On August 2, 1990, Iraqi troops marched into Kuwait, and the long-standing territorial and oil dispute between the two countries finally turned into a rapid raid. In just 10 hours, Iraq occupied all of Kuwait and incorporated it into its territory.
Iraq's military operations have changed the situation in the Gulf region and are a direct threat to Saudi Arabia, which borders it. Oil supplies from the United States, Western Europe and Japan are under great threat, and they have urged the United Nations to issue a number of resolutions condemning and sanctioning Iraq. On November 29, 1990, the United Nations Security Council issued Resolution 678, which issued an ultimatum to Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.
As the deadline draws closer and closer, the Iraqi side has no intention of withdrawing its troops. On 12 January 1991, the United States Congress authorized the army to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwaiti soil. After the establishment of the multinational force led by the United States, several American aircraft carriers have reached the Gulf region. On January 17, the day after the deadline, the multinational force began an airstrike called Desert Storm, intended to minimize Iraq's war capabilities before a ground offensive began.
The first three days of operation "Desert Storm" were the stage of strategic air strikes, and the multinational force dispatched more than 4,700 aircraft and launched more than 200 cruise missiles to attack Iraq's air defense positions, radar stations, airports, power stations, military command centers, communications and liaison facilities, government organs, and Saddam's presidential palace, with the aim of seizing absolute air supremacy, suppressing the opponent's air defense firepower, paralyzing Iraq's command system, and creating conditions for subsequent air raids.
Desert Storm remained in the tactical airstrike phase, with the multinational force dispatching more than 90,000 sorties and firing more than 100 cruise missiles to strike Iraqi forces in Kuwait and Iraq's post-supply lines, while continuing to damage military installations in Iraq.
By The time the ground offensive began on Feb. 24, the Multinational Force in Desert Storm had flown 100,000 sorties and fired 323 cruise missiles, including more than 400 aircraft from six U.S. aircraft carriers anchored in the Gulf, while Navy warships and submarines had fired 288 cruise missiles. In the 37-day air strike, the Iraqi navy and air force were basically incapacitated, the chain of command was almost paralyzed, logistical supplies were difficult, and the combat effectiveness of the troops stationed in Kuwait was reduced. All this has created favorable conditions for the implementation of the "desert saber".
On 24 February 1991, after more than a month of heavy airstrikes, the multinational force began a ground offensive code-named "Desert Sabre". By this time, the multinational force had assembled a ground force of 600,000 people (mainly American troops) on the Iraqi border, equipped with 3,700 tanks, 3,000 armored vehicles, and 1,600 artillery. The multinational force plans to use a large detour of offensive tactics to encircle a large number of Iraqi troops, including the Republican Guard, in the area south of Basra. To this end, more than 40 warships of the Navy carrying 18,000 Marines conducted large-scale exercises off the coast of Kuwait, creating the illusion of preparing for landing. The Iraqis were fooled and mobilized more troops to the south to prepare for a landing that would never happen.
Iraq, which concentrated its forces in Kuwait, neglected the defenses in the west, which caught the hands of the multinational force. On 24 February, the main multinational force forces, the 7th Army and the 18th Airborne Army, entered Iraq with strong armored forces and air assaults. Among them, the 7th Army's 1st Armored Division, 3rd Armored Division, 1st Mechanized Infantry Division, 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division and other heavily armored units used a beautiful "left hook fist" to encircle the Iraqi Republican Guard in southern Iraq.
In the Gulf War, the U.S. Navy played an important role, with 26,000 sorties of carrier-based aircraft on six aircraft carriers, firing nearly 300 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and escorting and transporting 95 percent of combat materiel. During the war the Navy had two warships damaged and 13 aircraft lost for various reasons, but they accomplished their tasks, demonstrating high capabilities and high quality.
The 18th Airborne Army was subordinate to the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division, which penetrated into the Iraqi hinterland and quickly occupied the transportation points to prevent the Iraqi army from retreating north. In addition to the two main offensive groups, offensive forces composed of the United States 1st Marine Division, the 2nd Marine Division and other national forces entered southern Kuwait with the task of retaking Kuwait and then squeezing Iraqi forces from south to north.
Under the rapid and fierce ground offensive of the multinational force, the Iraqi army soon collapsed, and many troops surrendered after losing a lot of technical equipment. On 26 February, Iraq announced its acceptance of the United Nations ceasefire programme, and its troops began to withdraw from Kuwait, but were violently attacked by the multinational force. By 28 February, the multinational force had halted its offensive and the 100-hour ground battle had ended. By this point, the Gulf War had ended, and the multinational forces had won a decisive victory with minor losses.
In the Gulf War, the U.S. Navy played an important role, with 26,000 sorties of carrier-based aircraft on six aircraft carriers, firing nearly 300 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and escorting and transporting 95 percent of combat materiel. During the war the Navy had two warships damaged and 13 aircraft lost for various reasons, but they accomplished their tasks, demonstrating high capabilities and high quality.
