Operation Desert Storm

Battle context

Operation Desert Storm was the combat phase of the Gulf War, running from the opening air campaign on 17 January 1991 through the liberation of Kuwait on 28 February 1991. It followed Operation Desert Shield, the months-long military buildup that assembled a 42-country coalition under United States leadership. The operation achieved its stated objective of expelling Iraqi forces from Kuwait, bringing the active conflict to a close within roughly six weeks of the initial bombing campaign. Coalition casualties totaled 13,488 against estimated Iraqi losses of 175,000 to 300,000, a disparity that reflected the scale of the coalition's material and organizational advantages. The outcome demonstrated the capacity of a broad multinational coalition — spanning Western powers, Arab states, and others — to coordinate a large-scale combined-arms operation under U.S. command.