Gulf War Desert Shield Desert Storm

Overview  Gulf War:  Understand key events of Gulf War  Know role of air power in Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm Chap 6, Lesson 3

CPS Questions (1 - 2)

Gulf War  End of Cold War ….peaceful now?  W/O USSR…small countries saw opportunities ! -Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq was one of them… - Abusive leader - Former member of hit squad - Killed own brother-in-law  Wanted to grab Kuwait (Map) – Rich oil fields! – Access to Persian Gulf – Small country….assumed no one would care (like U.S. or former USSR) No!

Iraq

 Aug 2, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait Successful? Easy victory – 4 th largest army in Middle East 2 days – Iraq completely controlled Kuwait U.S. concerns: Threat to Saudi Arabia An ally to US Major oil supplier Gulf War

Critical Thought Activity Role Play Your group is the military advisors to the President What do you do? Discuss in your group, record your options, select one of your members to brief the President on your recommend course of action. On Aug 6 – King Fahd (Saudi Arabia) asked for protection from Iraq This set the stage…

UN Response United Nations (UN) responded with Resolution 660: Ordered Iraq to leave Kuwait UN also passed Resolution 678 If Iraq not out by 15 Jan 1991… Permitted coalition of UN troops to force Iraq out

Desert Shield Begins Began Aug 8 (6 days after invasion) Objectives: Protect “Shield” Saudi Arabia Massive buildup of equip, personnel, weapons to be ready if Iraq didn’t get out by deadline 15 Jan – 5 months of build up! Used both airlift/sealift 1 st Aircraft to land in Saudi Arabia? C-141

Role of Air Power Advent of “Stealth”  F-117 Nighthawk – Initial strikes – Bombing  What is “stealth” technology?  Composite materials absorb radar energy  Shape scatters radar energy

The Combat Aircraft  F-15 Eagles – Air Superiority – Tactical bombing  F-16 Falcons – Air superiority  B-52 Stratofortress - Tactical/Strategic Bombing

The Combat Aircraft AC-130s Spectre “Gunship” - Ground support - VIDEOVIDEO - Special operations “Wart Hogs” – Ground support – Tank killers - VIDEOVIDEO 105 mm Cannon A-10 Thunderbolts

The Tanker Aircraft KC-135 Stratotanker – Air Refueling – Airlift KC-10 Extender – Air Refueling – Airlift

The Cargo Aircraft  C-17 Globemaster - Strategic Airlift - Tactical Airlift  C-130 Hercules – Tactical airlift  C-5 Galaxy – Strategic airlift  C-141 Starlifter - Strategic Airlift - Tactical Airlift

The Special Purpose Aircraft  E-3 AWACS – Controlled skies  EF-111 Raven - Jamming  E8 - JSTARS - Controlled ground

Chapter 6, Lesson 3 How USAF Used Air Power in Desert “Storm”  Saddam didn’t comply – (no withdrawal)  “If U.S. interferes it will be the mother of all battles!”  USAF worked out plan for Desert “Storm” - the attack  President George H. W. Bush (Sr.) wanted to avoid another Vietnam  Settled on 3 tactics: 1. Keep the air battle going 2. Conduct parallel air strikes 3. Coordinate air-strike efforts of USAF, Navy, & other coalition forces

The Targets  U.S. & UN decided on 4 kinds of Iraqi targets  Based on 19 th Century theories “Best targets are their centers of gravity” 1. Communication sites 2. Air defenses 3. Supply lines and enemy troops 4. Threats to UN ground troops Carl Von Clausewitz

U.S. Chain of Command By now, 38 nations joined with U.S.

Desert Storm Air War Begins  Jan 17, 3:00 a.m. (H-hour) – 669 coalition aircraft attack – Stealth led the way – Using “Smart Bombs”  1st targets: communications links  2 nd : Iraq’s air-defense systems, such as SAMs  3 rd : supply lines and warehouses  U.S. air power quickly took control skies over Kuwait

Feb, 24 th (1 month later) The Ground War begins  Coalition forces advanced rapidly – Easily passed defensive barriers – Iraqi armor was nonexistent! – So many surrendering forces that it slowed down ground advance 5,500 surrendered in 1st 10 hours  E-8 JSTARS saw mass retreats  “The mother of all retreats”  1,000 tanks & other vehicles  trapped

Ground War Ends  Last desperate act - Saddam set fire to oil wells  War ended in 100 hours  Unlike Vietnam?  Cease fire signed on Feb 28 th  Ground war start date? “We were 150 miles from Baghdad & there was nobody to stop us”…Schwarzkopf 9 years Feb 24 th

How did the war end? Total Victory! All objectives attained

Horner’s comments “Schwarzkopf was right on target in using airpower to maintain the initiative and fight the war on OUR terms rather than on Saddam Hussein’s terms.” “Saddam Hussein wanted to attack us...He didn’t care if he lost a quarter of a million men so long as he could cause 7,000 to 10,000 causalities on us and say he defeated the Americans!”

Lessons Learned USAF had 2 CLEAR goals in the Gulf War: 1. Protect Saudi Arabia 2. Free Kuwait (Remove Iraqi troops & restore Kuwaiti government) Activity: Should there have been the goal to remove Saddam Hussein from power? Lessons Learned: 1.To achieve goals, draw up clear tactics & targets Don’t give enemy chance to repair or rearm (Like we did in Vietnam)

Lessons Learned 2. Grab air superiority early! U.S./UN controlled skies Made ground war easy for the army Weakened the battlefield 3. Technology gave us the edge – Stealth Our “silver bullet” – we snuck in undetected – Air refueling Sustained/prolonged operations – Airborne radar We saw everything that moved

CPS Questions (3 - 16)

Summary  Gulf War:  Key events of Gulf War  Role of air power in Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm