- Desert Shield was the US response to protect Saudi Arabia in 1990, while Desert Storm was the operation to liberate Kuwait in 1991. - The US had air superiority with bombers like the B-52 and stealth aircraft like the F-117A, as well as cruise missiles and attack helicopters, which devastated Iraqi forces from the air. - On the ground, the US used tanks like the M1 Abrams and M109 howitzer, along with infantry fighting vehicles and engineering vehicles, to annihilate the remaining Iraqi troops in a 100-hour ground campaign.