On 29 November 1990, the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 authorized the assembly of a multinational military coalition to fight against Iraq in the Gulf War. The coalition's purpose was to liberate Iraqi-occupied Kuwait by "all necessary means" if Iraq did not withdraw by 15 January 1991. Iraq failed to relinquish control over Kuwait by the deadline specified in Resolution 678, leading to the commencement of combat operations with the Gulf War aerial bombardment campaign on 17 January 1991. At this time, the coalition consisted of 42 countries and was spearheaded by the United States: the central command was led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom; the marine command was led by the United States; the Joint Forces East Command was led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Morocco, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Poland, and Czechoslovakia; and the Joint Forces North Command was led by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Italy, Australia, Japan, and Turkey. On 23 February 1991, the aerial bombardment campaign came to an end as the coalition began a large-scale ground offensive (the Liberation of Kuwait campaign) into Iraqi-occupied Kuwait and parts of Iraq. The Iraqi military was devastated in the fighting, and Kuwait was declared completely free of occupying Iraqi troops on 28 February 1991.
Multinational group (Qatari F1 Mirage & Alpha Jet, French F1 Mirage, U.S. F-16, and Canadian CF-18 Air Forces) of fighter jets during Operation Desert Shield
Member states
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Argentina
Argentina had 500 troops, two corvettes, a destroyer, two cargo planes and three helicopters.[1] It led the Operation Alfil.
Australia contributed at least one guided missile frigate, one destroyer and one supply ship.[2] Limited numbers of Australian troops were imbedded in British and American formations, and RAAF photo interpreters were based in Saudi Arabia. Soldiers of the Royal Australian Artillery provided air defence to the Australian supply ships, as they had none of their own. [3]
Bahrain
Bahraini troops played a limited role in the conflict, with the Bahraini army providing troops to the GCC (exclusively with Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti troops), which played a support role in the conflict. The Bahraini government also allowed the country to be used as a logistical hub for the coalition.[4][5]
Bangladesh
Bangladeshi personnel was around 2,300.[6] Their codenamed Operation Moruprantar and Security Personnel including two field Ambulance teams. Bangladeshi commander was Zubayr Siddiqui.
Belgium
Belgium had a limited deployment of troops and aircraft to Türkiye, and several ships deployed to the gulf.[7]
2 minesweepers of the Tripartite class, the Iris and the Myostis along with the Command and Logistics ship Zinnia, deployed to the gulf, and conducted mine clearing operations. The Belgian government later decided to send an additional minesweeper, the Dianthus. When the ceasefire took place, clearing operations moved to the coast off Kuwait.[7]
The French personnel was around 18,000 and participated in Opération Daguet. It provided LTG Michel Roquejeoffre: 20,000 troops, 14 ships, one CV, more than 75 aircraft, 350 tanks, & 6th Armored Division.[9] The prominent Michel Roquejeoffre was a leader in the Gulf War.
Germany
Germany gave one squadron of fighters to Turkey.[6]
Greece
Greek forces included Hellenic Air Force pilots and ground support staff, one frigate in Red Sea.[9]
Honduras
Honduras sent 400 personnel to the join the coalition.[10]
Hungary
The Hungarian personnel was about 40 people. It provided a medical team.[11]
Italy
Italian personnel was around 1,950 and Italian forces participated in Operazione Locusta and deployed eight Panavia Tornado strike attack aircraft, Naval deployment (Operazione Golfo 2). Four ships, eight Tornado fighters, six F-104 fighters to Turkey. Italian commander was Mario Arpino.
Kuwait
Kuwaiti resistance included around 9,900 personnel.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg provided financial support as well as peacekeeping to assist civilians. After the war, Luxembourgish soldiers were deployed to the Middle East to deliver humanitarian aid to the Kurdish civilian population taking refuge in the mountains along the Turkish-Iraqi border[12][13]
Morocco
Moroccan personnel was around 13,000 and they reportedly provided security personnel.
Mirza Aslam Beg, the Chief of Army Staff, endorsed the campaign against Iraq. In a briefing given to presidentGhulam Ishaq Khan, Beg maintained the assessment that once the ground battle with the Iraqi Army was joined, the Iraqi Army would comprehensively defeat and repel the American Army.[15] Pakistani personnel was around 4,900–5,500. Ironically, Beg accused the Western countries for encouraging Iraq to invade Kuwait, though he kept his armed forces fighting against Iraq in support to Saudi Arabia.[16][17] In 1990, he held state dinner for United States Central Command (SCENTCOM) commander General Norman Schwarzkopf where, together with Chairman Joint Chiefs Admiral Iftikhar Sirohey, brief the USCENTCOM on Pakistan Armed Forces battle preparations and military operational capabilities of Pakistan armed forces in Saudi contingent.[18] The war was a polarizing political issue in Pakistan and Beg carefully commanded and deployed the Pakistan Armed Forces' contingent forces during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.[17][19] Beg calculated that the popular opinion would be in favor of Iraq, as the anti-American sentiment in the Middle East began to grow at that time.[15] But, neither did Beg's strategic prediction come true nor did he get an extension.[15] Soon after the end of Gulf war, Beg proceeded towards his retirement on 18 August 1991.[15]
Philippines
The Philippines sent around 200 medical personnel to assist coalition forces in the liberation of Kuwait.
