THE planned war against Iraq is intended to be one of the fastest operations yet conducted, possibly using secret new weapons to overcome Iraqi resistance and topple Saddam Hussein.

The creation of satellite-guided missiles has extended America’s superiority over Iraq by such a large margin that the first night of air attacks could see hundreds of targets destroyed or damaged.

But America’s new technological trump card is the microwave bomb, which is capable of knocking out Baghdad’s electricity supplies without damaging a single building.

An early version of this concept was tested by the Americans in the 1999 air campaign over Yugoslavia when cluster bombs containing carbon fibre filaments were dropped on electricity supply lines in Belgrade and other cities, causing massive short-circuits.

If it is deployed, the latest “directed energy weapon” would involve bathing areas of Baghdad in waves of high-frequency electromagnetic pulses, crippling computers and power supplies linking the Iraqi capital to the country’s air defences.

However, Rob Hewson, Editor of Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons, said: “The Americans are being deliberately vague about these directed energy weapons.

“They have reached an advanced stage in development and have been tested. Basically, a microwave weapon would fry the electrics, but it would be indiscriminate, not just turning off electricity for Iraq’s radar stations, but also affecting power to hospitals and schools.

“Will the Americans risk using such a weapon?” It will also be a laptop war. One of the key lessons learnt from Afghanistan, which will be put to good use in Iraq, was the ability of special forces, armed with backpack, satellite-connected laptops, to communicate by data-link with every type of aircraft.

The covert soldiers were able to use a marker pen on their laptop screens to pinpoint moving targets, guiding bombs to within a few feet of the enemy, if not a direct hit.

Twelve years ago, it was the F117 Stealth fighter and Tomahawk cruise missile which dominated the battlefield.

This time, if war becomes necessary, it will be the satellite-linked Joint Direct Attack Munition (Jdam), the B2 Stealth Bomber, and unmanned spy drones watching every move on the ground which will play the big roles in determining Saddam’s fate.

The whole thrust of the new campaign against Saddam would be based on high-tech, high-speed, and ultra highimpact.

The Jdam is just a tail-kit attached to a “dumb” bomb, converting it into one of the smartest weapon systems around.

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