Editing Gulf War (section)

===Air campaign===
{{Main|Gulf War air campaign}}
[[File:F-117 Nighthawk Front.jpg|thumb|left|The [[USAF]] [[F-117 Nighthawk]], one of the key aircraft used in Operation Desert Storm]]

The Gulf War began with an extensive [[aerial bombing of cities|aerial bombing]] campaign on 16 January 1991. For 42 consecutive days and nights, the coalition forces subjected Iraq to one of the most intensive air bombardments in military history. The coalition flew over 100,000 [[sortie]]s, dropping 88,500 tonnes of bombs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/EdMoise/limit1.html |author=Edwin E. Moïse |title=Limited War: The Stereotypes |publisher=Clemson University |access-date=2 July 2010}}</ref> which widely destroyed military and civilian infrastructure.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Iraqi anti-aircraft defenses, including [[man-portable air-defense systems]], were surprisingly ineffective against enemy aircraft, and the coalition suffered only 75 aircraft losses in over 100,000 sorties, 44 due to Iraqi action. Two of these losses are the result of aircraft colliding with the ground while evading Iraqi ground-fired weapons.<ref name=cnnstats>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612131747/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/ |archive-date=12 June 2008 |title=CNN.com In-depth specials — Gulf War (via Internet Archive) |access-date=23 March 2008 |year=2001 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rjlee.org/aaloss.html |title=Fixed-Wing Combat Aircraft Attrition in Desert Storm |year=2002 |access-date=30 January 2012 |author=Lee, Robin J. |quote=Sources: Gulf War Airpower Survey, Vol. 5; Norman Friedman, Desert Victory; World Air Power Journal. Additionally, Mark Bovankovich and LT Chuck Chase offered corrections and several intriguing details on these incidents. All errors, however, remain entirely mine.}}</ref> One of these losses is a confirmed air-air victory.<ref>[[Rick Atkinson|Atkinson, Rick]] (1994). ''Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War''. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. 47. {{ISBN|978-0-395-71083-8}}</ref>