In the 2003 Iraq War, the opening salvo was designed to demoralize the Iraqi military with a dazzling display of America’s unmatched airpower, lighting up the night sky over Baghdad with cascading explosions that saw air defenses and communications nodes decimated.

The demonstration of overwhelming force was dubbed “shock and awe,” first by a defense analyst, then adopted by the media and the military as a bumper sticker touting America’s unmatched military prowess.