The Role of Air Defense Artillery in the Gulf War

On the night of August 2, 1990, Iraqi military forces invaded the territory of the neighboring state of Kuwait from the northern border. The main reason for this invasion was the Iraqi sides claim to Kuwaiti territory as a subject emirate (Moger, 2021). This military conflict between the two states resulted in a significant two-year war between Iraq and the United Alliance, representing the military forces of several dozen nations, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, and the USSR. The historical notoriety of this conflict stems from the extensive use of aviation as an additional force, causing severe damage to enemy forces, including infrastructural and human casualties. This essay seeks to examine in detail the air defense artillery role in this war.

Air military forces were predominantly employed by the Alliance. It is reported that the U.S. Air Force alone flew more than 59% of all combat sorties, which enhanced the attack on enemy military and civilian infrastructure (DAF, 1991). Meanwhile, the Iraqi Army also used military aircraft, which posed threats to Alliance forces. In order to effectively protect its resources, the Alliance had to use air defense. The central ADA systems used by Alliance forces were the Patriot missile system and the Avenger (Shepherd, 2020). The Avenger air defense system had a short range, mainly used in small areas. The advantage of the Avenger was its comparable mobility, which allowed the installation to be deployed quickly and aimed directly at an approaching projectile. The Patriot missile system was used primarily to destroy approaching enemy missiles and warplanes. Each Patriot air defense system consisted of a radar system and command and launch facilities. The Patriot radar could detect approaching missiles, while the command unit intercepted the projectile and destroyed it. It is not known precisely how each of these air defenses destroyed many Iraqi missiles, but it is known that these systems have proven highly effective and usable on the battlefield.

It is fair to say that Alliance air defenses have effectively deterred attacks but have not repelled all combat arrivals. In particular, several Iraqi missiles could reach their targets in Saudi Arabia, passing the Patriot air defense defenses, with three casualties (Army, n.d.). This is just one example, but the Alliances existing air defense resources needed improvement. Therefore, the ADA used additional units, not just Patriot and Avenger. Such air defense systems used during the Gulf War include the Stinger and the first used MIM-104 Patriot, a portable air defense system for defense against warplanes and cruise missiles (Moger, 2021). The ADA has also been known to use signal jamming and distortion on enemy radars to ensure invisibility to its missiles and to disrupt approaching enemy missiles (Creighton, n.d. ). In other words, many devices and systems were used in the ADA arsenal during this military conflict, each addressing practical objectives.

The extensive use of air artillery system attacks and the use of air defenses to defend against enemy missiles demonstrated the high importance to the victory of the Alliance forces. According to the executive director of The Army Historical Foundation and a U.S. Army veteran, the strength of such air defenses consisted not only of their ability to repel attacks effectively but also to put psychological pressure on the enemy (Creighton, n.d.). Many air defense systems were used for the first time in the Gulf War, which put pressure on Iraqi forces.

Thus, the primary role of air defense during the Gulf War was to protect combat arrivals from Iraq, and the U.S. Air Force showed the greatest effectiveness. In this military conflict, some installations, like the MIM-104 Patriot, were used for the first time, creating psychological pressure on Iraqi forces. The effectiveness of these systems was critical to the success of coalition forces because they effectively protected coalition forces from the Iraqi air force, while electronic warfare systems disrupted enemy radars and communications systems. Many technologies of the time were unique and primitive in their application, but they do not seem surprising in the current context of military engagement.