Smarter Weapons for a New Gulf War

Feb. 26 -- On Jan. 17, 1991, a small squadron of U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters, dozens of cruise missiles from naval vessels, and a number of F-117 stealth fighters launched the opening salvo of what became known as Operation Desert Storm.

It rapidly became apparent in that conflict with Iraq that high-tech weapons could greatly change how wars were fought. Microchips used in everything from cruise missiles to stealth planes "invisible" to enemy radar helped allied forces conduct a round-the-clock war of precision previously unseen.

Now, fast forward to the current day, where experts expect any potential conflict with Iraq will see even more intelligent high-tech weapons — some of them still experimental. And, they predict, today's technology will once again dramatically change how war will be waged.

Unlike Desert Storm, many military analysts are predicting that U.S. military forces will attack Iraq at lightning speeds.