Battles & Wars › Modern conflicts › Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)
Desert Storm air campaign
January 17 – February 23, 1991· Battle· Middle East & Africa
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
The five-and-a-half-week coalition bombing campaign of 1991 that crippled Iraq's air defenses, command network and army before the ground attack.
See it on the Battles & Wars map →What happened
Beginning before dawn on January 17, 1991, US and allied aircraft under Lieutenant General Chuck Horner struck Iraq's radars, command centers and power grid, then its army in Kuwait. Stealth F-117s bombed Baghdad while Tomahawk missiles struck from ships. The coalition flew more than 100,000 sorties (individual flights) and dropped about 88,500 tons of bombs; under a tenth were guided. Much of Iraq's air force fled to Iran. Hunting mobile Scud missiles fired at Israel and Saudi Arabia proved much harder.
Why it matters
It showed air power could paralyze a large modern army before the ground fight, and made precision strike, stealth and live TV coverage the template for later US wars.
How we know
The US Air Force's Gulf War Air Power Survey (1993), a 1997 GAO evaluation, Iraqi documents captured in 2003, and live TV footage from Baghdad and cockpit video.
Still debated
How much bombing alone broke Iraq's army is debated, as is the civilian toll, including the Amiriyah shelter strike and later deaths from wrecked power and water systems.
Connections (6)
▸Desert Storm air campaign opened Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)Well documented
The connection
The air campaign was the first phase of the Gulf War's fighting. For five and a half weeks it weakened Iraq's defenses and army so the ground offensive could follow. It began only after Iraq ignored a UN deadline of January 15, 1991, to leave Kuwait.
When and how
Iraq and Kuwait, from the early hours of January 17, 1991, under US Central Command; air forces of the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Italy and others.
How we know
UN Security Council Resolution 678 set the deadline; coalition orders, strike logs and live CNN broadcasts from Baghdad document the start.
Debates and open questions
Whether more time for UN sanctions could have forced Iraq out without war was argued in Congress, which authorized force by narrow votes (Senate 52–47).
▸Desert Storm air campaign showed the precision-bombing promise of Air power and strategic bombingMostly agreed
The connection
Interwar theorists such as Giulio Douhet promised bombing could win wars on its own, but World War II and Vietnam bombing fell short. In 1991 precision weapons, stealth and Colonel John Warden's plan, which targeted Iraq's leadership, communications and power as 'centers of gravity', came closer than ever to that promise.
When and how
Planned in August 1990 by Warden's 'Checkmate' office in the Pentagon and General Chuck Horner's staff in Riyadh; carried out January–February 1991.
How sure are we?
Planning documents and the Gulf War Air Power Survey record the strategic targeting; bomb-damage assessments record the results.
Debates and open questions
Did air power 'win' the war? Air Force advocates say largely yes; Army historians stress that a ground offensive was still needed to expel Iraq from Kuwait.
▸Desert Storm air campaign was led into Baghdad by Stealth aircraft (F-117 Nighthawk)Well documented
The connection
On the first night of the war, F-117 Nighthawks were the only coalition aircraft sent over heavily defended central Baghdad. Unseen by Iraqi radar, they dropped laser-guided bombs on command, communications and air-defense centers while anti-aircraft fire filled the sky. None was lost during the war.
When and how
Baghdad, from about 3 a.m. on January 17, 1991; F-117s of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing flying from Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia.
How we know
Air Force mission records, cockpit video shown at Riyadh briefings, and the Gulf War Air Power Survey document the strikes.
Debates and open questions
A 1997 GAO review found Air Force claims of F-117 accuracy and impact overstated; how much stealth versus jamming aircraft protected them is debated.
▸Desert Storm air campaign made world famous the Precision-guided munitions (smart bombs)Mostly agreed
The connection
Guided bombs were used in Vietnam, but in 1991 televised cockpit videos of laser-guided bombs hitting bunkers and bridges made 'smart bombs' famous worldwide. Though under a tenth of the munitions dropped, they did a large share of the damage to key targets and convinced militaries everywhere to buy them.
When and how
Iraq and Kuwait, January–February 1991; the videos were shown by General Schwarzkopf and other officers at press briefings in Riyadh.
How sure are we?
Munitions counts in the Gulf War Air Power Survey and the briefing footage itself record both the use and the publicity.
Debates and open questions
The videos showed hits, not misses; how accurate guided weapons were overall, and what share of the results they produced, remains disputed.
▸Tomahawk cruise missile helped open the Desert Storm air campaignWell documented
The connection
Before dawn on January 17, 1991, US warships in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea launched the first Tomahawks ever fired in combat; submarines joined two days later. They struck power plants, command sites and air defenses in Baghdad, where crewed aircraft faced the greatest risk. By the war's end 288 had been fired.
When and how
Persian Gulf and Red Sea, January 17, 1991; launchers included the cruiser USS San Jacinto and the battleship USS Wisconsin.
How we know
Navy launch logs and the Gulf War Air Power Survey list missions and numbers; reporters in Baghdad saw the missiles fly past.
Debates and open questions
The Navy's early success claims were later judged overstated by government auditors; the true 1991 hit rate remains uncertain.
▸Lockheed Skunk Works built the F-117s that opened the Desert Storm air campaignWell documented
The connection
On the first night of Desert Storm, F-117 stealth jets flew into Baghdad's dense air defenses and bombed command and communications centers with laser-guided bombs. No F-117 was lost. The Air Force said the planes flew about 2% of attack sorties but struck about 40% of strategic targets.
When and how
Baghdad and across Iraq, from January 17, 1991; about 40 F-117s of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, flown from Saudi Arabia.
How we know
Air Force mission records and the Gulf War Air Power Survey (1993); a 1997 GAO review found some precision claims overstated.
Debates and open questions
How accurate the F-117's bombing really was, and how decisive stealth was compared with jamming and other aircraft, remains debated.