Poland
Polish forces participated in Operation Simoom and had naval and medical deployment. Their personnel was 319.
Portugal
Logistic support with one Military Logistic Ship and 2 Lockheed C-130 Hercules transporter aircraft.[20][21] Portuguese personnel was estimated to be 52.
Qatar
Qatar gave around 2,600 personnel. Qatari forces participated in the Battle of Khafji.
Romania
Romania participated with 363 medical personnel and 21 soldiers from February 1991. As part of Operation Granby, the medical team with a field hospital were deployed to al-Jubayl.[22][23][24]
Singapore sent 30 military personnel to provide medical and humanitarian services under Operation Nightingale and nine military support teams in 1991, with 990 military personnel, electronic intelligence, naval and aerial assets during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 until 2008.[25]
South Korea
South Korean personnel was 314 with medical and transportation support,
Spain
Spain had 500 on the field and 3,000 off the coast. Engineers, 2 corvettes and one destroyer patrolling near Bab al Mandeb[9]
Syria
Coalition troops from Egypt, France, Oman, Syria, and Kuwait stand for review during Operation Desert Storm.
Syria's personnel was around 14,500 and participated in the Operation Desert Storm. Syrian military officer was Mustafa Tlass.
Sweden
Swedish personnel was about 525 and included a field hospital.[26]
Turkey
Turkey played a role in the air assault against Iraq.[27]
United Arab Emirates
Emirati forces were around 4,300 personnel.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom participated in Operation Granby and Battle of Norfolk. It reportedly gave 16 ships, 58 aircraft, 1st Armd Div HQ, 7th Armd Bde, 4th Armd Bde.[9] British soldiers in the war were reportedly 53,462.[28] British leaders included Patrick Hine, the joint commander of all British forces, Michael Graydon, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Strike Command, Peter de la Billière - Commander-in-Chief of British Forces and John Chapple, Chief of the General Staff.
According to sources, 300 members of the anti-communist militias, Afghan mujahideen, joined the coalition towards the end of the war on 11 February 1991.[30][31] Iraqi Kurdish rebel groups also reportedly rebelled against Saddam.[32]
1 MEKO 360 (Almirante Brown class): ARA Almirante Brown (D-10) (CF A. Tierno). ARA Almirante Brown navigated 25.000 NM in the designated area for operations, as part of GT 88, together with ARA Spiro. Returned to Argentina on 25 April, 1991.
Frigates
2 MEKO 140 A16 (Espora class): ARA Spiro (P-43) (CF O. Gonzalez), ARA Rosales (P-42) (CC Tebaldi / CC Rossi). ARA Spiro returned to Argentina on 23 May 1991, together with ARA Almirante Brown (D-10). It had navigated 23000 NM in the operations area during the conflict.
Amphibious cargo ships
1Costa Sur class: ARA Bahia San Blas (B-5). Loaded with medicine and food, for humanitarian aid. This ship along with ARA Rosales (P-42) formed GT 88.1, and replaced GT 88.0 formed by ARA Almirante Brown and ARA Spiro.
Helicopters
2 Alouette III (3-H-109 and 3-H-112), from 1° Esc. Aeronaval de Helicopteros (EA1H) (C.C. Alomar). Totalling 67 flights. Operated initially with P-43 and D-10. One of the Alouette suffered an accident, with no casualties.
^ abHossain, Ishtiaq (April 1997). "Bangladesh and the Gulf War: Response of a Small State". Pakistan Horizon. 50 (2). Pakistan Institute of International Affairs: 42. JSTOR41393571.
^Hiro, Dilip (2003). Desert shield to desert storm : the second Gulf war. New York: Authors Choice Press. ISBN0-595-26904-4.
^ abGhareeb, Majid Khadduri, Edmund (2001). War in the Gulf, 1990–91: the Iraq-Kuwait conflict and its implications. Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford University Press, Ghareeb. ISBN0-19-514979-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Petre, H. Norman Schwarzkopf, written by Peter (1993). It doesn't take a hero : the autobiography (Bantam paperback ed.). New York: Bantam Books. ISBN0-553-56338-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Alexandrescu, Grigore; Băhnăreanu, Cristian (2007). Operații militare expediționare(PDF) (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Universității Naționale de Apărare "Carol I". p. 33. ISBN9789736634994. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2023-04-23.