Study: Military, Weapons Firms Exaggerated Gulf War Successes

WASHINGTON —  A newly declassified report says the Pentagon and weapons makers overstated the effectiveness of high-technology aircraft, bombs and other systems during the Persian Gulf War.

The congressional report, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press, says laser-guided bombs and Tomahawk missiles were less effective than claimed. It also found that aircraft touted as attacking in all conditions had trouble in clouds or dust and that the F-117 Stealth fighter may not have been the invulnerable weapon of surprise that its supporters touted.

In a rebuttal written while the report was still classified, Frederick Frostic, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for requirements and plans, said the GAO’s analysis was overly simplistic.