M270 MLRS: The Killer Weapon Feared Most (See the Picture) This artillery system is so effective that Iraqi soldiers surrendering to U.S. troops simply asked: "No more steel rain." Key point: Despite being created to fight the Soviets during the Cold War, the M270 has seen more usage in recent times and remains a key part of the U.S. Army's artillery force. On February 24, 1991, the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm began. Over the next four days, the soldiers of an international coalition, formed to eject the Iraqi army of Saddam Hussein from the neighboring nation of Kuwait, carried out a whirlwind offensive that quickly overwhelmed their foe. During this time, tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers were taken prisoner.