War 3 Essay Research Paper The task

War 3 Essay, Research Paper

The task of the Air Force in Operaton Desert Storm was to obtain air superior ity, provide air support for the ground troops, strike enemy targets in Kuwait and Iraq, and airlift Army and Marine forces. When Operation Desert Storm was launched, it was the Air Force that conducted most of the raids against the Iraqi military. From air bases in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, England, Egypt, and the tiny island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, wave after wave of fighter bomber, figh- ter planes, and stategic bombers pounded Iraqi military positions in Kuwait and Iraq. Many experts believe that the air strikes were responsible for the quick four- day ground war. Seeing the destruction wrought by the Air Force’s conven- tional bombs, smart bombs and guided missiles, it is hard to disagree with them. B-52s pounded the Iraqi army day and night. By the time the ground war had begun, most of the Iraqi troops were ready to surrender. F-15s, F-16s, F-111s, Harriers, A-10 Warthogs, and an assortment of other sophistocated machines destroyed Iraq’s communications centers, bridges, power plants, chemical plants and munitions plants. Thousands of tanks, vehicles, and artillery pieces were also destroyed by U.S. air raids. Desert Storm marked the first time in history that an air force had defeated an enemy before a ground war was launched

The Army’s task in Operation Desert Storm was to defend Saudi Arabia and win the ground war against Iraq. Without the U.S. Army, Operation Desert Storm would not have been able to push Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Their powerful firepower and speed with shich they struck made it impossible for Iraqi troops to maintain control of the land. Most of Iraq’s army fled at the sight of the army approaching. Those who stayed and fought either surrend- ered or died. The Iraqi military had never seen anything like it. After relentless pounding by its heavy artillery, the U.S. Army launched its attack at night, adding to the confusion and terror. Spearheading the attack were thousands of M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks. They roared over Iraqi fortifications at speeds of over 40 miles per hour firing their 120mm guns with incredible accuracy. Then came wave after wave of mechanized infantry in their Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Overhead, Army Cobra and Apache attack helicopters let loose a firestorm of Hellfire missiles and cannon fire, destroying Iraqi tanks, trucks, and artillery. While the U.S. Army’s heavy armor rolled over the Iraqi front lines, thousands of Army paratroopers descended on Iraqi airfields to seize control of them. Once on the ground, these paratroopers directed huge C-130 Hercules trans- ports onto the safe stretches of cratered runways. More Army troops and heavy equipment poured out of the transports. Their job was to block the es- cape routes of the retreating Iraqi army. Thousands of Iraqi troops were cap- tured, loaded onto transport trucks, then sent south to prisoner-of-war camps in Saudi Arabia. In four days, the ground war was over. The Marines of the 1st Division were the first U.S. troops to fight the Iraqi army. It happened in mid-January 1991 when Operation Desert Storm was first launched. The Marines had been in position along the Kuwaiti border since August 1990. The Iraqis shelled the Marine positions with artillery fire and missiles. Marine scouts spotted the Iraqi artillery positions and called in their Cobra helicopter gunships and A-10 Thunderbolts. The Marines were also used to capture oil platforms off the shores of Kuwait. These platforms were being used by the Iraqis as anti-aircraft gun and mis- sile sites.

Marine aircraft also played an important role in Operation Desert Storm. Marine Harriers based in Saudi Arabia were sent in to Kuwait to destroy an Iraqi radio communication center. The Marine Harriers swept in fast and low and dropped 500-pound demolition bombs and cluster bombs. The Marine aircraft also attacked elsewhere. The planes subjected the Iraqi Republican Guard to constant, continual bombing with no letup. It was this constant bombing bombing that led to the rout of the Iraqi army. The Marine 1st and 2nd Divisions were also combined with the Army’s heavy armored brigade along the Kuwaiti border for the big push into Kuwait. Using M1A1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, the Marines skirted the Iraqi minefields and fortified bunkers and pushed their way to Kuwait City. They encountered little resistance from the Iraqis, most of whom eagerly surrendered before any shots were fired. The Marines were also used as decoys in Operation Desert Storm. Since Iraq knew that the Marines were usually the first to launch a strike, they kept a good number of troops in place along the eastern shores of Kuwait where the Marines, aboard Navy ships, were stationed. By the time the coalition forces swept into Kuwait from the south and west, it was too late for the Iraqi forces along the coast to repel the attack.

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The task of the Navy in Operation Desert Storm was to obtain control of the Persian Gulf, protect friendly ships, stop Iraqi trade, and launch an attack against Iraq. Much of the heavy armour, supplies, and troops of Desert Shield and Desert Storm were transported to the Middle East by the Navy. Navy ships stationed in the Persian Gulf prevented supplies from being ship- ped to Iraq during Operation Desert Shield. The first shot fired in