America's Secret Weapons
Desert Storm and Beyond

On January 17, 1991, Lockheed F-117 stealth fighters launched Operation Desert Storm, the opening blow of a campaign that would forever change aerial warfare. Over the next 100 days, coalition forces blanketed the air space over Iraq, employing a sophisticated arsenal of weapons and electronic countermeasures that thwarted every attempt by the Iraqis to effectively fight back.

It was an entirely new era in warfare, but in many ways, Desert Storm was only the beginning. The new generation of precision munitions that shocked the world in 1991 has led to a technological explosion in weapons development. This documentary examines the revolution in the application of air power that began with Desert Storm. Beginning with a review of air operations in Iraq with "Winds of the Storm" a conversation with retired Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill McPeak provides an overview of the successes and failures of the air war in Iraq. However successful, the application of air power in the Persian Gulf was by no means perfect: weather conditions prevented the employment of precision guided weapons, and those same weapons did not always strike their intended targets. Mobile missile launchers proved difficult to locate, and human error led to tragic loss of life from friendly aerial fire. The problems encountered in Iraq have led directly to a new generation of weapons. In our final installment, "Superweapons: The Secrets of China Lake," we'll visit the US Navy's weapons testing facility, where all new systems are tested before they are officially approved for use. This job falls to VX-9, a squadron of dedicated professionals who live on the cutting edge of military technology. A look at VX-9, and their mission at China Lake provides an astonishing glimpse onto the future of aerial warfare.