Stars of the Gulf War, opposite, top to bottom: Spectacularly demonstrating the value of stealth technology, the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk fighter performed almost perfectly. The KC-135 Stratotanker's latest version provided necessary aerial refueling over huge distances, and Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft ensured the Allied air supremacy that won the day over Iraq. Making yet another vital contribution over the battlefield, the venerable B-52, the USAF's longest-serving aircraft, provided heavy, high-altitude bombing capability. The USAF effectively rendered useless massively reinforced concrete aircraft shelters, such as those above, top and center, and vital oil production and storage facilities, bottom, with bombing precise enough to leave little collateral damage.
