Modern warfare relies heavily on timely access to information and instant communications. Overhead intelligence is crucial to the successful conduct of military operations. In Desert Storm the coalition forces had both airborne and space-based intelligence and communications, while Iraq had neither.

The Iraqi air force was destroyed or forced out of the air in the first few days of fighting and Iraq had no reconnaissance capability. This lack of Iraqi overhead surveillance made it possible for the allies to mass their forces unobserved and for General Schawarzkopf to conduct his "Hail Mary" sweep across the desert, bringing the fighting to a swift conclusion with a minimum of casualties.

General Charles Homer, Desert Storm air commander, said later that diplomacy convinced France and Russia not to sell reconnaissance data to Iraq, but as more countries are obtaining access to satellites and satellite imagery, the next time we will need an ASAT capability which can destroy satellites, because "that makes your diplomacy have teeth".