "Navy SEAL Team 6 raid on Osama bin Laden compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 38 minutes from entry to extraction. Bin Laden killed and buried at sea.",
    "outcome": "Bin Laden killed. War on Terror continued another decade. Pakistan relations strained.",
    "keyFact": "Bin Laden lived 1 mile from Pakistan military academy for 5 years while Pakistan received $2B/yr in US military aid."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Inherent Resolve",
    "slug": "inherent-resolve",
    "conflict": "war-on-isis",
    "year": 2014,
    "duration": "Ongoing",
    "cost": 46000,
    "troops": 5000,
    "casualties": 107,
    "civilianDeaths": 13000,
    "description": "The US-led international coalition campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Combined air strikes, special operations, and support for local ground forces to dismantle the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate.",
    "outcome": "ISIS territorial caliphate destroyed by 2019. However, the group persists as an insurgency across Iraq, Syria, and Africa with an estimated 10,000+ fighters.",
    "keyFact": "The coalition conducted over 34,000 air strikes. Independent monitors estimate civilian casualties 10x higher than official Pentagon figures."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Midnight Hammer",
    "slug": "midnight-hammer",
    "conflict": "Iran",
    "year": 2025,
    "duration": "37 hours",
    "cost": 2250,
    "troops": 40000,
    "casualties": 0,
    "civilianDeaths": 0,
    "description": "First US strikes on Iran — 37-hour air campaign targeting nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.",
    "outcome": "Nuclear program degraded but not destroyed. Established precedent for Operation Epic Fury.",
    "keyFact": "$2.25 billion for 37 hours. That is $60.8 million per hour, or $1 million per minute."
  },
  {
    "name": "Operation Epic Fury",
    "slug": "epic-fury",
    "conflict": "Iran",
    "year": 2026,
    "duration": "Ongoing (started Feb 28)",
    "cost": 10000,
    "troops": 45000,
    "casualties": 3,
    "civilianDeaths": 300,
    "description": "Joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran. Khamenei killed. 1,000+ targets hit. Iran retaliated against 27 US bases, closed Strait of Hormuz. 3 US troops killed.",
    "outcome": "Ongoing. Trump says four weeks or less. Senate killed War Powers Resolution 53-47.",
    "keyFact": "Launched at 9:15 AM Tehran time. 108 killed at a girls elementary school in Minab."
  }
]