ABSTRACT
Simply stated, air power won the Gulf war. It was not the victory of any one service, but rather the victory of coalition air power projection by armies, navies, and air forces. Both the Army and the Air Force claimed decisiveness in the Persian Gulf War. While both the Army and the Air Force claimed decisiveness, the Iraqi Army deserved considerable blame for its defeat. Decisiveness was also a function of the United States' limited political objectives. Air Force Major General Buster Glosson believed that airpower alone was a war-winning technology, and that with stealth technology and precision weapons airpower had finally achieved the objectives established in the 1920s and 1930s. The Navy performed a number of significant missions during the war. Carrier-based aircraft supported the operations of the Air Force. Attacking forces crossed the line of departure breaching the Iraqi defenses at multiple locations.
