AIR POWER
History’s fiercest aerial bombardment was carried out by dozens of types of warplanes in more than 100,000 sorties. F-117A Stealth fighters made precision strikes; state-of-the-art Apache helicopters and slow-flying A-10 Thunderbolts hit Iraqi ground forces; above it all, B-51 bombers pounded away.
LOGISTICS
Getting a half million U.S. troops to the gulf was called the greatest feat since Hannibal crossed the Alps. Supplying them with billions of tons of food, fuel and equipment was just as important.
PATRIOT MISSILES
If the Scud was more a weapon of terror than of war, the Patriot was a weapon of diplomacy. By giving Israel and Saudi Arabia a measure of protection, it helped keep the peace among the allies.
SMART WEAPONS
Smart weapons like the computerized Tomahawk cruise missile–tested for the first time in combat–spared pilots from some of the most dangerous missions, while the high accuracy of laser- and TV-guided bombs and missiles kept Iraqi civilian losses to a minimum.
ELECTRONICS
With satellites 22,000 miles above the earth and night-vision optics on the ground, it seemed the allies could see it all–while the Iraqis were blinded by radar jamming and strikes against air defenses.
THE TROOPS
High-tech hardware got most of the attention, but people made it work–from pilots, grunts and technicians, to the commanders who led the well-trained and motivated all-volunteer force.
