与海军不同,美国空军早在越战期间就决心提高其轰炸精度。越战结束前,空军就研制并率先使用了制导炸弹系统。该系统用于攻击定位精确的目标时的效果很好。这种目标先前难以用常规攻击方式加以摧毁(空军的许多轰炸机被密集的防空炮火所击落)。在整个70年代和80年代,空军一直在研制更好的轰炸系统。该项目耗资巨大。空军用于研究与开发的经费比其他军种多。这样做的高明之处直到海湾战争才显露出来。当 Unlike the Navy, the United States Air Force was determined to increase its bombing accuracy as early as during the Vietnam War. Before the end of the Vietnam War, the Air Force developed and pioneered the use of a guided bomb system. This system works well when attacking a precise target. This target was previously difficult to destroy by conventional attacks (many bombers of the Air Force were shot down by intensive anti-aircraft fire). Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Air Force has been developing better bombing systems. The project is costly. The Air Force spends more on research and development than other military services. The genius of doing so did not show until the Gulf War. when