The Persian Gulf War of 1991 was the first major conflict of the modern military, armed with advanced 'smart' bombs and GPS navigation. Among technological debuts, the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stood out head above shoulders among the rest because of its stealth capabilities. The advanced system led the opening strikes on Day 1, opening the night sky to the rest of the coalition bombers and strike fighters and the attention of Iraqi ground artillery. The weapons of Desert Storm brought together military equipment from a coalition of nations led by the might of the United States from land, sea and air.

In an area where tribal and religious issues often lead to war, the Persian Gulf War of 1991 was no different. Iraq invaded the small Gulf nation of Kuwait - a US ally - and, at least for a moment, controlled roughly 24 percent of the world's oil supply. It was presumed that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's next step was to take on Saudi Arabia and, at the end of that day, own upwards of 44 of the world's oil reserves. As it stood, the world powers under the banner of the United Nations lay down an unheeded ultimatum, which led to the all out strike of Iraq infrastructure of unprecedented levels, all of which ultimately led to the equally effective ground war.

In the end, the world's fourth largest army of Iraq was left in ruins, her air force decimated mostly while still on the ground. Alternatively, it cleared the recent memory of American failure in Vietnam and unleashed computer technology onto the battlefields for the first time in force. By the end of the conflict, Saddam Hussein found himself with less of an army to lead, less of a territory to move freely in thanks to the imposed no-fly zone and instability of every kind a dictator can imagine.