Operation Desert Storm
The most successful military campaign of the 20th century
Introduction
War is simply the continuation of political intercourse with the addition of other means
- Carl von Clausewitz
In the past century the world witnessed the destructive power of war in its peak. The advance of military technology in such a short periody of time brought a sudden revolution to the field of battle that was not seen since the introduction of gunpowder in medieval armies. The bellicose evolution observed by generals of many nations in the first half of the 20th century completely transformed the way of making war. The dawn of jet-powered aircraft, guided bombs and missiles, advanced radar, the evolution of electronic warfare and mainly the destructive power obtained by the artillery with help of technology and UAVs expanded the strategic possibilities of generals from the great nations (By the time, USA/OTAN and USSR).
The Cold War and its proxy wars (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan) served as field of test for new military technologies and doctrines for both the U.S and the USSR. Operation Rolling Thunder in Vietnam brought to the USAF (United States Air Force) hard lessons and valuable experience of how to make a long air campaign; these lessons would prove essential 30 years later.
The combat experience obtained by the United States through a big part of the XX Century would be translated in one of the most astonishing military campaigns in history. This campaign would seek to kick out the Iraq forces in Kuwait, recently invaded by Saddam Hussein.
Planning and preparation — Operation Desert Shield
This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait
- U.S President George H. W. Bush response to the invasion of Kuwait by iraq forces, August 5th, 1990
When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in the august 2th of 1990 with four of its elite divisions from the Republican Guard, the western world didn’t take longer to condemn the actions of the Iraq dictator. The unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation and the prospect of attack against Saudi Arabia was sufficient for the U.S to lead and organize a coalition of 35 nations. In August 7th, President George H. W. Bush honoring his words that condemn iraq actions, gave autorization for the start of Operation Desert Shield, seeking to defend Saudi Arabia territory and later, liberate Kuwait.
The U.S forces embarked on their biggest mobilization since the Korean War, near reaching the incredible number of 600 thousands troops deployed. Two CVBG (Carrier Battle Group), supported by the USS Dwight D. Einsenhower and USS Independence carrier vessels where send to the Persian Golf in August 8th. USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin battleships (Both from the Iowa class) where also send to the same area.
Coalition forces carried on with Desert Shield until the January 16th 1991, directing thousands of aircraft, supplies and other necessary equipment for a perfect executed operation. The air campaign plans were already made months before the invasion of Kuwait because of war games (more specifically of an hypothetical iraq invasion of Saudi Arabia), with all the targets, analysis of both side forces and plan of action already done.
With all necessary modifications in the plans and months of planning, coalition forces prepare for the start of hostilities in the 17th of January, marking the beginning of Operation Desert Storm.
Operation Desert Storm — Air Campaign
Just 2 hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. These attacks continue as I speak. Ground forces are not engaged.
- President George H. W. Bush announces the start of the air campaign, January 17th 1991
At the dawn of January 17th, coalition aircraft started taking off in all Middle East. F-117 Nighthawk stealth bomber squadrons flew over Baghdad completely hidden from iraq radars waiting for the H hour (2:38AM). Seven B-52 bombers, together with battleships and support vessels fired cruise missiles against Baghdad few minutes before H hour, aiming to hit the target after the first attack.
When the clock marked H hour, AH-64 attack helicopters launched attacks against iraq radar stations in the border with Saudi Arabia, seeking to open a “gap” in the enemy air cover so the other coalition aircraft could enter the enemy air space. In Baghdad, the F-117's launched their bombs against communication centers and governamental buildings of the iraq; soon after, the cruise missiles launched minutes before started reaching their targets, destroying power stations, radio towers and other critical infrastructure.
After the initial bombardment, hundreds of military aircraft scorted by interception fighters proceeded to attack military targets all over Iraq, mainly missile launch bases, command bunkers and airfields. All this effort was supported by Air Control Aircraft like the E-2C Hawkeye and Eletronic Warfare Aircraft like the EF-111A Raven.
