Posted on 04/16/2022 10:56:11 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- In the dusty California desert, U.S. Army trainers are already using lessons learned from Russia's war against Ukraine as they prepare soldiers for future fights against a major adversary such as Russia or China.
The role-players in this month's exercise at the National Training Center speak Russian. The enemy force that controls the fictional town of Ujen is using a steady stream of social media posts to make false accusations against the American brigade preparing to attack.
In the coming weeks, the planned training scenario for the next brigade coming in will focus on how to battle an enemy willing to destroy a city with rocket and missile fire in order to conquer it.
If the images seem familiar, they are, playing out on televisions and websites worldwide right now as Russian forces pound Ukrainian cities with airstrikes, killing scores of civilians. The information war on social media has showcased impassioned nightly speeches by Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Russian efforts to accuse Ukraine's forces of faking mass killings in towns such as Bucha — massacres that the West blames on Moscow's troops.
“I think right now the whole Army is really looking at what’s happening in Ukraine and trying to learn lessons,” said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. Those lessons, she said, range from Russia's equipment and logistics troubles to communications and use of the internet.
“The Russia-Ukraine experience is a very powerful illustration for our Army of how important the information domain is going to be," said Wormuth, who spent two days at the training center in the Mojave Desert watching an Army brigade wage war against the fictional “Denovian” forces.
"We’ve been talking about that for about five years. But really seeing it and seeing the way Zelenskyy has been incredibly powerful."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I assume that the old Soviet army was a little bit more effective because you had the Soviet empire back then plus the corruption was less of an issue back then, if you stole too much, they can either send you to a gulag in Siberia or have you executed. Today, you get away with corruption as long as you prove your loyalty to Putin. It worked for a long time because no one thought that Russia was going to invade Ukraine. Russia is armed with nuclear weapons so the deterrence factor was there even though the military is crap like you've said.
Totally agree. Mineraturized/shoulder fired missles are capable of destroying tanks, helicopters, ground attack aircraft, radar sights/SAM sights and even ships at sea. Anything within their admittedly limited range. US ground attack aircraft can still hit targets using standoff smart munitions. But Russians rely on cheaper dumb bombs so must fly lower to hit specific targets making them vulnerable to these weapons. They make whole weapon systems now untenable if not obsolete.
So. War gaming using MSM and social media as a force. The ultimate win? The side/force that can shut down the internet entirely.
Putin's an idiot. Seriously though, more likely hubris got to him after two decades of absolute power in Russia.
The next strongman may learn from Putin's mistakes and as a result, Russia is going to be stronger. NATO will have to watch out. The bear may be provoked to try to take the Baltics or another slice of Ukraine again in the future if they feel that NATO will not nuke them for it.
That's why we are not seeing Russian air superiority in Ukraine despite on paper they have many more planes than their enemy.
Yes, helos are needed for ground support and evac. However, the new ground to air portable and hand-held missile weaponry need an anti-missile defense. I don't know with what and how the helos can be equipped. I would prefer A-10's be put back into production and have 100's of them. But then, what does a simple swabbie know about ground air support?
We were not chased out of Afghanistan. We left the country voluntarily.
“I would prefer A-10’s be put back into production and have 100’s of them.”
One of the best close combat aircraft ever. Devastating.
The lesson we learned from Afghanistan and Iraq is not try to make the natives less native. Knock them down, and leave.
according to the article, they’re focusing on twitter wars instead of tank-killer drones and manpads ...
You are not going to be happy with the “equity initiative” wherein, equity will be a consideration in promotions and assignments.
Agreed. Take out Saddam Hussein and the Taliban and then leave. Allow the Northern Alliance and the Ba’ath Party to seize power in their countries. Not our problem with the aftermath.
Gen. Milley needs to double down on Woke training or the American Military might end up giving the enemy a hang nail.
“My take? Tanks are obsolete.”
Why stop at tanks? Planes get shot down and ships are sunk. Sucks to be one of ‘the little people’. Almost like it’s not worth it to fight a war -unless you’re a dictator or the Big Guy (or a paid internet troll).
You mean like always? We’re always looking at the current scuffle to figure out how to train for the next.
I like the A-10 and the AC-130.
We can’t do that, because the MSM will never do anything but undermine our own war efforts.
That wasn’t the army. That was the politicians. Took them 20 years to figure out what was obvious after 5 (not gonna settle Afghanistan) and then they organized the pullout very poorly. The country was going to fall 5 minutes after we left no matter what. It never built as a country with a real government. Everything else was just a formality.
Deployed to Irwin with the 101st and the 5th ID multiple times. Ran a jammer. I LOVED screwing with comms on a daily basis.
I would not get rid of helicopters.
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Which have a 15 sec survival time in a peer conflict. Once seen, instantly destroyed.
Tanks have their place properly used with CAS and troops. Take away the tanks, who protects the troops?
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