25 years after the end of the first Gulf War, Italeri has developed a very special line of dedicated scale models. We have selected aircrafts and military vehicles, used by Coalition forces and by Iraqi forces during the conflict, presented now in special edition boxes. Our first release is dedicated to the  A-10 Thunderbolt II 1/72 scale. The single scale model kits of the “Gulf War” special lines will be completed by a unique and exclusive “Combo Box” which contains four 1/72 scale model kits of the most representative helicopters and military vehicles used during the first Gulf War.

The historical background

On August 1990, the Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait without notice. The reaction was immediate and the United Nations declared a Resolution that placed economic sanctions on Saddam Hussein’s Government. More than 30 States, led by United States,  deployed forces to create a Coalition with the purpose to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait. The war began with an aerial and a naval bombardment on 17th January 1991 and after 5 weeks  it was followed by a ground assault on 24th February. After few days, the Coalition forces, led by General Norman Schwarzkopf, thanks to a clear technological superiority and an excellent level of co-ordination between the various armed forces involved, were able to defeat the Iraqi forces A cease-fire was declared 100 hours after the ground campaign started. On 27th January the Coaltion forces declared that Kuwait has been liberated.

A-10 Thunderbolt II

The A-10 Thunderbolt II was developed by Fairchild Republic in the seventies with the purpose to create, accordingly the needs of USAF, a powerful aircraft capable to perform close air support missions including attacking tanks and armoured vehicles. The Thunderbolt II is heavily armoured and exceptionally tough. It is characterised by the two General Electric turbofan engines and the adoption of one of the most powerful aircraft gun ever flown : the 30 mm. GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling. Thanks to its eleven underwing and under fuselage pillars, the A-10 can carry an impressive offensive pay-load. The A-10 was used in combat for the first time during the Gulf War in 1991 and it has showed its operational effectiveness destroying more than 900 enemy tanks.