AIR WAR IN THE GULF (Osprey Combat Aircraft No. 27)

Christopher Chant. Osprey, In August 1990 Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. This book analyzes the ensuing Gulf War (January 16-February 28, 1991), a war fought to expel Iraq and restore Kuwaiti independence if not, as one British MP observed, to defend democracy. The allies under General Schwarzkopf launched five weeks of air attacks, deploying 1,800 highly technologically advanced aircraft from the US, British, French and Saudi air forces. Many of these machines, including the British Tornados and US F-117A stealth fighters, had never before engaged in combat, and their joint assault, watched by millions on TV, combined impressive accuracy with firepower to which the Iraqui forces had no answer.