Washingtonpost.com: Fog of War

INSTANT THUNDER
Note: The following is a reproduced version of the actual working document drawn up by the planners of the air campaign.

PROPOSED STRATEGIC AIR CAMPAIGN

STRATEGIC AIR CAMPAIGN
INSTANT THUNDER

Leadership Key
Production Infra-
Structure Population Fielded
Force

Hussein regime
– incapacitate Electricity Railroads Psyops
– Iraqis
– Foreign
workers
– Soliders
in Kuwait Destroy strat
air defense

Telecommuni-
cations & C3
– Civil
– Military Internal
distribution &
storage Destroy strat
offense
– Bombers
– Missiles

NBC research
facility

Military research
production,
and storage

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT

– Overwhelming worldwide condemnation of Hussein regime
– Cut off from sources of military resupply
– Time is on side of aggressor
– If military forces used, must provide quick, decisive victory (days, not weeks)
– Initiative, surprise, and deception – all key
– To succeed must go to heart of problem

STRATEGIC AIR CAMPAIGN
INSTANT THUNDER

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS: Conduct powerful land and focused attacks on strategic centers of gravity in Iraq over a short period of time (days not weeks)

– Target Hussein regime, not Iraqi people
– Minimize civilian casualties and collateral damage
– Minimize American and allied losses
– Pit U.S. strengths against Iraqi weaknesses

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES

Phase 1 (Strategic Air Campaign)

– Incapacitate, discredit, and isolate Hussein regime
– Eliminate Iraqi offensive/defensive capability

– Make military reconstitution long-term and difficult
– Create conditions leading to Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait

– Sever supplies and command

Phase 2 (Battlefield Air Operations)

– Destroy the Iraqi army in Kuwait

ESSENTIAL TARGET SETS

– Strategic Air Defense

– Render Iraq defenseless and minimize threat to friendly forces
– Strategic Offense Capability

– Reduce threat to adjacent states ... now and in the future
– Hussein Regime

– The most important center of gravity
– Telecommunications and C3

– Rupture Hussein's link to people and military
– Electricity

– Cripple production and create confusion
– Oil (refined products)

– Paralyze domestic and military internal movement
– Railroads

– Complicate movement of goods and services
– Nuclear/Biological/Chemical Research Facility

– Reduce long-term international threat
– Military Research, Production and Storage

– Limit offensive capability – short and long-term

STRATEGIC AIR CAMPAIGN

Total Targets: 84

Strategic Air Defense – 10
Strategic Chemical – 8
National Leadership – 5
Telecommunications – 19
Electricity – 10
Oil (Internal Consumption) – 6
Railroads – 3
Airfields – 7
Ports – 1
Military/Support Production & Storage Depots – 15

FORCES

(Air Force, Navy, and Marine)

– Long-range Conventional Bombers
– Fighter/Attack
– Specialized Aircraft (such as F-117)
– Psychological Operations
– Unconventional Operations
– Multinational Air

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND
DECEPTION OPERATIONS

– Psychological operations – critical element of campaign

– Destroy Iraqi TV and broadcasting system – substitute US

broadcasts

– Separate regime from support of military and people

– Exploit Arab cultural emphasis on appearance and status

– Deception operations
– Reduce casualties
– Facilitate military operations

EXPECTED CAMPAIGN RESULTS

– Hussein regime destroyed or impotent
– Iraq's strategic offense (missiles and long-range aircraft) eliminated for extended period
– Iraq defenseless against air attack
– Iraq army neutralized
– Internal economy disrupted
– Iraq's capability to export oil not significantly degraded
– Foundation for subsequent successful military operations by Arab forces against Iraqi forces in Kuwait, if required or desired

CONTINGENCIES

– 4 A-10 squadrons engage (96 A/C)

– Held in operational reserve
– 3 SQDN AV-8s (72)
– 3 SQDN F-16s (72)
– 3 SQDN F/A-18s (72)

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