Forces in the South continue to engage Iraqi forces at range, slowing down their advance. Strike wings consisting of older aircraft that were wiped out by the earlier Iraqi air force attack are replaced by modern strike craft (F-15E, F-16C/D, F/A-18C/D) employing new targeting systems with higher resolution imaging equipment and an added capability to help distinguish between the terrain and manmade structures. These reinforcements are put to work bombing Iraqi forces in the South as Coalition forces reorganize their formations. The use of cluster bombs and thermobaric weapons grows in frequency; furthermore, some TOW launchers have been rigged onto M1 and M1A1 tanks fighting on the front lines, using modified missiles with multiple high-velocity tungsten projectiles to cause the detonation of reactive armor.
Iraqi techniques for hiding equipment are studied by Coalition pilots and ground personnel on standby; examples from captured positions in the Southeast are used for the study of these techniques. To some degree, the intelligence gathered from the reconnaisance flights and previous combat data is also put to work in examining patterns in the behavior of enemy units. Some known positions are bombed on each front so that high-altitude reconnaisance craft can gather data on the behaviors of various units, like the Republican Guard and the regular Iraqi military.
Three assault forces, arranged in a delta formation, push hard on the southeastern defenses in a night attack with air and artillery support. Concerned about the potential scenario of these forces being surrounded, heavy armor is placed behind the assault forces to attack any forces that might try to flank the main formation. The Southern and Eastern line conduct simultaneous air and light ground attacks to draw reinforcements away from this point.
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