The Iraq Air Force, even so it had some advanced fighters like the Mig-29 Fulcrum, didn’t impose any kind of serious resistance to the coalition air forces, flying only 120 sorties and losing 8 aircraft's against 2775 sorties from the coalition, with the lost of 19 aircraft.
The first days results where devastating for Iraq. The attacks from the coalition destroyed many of the critical infrastructure of the country and would still attack for more 5 uninterrupted weeks. During the air campaign, the coalition lost only 75 aircraft’s (39 in combat and others in accidents) against 290 iraq aircraft.
To this day, the coordination involved in the Desert Storm air campaign is studied in military academies across the world,involving hundreds of aircraft together with minimal losses and cases of friendly fire. The culmination of all military technology and experience gained in the course of the 20th century resulted in the best executed operation of contemporary history.
Operation Desert Storm — Land campaign
In the 24th February, 5 weeks after the start of the operation, after Saddam Hussein ignored the ultimatum given by President Bush in 23th, ordering all the iraq forces to abandon Kuwait, the land operations where give green signal.
At 4:00AM of the 24th, 800 thousand soldiers of the coalitions where thrown against 180 thousand iraq soldiers across the border. The obsolete iraq armored forces, formed mainly by vehicles from the 60s/70s, where no match for the modern formations of allied armored forces, formed by vehicles like the M1 Abrams, Challengers and M3 Bradley’s. The technological superiority of the coalition, together with its great coordination of land and air forces together with precise artillery, resulted in a full control of the battlefield, breaking the iraq line in many points right in the first day.
The iraq forces tried some counter-attacks, resulting in terrible losses. In the Battle of 73 Easting, the superior aiming systems of the coalition (Rangefinders, termal and night sights), together with TOW missiles,
annihilated the armored formations of Saddam Hussein in that sector, with hundreds of iraq armored vehicles destroyed against only 9 coalition.
Iraq forces trying to escape the massacre happening in the south decided to use the road from where they came one year before, Highway 80. One scout aircraft of the coalition sighted a column of 150 civilian vehicles taken by the Iraq Army retreating to the Highway. Allied commanders ordered an immediate attack against the columns of more than 150 vehicles (including armored), destroying most. These where only the first of thousand that would be trapped in Highway 80, that would be bombed by hundreds of coalition aircraft by 48 hours, Because of the massacre that happened there, Highway 80 would get the name “Highway of Death”
After the humiliating defeat of Saddam forces in Kuwait, including the loved Republican Guard, the evacuation of all occupied territory was ordered by the iraq high command. Coalition forces failed to cut off the line of retreat, believing that only air attacks would be sufficient to block the retreat.
After only one hundred hours of land campaign, in the 28th February, President Bush ordered a ceasse fire and announced to the world that Kuwait was liberated. Operation Desert Storm was a total success.
Conclusion
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm were unprecedented for their time. Coalition forces have achieved a level of coordination and strategic and tactical expertise never before seen in modern warfare. Chinese military leaders, current geopolitical rival of the US in the words of Graham Allison “Were stunned by the devastating effect of the US army in Operation Desert Storm” and even today they study the advances in the art of war promoted by the United States.
Analyzing again an excerpt from Graham Allison’s book “Destined for war”, where he makes a brief quote about the operation, it is possible to understand succinctly what the US achieved, in military terms, with this operation:
In 1991, the United States defeated Saddam Hussein’s military forces in one month with less than 150 US casualties. In this brief, lopsided war, the US enjoyed what military planners call “the full spectrum of technological dominance,” combining new technologies such as space-based navigation and surveillance systems, precision-guided long-range bombs, and stealthy aircraft. America’s ability to exploit these new tools was boosted by organizational changes that allowed the three armed branches — army, navy, and air force — to operate more synergistically. The United States also surgically targeted the Iraqi army’s command and control systems, leaving Iraqi commanders blind and deaf.
The gulf war showed the world an revolution of war and its new ways of operation. Indirectly, it leaded to the September 11th attacks and the War on Terror, shaping all the geopolitics of the 21th century. An underrated event, rarely discussed out of military academies, must have its attention.
