Air Campaign Against the Iraqi Army in the Kuwaiti Theater of OperationsThe air campaign against the Iraqi army in the Kuwait Theater of Operations (KTO) began on the opening day of the war. Eighty B-52s bombed Republican Guard positions, almost 300 A-10 sorties were flown against troop positions along the border, and F-16s attacked ground force command and control positions. Additionally, over 250 other sorties were flown in the KTO on the first day of the war against strategic air offensive targets. The number of attack sorties rose to over 1000 a day in the ensuing weeks. The campaign against the Iraqi ground forces comprised several objectives of the larger air campaign. The objectives of the KTO campaign were to: (1) Gain air supremacy in the KTO by suppressing air defenses; (2) Isolate the Iraqi forces in Kuwait; (3) Render the Iraqi army ineffective; and (4) Support coalition ground forces in the execution of the ground campaign. |
Contents
The Scripted War Days 13 | 14 |
Isolating the Iraqi ArmyAttacking the Bridges | 21 |
SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS | 47 |
Copyright | |
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ABCCC air campaign air defenses air operations aircrews APCs armored vehicles artillery ASOCS assets attack aircraft attack flights attrition battle area battle management battle of Khafji bombs close air support coalition air forces coalition aircraft coalition ground forces combat conducted defense suppression destroyed effective employed engagement control February February 15 fratricide FSCL G-Day GFACs interdiction Iraq Iraqi army Iraqi divisions Iraqi forces Iraqi ground forces January 29 Joint STARS Joint STARS targeting kill box Killer Scouts Kuwait City LANTIRN level of effort LGBs MARCENT Marine Maverick Mirage F-1s MISREPs missiles mission control mission results munitions night number of sorties Operation Desert Storm percent Phase pilots planning process precision weapons procedures reported Republican Guard Republican Guard positions results achieved revetment Scud Scud hunting sensors sorties flown sorties per day squadron strategic TACC tactical echelon tactical situation tank plinking tasked to attack theater two-ship flight USAF wing