ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some general lessons regarding the effectiveness of precision weapons, the air campaign, the land campaign, intelligence and ballistic missiles and considers specific implications for Israel. In drawing lessons from the Gulf War regarding the impact of modern technology on the battlefield in other future arenas, caution is required — for several reasons. The Iraqi Air Force was initially neutralized by bombarding runways as well as command and control and other support centers. The target intelligence and damage assessment loop, which relied mainly on air photography, was in general quite slow. The characteristics of the Arab-Israeli combat arena are quite similar to those of the Gulf. The American success in the attrition and destruction of the Iraqi ground forces from the air, which led to a very easy land campaign with few casualties, raises the question whether a similar stage may be introduced into our doctrine.
