U.S. Army report: Ground forces would be needed to fight Hizbullah

Geostrategy Direct ^ | 5/02/2010 | Geostrategy Direct

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The U.S. Army has commissioned a study that concluded conventional ground forces would be required to battle the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah. The Rand Corp. has relayed a study to the U.S. Army that analyzed Israel's 2006 war with Hizbullah. The report, titled "Military Capabilities for Hybrid War," concluded that Israel's air combat strategy against Hizbullah was flawed and that infantry and armor would be required to fight the Lebanese-based militia, trained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"Finally, heavy forces — based on tanks and infantry fighting vehicles — are key elements of any force that will fight sophisticated irregular opponents, because they reduce operational risk and minimize friendly casualties," the report, released on April 9, said. The report was part of a project by the U.S. Army to assess emerging insurgency threats based on Israel's wars with Hizbullah and Hamas over the last four years. Rand said both Israel and the United States were facing a so-called hybrid opponent, or a force that combined conventional and guerrilla capabilities.

"Although the U.S. security situation is much different from that of Israel, similarities do exist," the report said. "Both nations believe they must prepare for challenges across the range of military operations. Therefore, the following insights from recent Israeli experience have relevance for the U.S."

A key finding was that Israel's air combat doctrine has been ineffective against either Hamas or Hizbullah. The report asserted that air strikes must be combined with a significant infantry and armor component to minimize the insurgency use of civilian shields.

[Jet Jaguar]

Still waiting for Obama’s national security strategy.

We deal with specific ROES currently.

No real direction.

[RicocheT]

The air forces have always tried to say they can win a war quick and cheap. But, even with the best planes, pilots and even remote guided planes and bombs, they cannot win as it all comes down to holding the ground and rooting out an entrenched enemy. Ground troops supported by combined arms have to do the dirty work of killing enough of the enemy combatants to create a win. War is always bloody, costly and often the best is a tie as a win is hard to achieve.

[Bean Counter]

SecDef made a comment last week that amazed me in it’s clarity...

“Hizbullah owns more missiles than most Countries.”

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

According to Mossad, about 40,000 to 80,000 missiles

[Joe 6-pack]

Maybe if we’d sell Israel the Apaches, there would be a lot fewer to fight.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree. I believe we should give both Israel and Taiwan what they want in regards to military technology.