even to the point that precision munitions destroyed hardened targets previously thought vulnerable only to nuclear weapons.

         The second key component of the air campaign enhanced by high technology is aircraft survivability. The remarkable survivability record in Operation Desert Storm allowed consistently high sortie rates, which in turn allowed the devastating momentum of the campaign to build. Aircraft survivability was also increased by the successful counter-air offensive and air superiority, but these are not the focus of this section.

         High tech helped survivability in three ways. The first was Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses ( SEAD ) equipment. Aircraft equipped with SEAD systems were singularly effective in neutralizing Iraq's integrated air defense network. The lack of an effective Iraqi air defense network permitted our aircraft to operate at standoff distances above intense Iraqi antiaircraft artillery and infrared surface-to-air missiles. The medium altitude sanctuary also permitted more accurate delivery of precision guided munitions.

         The second way high tech increased survivability was stealth. The performance of the F - 117 attack fighter illustrated the great promise of stealth systems for reducing aircraft vulnerability. The F - 117 was the only aircraft used against targets in Baghdad, the most heavily defended portion of Iraq. Even though they flew over 1,200 sorties against the toughest targets, the fleet finished the war with no losses. A senior Air Force commander said, " I figured that just on the first night we would lose a couple ( of F - 117s ) just from stray hits. We didn't lose a single one that night, and it was not scratched during the entire war".

         The third high - tech contributor to greater aircraft survivability was unmanned cruise missiles. Navy sea - launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and B - 52 - launched cruise missiles employed against high - value, high - risk targets provided CENTCOM planners with an entirely new dimension in warfare capability. The precision of the weapon and the freedom it afforded from pilot safety concerns made cruise missiles extremely useful against heavily defended targets during daylight hours. Over 80 percent of the Tomahawks fired during Operation Desert Storm flew daylight missions.

         Because Air Force planners were skeptical at first of the Tomahawk's reliability and capability, they used several missiles against each target as a safeguard. However, this practice disappeared soon after the missiles' successful strikes. From that point on, Tomahawks were used against an increasing range of targets. Ultimately, about 288 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired by surface ships and submarines in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean.

Benefits of High Tech on the Ground

         High tech also enhanced the effectiveness of several key components of the ground campaign: mobility and maneuver, standoff engagement, precise navigation, and night vision capability.

         High mobility and maneuver warfare were central to the success of the "Left Hook". The ability of U.S. ground forces to fight a fast, fluid 100 - hour ground campaign grew out of excellent training, equipment and an evolution in doctrine.

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