1.17 Desert Storm 30 Years Later: Special Report and Aerospace Advantage Podcast

Desert Storm: 30 Years Later

January 17, 2021: The AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to release a special report on the 30th anniversary of the start of Desert Storm, Desert Storm: 30 Years Later.

According to the U.S. Government Accounting Office, the Persian Gulf War of 1991 “was perhaps the most successful war fought in the 20th Century,” and its success was based on the most successful air campaign the world has ever known. The strategy executed in Desert Storm stands in stark contrast to the wars of attrition and occupation that followed the initial successes of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom in the nearly 20 years subsequent to the attacks on our homeland in 2001.

The commander of Desert Storm–Army General Norman Schwarzkopf–used airpower as the centerpiece of his strategy in a truly joint approach applying the right forces at the right places at the right times. The effects-based approach used for planning air operations proved pivotal in what became one of the most successful military engagements in history. We must remember these key points if today and tomorrow’s generations of military leaders are to benefit from the lessons of this seminal conflict.

In aid of that objective, the Mitchell Institute has assembled this 30-year retrospective, including a summary of the conflict and the perspectives of key leaders who were instrumental in its design and execution. READ NOW!

For media inquiries, email our publications team at [email protected]
Copies of Policy Papers can be downloaded at https://go.afa.org/e/285922/publications/cw2fr5/1286058866?h=u7LrzGL0fKcuaz3yx5ecbzWuygFEiMQ2Vya9pEsDqHo

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is also proud to present a special trilogy of podcasts commemorating the 30th anniversary of Desert Storm featuring key airmen who participated in the campaign.

The first episode, A Strategy for Success, features Gen (Ret.) Mike Loh, Lt Gen (Ret.) Dave Deptula, and Col (Ret.) John Warden describing some of the initial key actions taken in response to Saddam’s aggression. In the next episode, Commanding the Air War, coming January 20, hear the air commander, Gen Chuck Horner, and his key planner, Lt Gen Dave Deptula discuss the air campaign. And in the final episode, Flying The Missions, listen to the pilots and participants describe the challenges they faced.

Not to be missed, this trilogy yields first-hand insights about the world’s most successful air campaign and highlights important lessons learned from the airmen who designed and executed it.

You can find The Aerospace Advantage on the Mitchell Institute website, as well as all major podcast outlets. New episodes will be released every other week.
For more information, please contact Mitchell Institute at [email protected]

available on all the following services:

Connect with us!