The United States Air Force aerial bombardment was the most influential factor in the war. Newly developed smart bombs and missiles allowed for incredible precision. Key military positions in Kuwait city were bombed with minor civilian casualties. Precise airstrikes took out communication centers and military barracks, limiting the effectiveness of Saddam's Republican Guard. On the border of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, hundreds of thousands of UN troops and tank divisions lay in wait. Operation Desert storm started with the aerial bombardment. Hundreds of thousands of bombs were dropped on Saddam's forces. Entire armor columns were destroyed and troop divisons decimated. Certain roads were cluttered with bodies and destruction for miles and miles. The Kuwaiti Highway 80 was nicknamed the highway of death. Retreating iraqui armor columns were destroyed by American air power, with car bodies and destroyed tanks littering the road. The American air forces softened up the Iraqi army to the point of breaking. As the infantry and armored advance began across the desert little resistance was left. Iraqi soldiers gave up, abandoned their positions and tanks, and surrendered. The efficiency and precision of the United States air force led to the quick defeat of Saddam in the First Gulf War.
Sources: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/reports/2006/R4269.4.pdf
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