elliot@.berkeley.edu (Elliot Wilen) (02/07/91)
From: elliot@.berkeley.edu (Elliot Wilen) A friend asked me why it is not possible to virtually cut off supply of Iraq's army in Kuwait through airpower alone, and why there are still strategic bridges left standing in Iraq. I made several guesses (see below) but I had to admit that I didn't really know. Can anyone provide an authoritative answer to this question? Does anyone know of a good book or article on the topic of aerial disruption of lines of supply? Now for my guesses, on which I invite comment: 1. News footage notwithstanding, bridges are not easy to hit. They're also quite rugged, thanks to modern engineering and building methods. Combine these two factors with the relatively smaller explosive power of the "smart" munitions needed to guarantee a hit, and it's not surprising that a number of them haven't yet been destroyed. 2. Even though bridges may be destroyed, rivers may still be crossed by means of pontoon bridges, fords, and ferries. Even though roads may be torn up, trucks can be detoured around damaged sections, allowing continued, albeit slowed, delivery of supplies. 3. Some of the Iraqi supply centers (Basra, for example) are on the Kuwait side of the major rivers. --Elliot Wilen