Abstract

Operation Desert Storm began shortly before 3:00 on the morning of January 17, 1991 with the attack of Iraqi radar sites by U.S. Army Apache helicopters and the destruction of an air defense control center by an F-117A Stealth fighter. Coalition air strikes continued on a non-stop basis until the ceasefire 43 days later. Iraq was unable to mount an effective air defense and the coalition pounded vital Iraqi positions at will. Saddam Hussein's ability to counterattack with aircraft or ground forces was totally shut down. But Saddam Hussein thought he had a weapon against which no defense could be mounted. In his mind, it would be so devastating in its ability to inflict damage, impose casualties, and create mass hysteria that the coalition would break apart and the allied governments would sue for peace, on his terms. This, however, was not to be the case. On January 18, within 24 hours of the coalition's initial air strikes, Iraqi-modified Scud tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) were launched into civilian areas in Saudi Arabia, where forces of the United States Army had been deployed with their Patriot Air Defense Systems since the previous August.' On that night, Patriot achieved the first-ever wartime engagement of a ballistic missile in history, and it was successful. During the course of Desert Storm, the world witnessed the Patriot-Scud duels night after night on television. Patriot's very credible performance and success can be measured by the events as they occurred. The coalition did not falter. Israel did not have to mount offensive actions against Iraq, and was able to stay out of the war.

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