Bombs Away

Jim Dunnigan is suitably impressed with the Air Force’s performance so far:

Coalition warplanes are flying 1500-2000 sorties a day, most of them against Republican Guard divisions south of Baghdad. While these attacks are largely with smart bombs, what makes them particularly lethal is smart target spotting. Special Forces patrols on the ground combine with JSTARS airborne ground radar, spy satellites and UAVs to track Iraqi troops on the ground much more precisely than during the 1991 war. Twelve years ago, the Iraqis were able to elude most of the bombs. According to prisoners of war and defectors, this is not the case in 2003. Republican Guard divisions find their casualties climbing and morale dropping. The coalition is keeping over a hundred bombers in the air 24/7, ready to drop smart bombs on enemy troops in contact with U.S. troops or seen moving from the air. Although the Republican Guard have dug their trenches in orchids, villages and anywhere there is cover, they are still spotted and promptly bombed. Most civilians have fled, warned by weeks of coalition radio broadcasts and leaflet drops to leave if they see Iraqi troops or equipment near them.

Read the whole thing for details on progress of the land campaign, too. Should dispell any doubts you might have.