Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Doppleganger Quote: |
Originally Posted by Missileer Quote: |
Originally Posted by Doppleganger One side had an utterly overwhelming technological superiority and air supremacy over the other. The outcome of Desert Storm was a foregone conclusion. So whilst the figures look great it cannot be considered the most impressive military achievement when the outcome is more or less secured before the battle has even begun. | At first, all I heard was how Iraq had the 3rd largest and battle hardened forces in the Middle East. The overwhelming statistics were because of a coalition that worked. I don't believe a defeat this one sided was a foregone conclusion before the war. If you have some information I missed, please post. | No. The coalition was simply a political mechanism that amongst other things allowed the use of Saudi territory for an invasion of Iraq and also helped to keep the conflict from escalating region-wide to encompass Israel. The US could have won this conflict on their own had they chosen so. Closer examination of the Iraq military forces revealed them to be no match for the US led coalition, once enough heavy equipment was in place to repulse an Iraqi thrust into Saudi Arabia. The Iraqi Army, included the much vaunted Republican Guard, were inferior in every way to the coalition forces. But the biggest advantage the Coalition had was technological. With AWAC aircraft monitoring all air movement and J-Stars aircraft doing the same for ground forces the Iraqi's couldn't even fart without Allied military planners knowing about it. Information is everything in warfare and coupled with the air supremacy that the coalition enjoyed this war really was over before it started. |
To be fair, the press was utterly and completely convinced that we, the United States & company, were going to get our butts kicked into next week or that we would see staggering numbers of casualties if we managed to pull off a victory. The press hadn't a clue, but even the most optimistic military strategist would not have likely been able to predict how well it all turned out for the USA and Coalition.
Most of all, I'd say that it was one of the best demonstrations of the triumph of superior technology on the modern battlefield. The old idea that inferior technology can be conpensated for by overwhelming numbers (like Korea) ... well the overwhelming numbers better be a lot more overwhelming. Technology proves itself to be the king of the battlefield. Mind you, I'm not as impressed with the first Gulf War victory as I am with Finland over the USSR in 1939, but it certainly was impressive.