From factory floor to desert war
Article Abstract:
Developmental systems with no track records used in the 1991 Persian Gulf War required intense technical support to keep them running smoothly. The F-15E fighter plane, the US Air Force's most sophisticated platform, had maintenance staffs of 230 technicians and specialists. Also, contractors Northrop Corp, Hughes Aircraft Co and Martin Marietta Corp sent civilian technical representatives. In all, 820 people supported 48 F-15Es, which achieved a full mission capable rate of 94 percent. The Joint Stars system, in which aircraft were equipped with advanced radar to detect moving targets and provide images, was maintained by tech reps from Grumman Corp and Norden Systems Inc. The most common problem was a bug in the radar's sensor software that caused the system to sporadically freeze up. A complex delivery system got parts to the desert in days and was documented in the US by computers using Cobol, Fortran and APL. In the desert, however, supply and equipment shipments were often delayed or lost.
Publication Name: IEEE Spectrum
Subject: Engineering and manufacturing industries
ISSN: 0018-9235
Year: 1991
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Special report: Gulf legacy
Article Abstract:
The profound permeation of high technology in the 1991 Persian Gulf War was far more intense than in previous wars, raising questions about the future of warfare. It began months beforehand, with western coalition forces shipping 5.5 million metric tons of gear to the gulf, assembling intelligence data bases for targeting and electronic warfare, pushing developmental weapons into the field and writing software to link key systems and networks. Even troops themselves trained at high tech ranges in the US. Precision weapons resulted in fewer misses, less waste and increased effectiveness. Questions arise from the experience about how both wealthy and poor nations will fight future wars, how high technology should be traded and monitored, whether future wars will be localized and whether the priority will be to avoid them. These issues are all addressed in the Gulf Legacy-Special Report.
Publication Name: IEEE Spectrum
Subject: Engineering and manufacturing industries
ISSN: 0018-9235
Year: 1991
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Warfare in the information age
Article Abstract:
The sprawling and complex high tech electronic information system used by the US in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, called command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C to the power of four-I), enabled the West to dominate air and land battles. The western allies used computers in airplanes and tanks, digital databases instead of maps, software and microcomputers for a command and control network, and satellite dishes and faxes for access to real-time information. Computer models analyzed Iraq's weaknesses. C4-I enabled precision attacks, with a minute .041 percent loss rate on sorties and a target success rate of 82 to 86 percent. Though it weakened Iraq's defense, C4-I wasn't infallible. The US misjudged the size of the Iraqi force, couldn't detect mobile Scud launchers and systems couldn't identify friend from foe in battle.
Publication Name: IEEE Spectrum
Subject: Engineering and manufacturing industries
ISSN: 0018-9235
Year: 1991
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