Some fascinating tweets about the #DesertStorm30 air campaign, especially from veterans like @JohnNicholRAF, @CobraBall3 & @PhilipClare1. However, The Gulf War was also 'the first space war'.

A Sunday afternoon thread

The Gulf War was the first conflict where space-based Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR), Comms, GPS & Weather forecasting played a decisive role. Things could have been very different without space.

For the first time, commanders had a near-real time picture of enemy forces from space-based imagery, radar & electronic Intelligence. This made the planning & execution of the air & land campaigns much more effective.

Satellites surveyed the poorly-mapped desert and provided data on sand/soil density & moisture content to plan armoured operations like 'Schwarzkopf’s left hook'. What Monty & Rommel would have given for this capability in the Western Desert!

Satellites also provided early warning of Iraqi Scud attacks giving coalition forces time to shelter & reducing casualties. The ability to pass early warnings to Israel (+ Patriot) probably kept them out of the war and consequently the coalition together.

The Gulf War was the first conflict where GPS played a critical role, despite it not being fully operational in Jan 91 (15 satellites in orbit, which included early R&D vehicles, v the 24 at FOC in 1995).

GPS was invaluable in the poorly mapped and sparse desert. It enabled complex manoeuvre, quick artillery siting, accurate mapping of minefields & logistic supply of rapidly moving forces.

The US issued thousands of Small Lightweight GPS Receivers (Sluggers) and they became one fo the the most sought after items of equipment. Weighing just 1.8Kg , for the first time space capability was available to the ordinary soldier.

Such was the popularity of GPS that those unable to get SLGRs got folks back home to post commercially bought Garmins, although civ accuracy at the time was 100m v 16m for the mil signal.

SatCom carried 85% of messages. At the tac/operational level, SatCom enabled the co-ordination and integration of air, land & sea forces in a way hitherto impossible. It also allowed better coms between operational commanders and strategic decision-makers.

Like air power in 1914, space power in the Gulf War meant learning as they went, with very little doctrine or prior experience to draw on. Like air power in 1918 space power’s decisive impact on the war firmly established its place in military operations from then on.

The importance of space to allied success in 1991 did not go unnoticed to adversaries though. & developed anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. The US enjoyed unchallenged space superiority in the Gulf which cannot be taken for granted in future conflicts

The Gulf War might be remembered for the successful air campaign. However, its enduring legacy was arguably space power's coming of age.