Gulf War
Operation Desert Storm: combat debut of the Beretta M9 and the M4 carbine.
Context and course
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 triggered the largest military coalition since WWII. For the U.S., it was the first war fought at scale with the new Beretta M9 (adopted in 1985) and with the compact M4 carbine version of the M16A2.
The Iraqi army mostly used AK variants (Iraqi Tabuk, USSR-supplied AK-47/AKM), Dragunov SVDs and PKMs. The overwhelming coalition superiority in air and armor relegated small arms to a marginal role compared to the conventional fight. The ground campaign lasted 100 hours.
Belligerents
Led by USA, UK, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Forces of Saddam Hussein
Iconic weapons of the conflict
- M16A2 / M4
Rifle and first true carbine for Marines and the Army.
- Beretta M9
U.S. Army pistol making its combat debut.
- M249 SAW
FN MINIMI 5.56 Squad Automatic Weapon.
- M240
FN MAG 7.62 NATO entering frontline service.
- AK-47 / Tabuk
Standard rifle of Iraqi forces.
In the ARSENALIS catalog (5)
Doctrinal legacy
Ushered in the era of high-tech warfare and established the M9 and M4 as Western standards. It also exposed the M9's limits (slide-mounted safety, 15-round capacity) that thirty years later led to the MHS program.