Posted on 08/15/2008 11:38:33 AM PDT by yankeedame
By David Axe
Published on: August 13, 2008
Last Thursday, Georgian troops attacked pro-Russian separatists in the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Defying expectations and escalating the pitch of the battles to come, the Russian army fought back—with massive firepower. Tanks deployed, jets flew top cover, and the once-mothballed Black Sea fleet sailed toward Georgian ports, while Russian hackers took down Georgian networks.
The fighting, which claimed as many as 2000 lives, represents a sort of hybrid war for the 21st century: a chaotic, fast-moving conflict that combines cutting-edge technology with old-fashioned brute force.
Russia and Georgia used many of the same Soviet-designed weapons, with predictable results. "Frightened people everywhere ... confusing Georgians and Russians," Gia Jandieri, a consultant, e-mailed from Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, as computer networks failed all around him. But Russia's army is more than 20 times larger than Georgia's, and Moscow's counterattack was "disproportionate," according to NATO secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. In plain English: tiny Georgia never really had a chance.
But Georgian air defenders and tank killers put up fierce resistance even as defeat loomed. In the wake of a Moscow-ordered pullback, which left South Ossetia firmly in Russian hands—even as the truce has proved fragile on Wednesday—we take an in-depth look at how the combatants stacked up.
Russia's 58th Army, hardened from bloody fighting in Chechnya, led the charge into South Ossetia. Scores of low-slung T-80 tanks, armed with 125 mm cannons and sporting scalelike reactive-armor blocks that explode outward to deflect incoming fire, made quick work of Georgia's older, but nearly identical, tanks. One Georgian tank unit lost 400 out of 500 soldiers, according to an Ossetian soldier and blogger fighting for the Russians. But tank killers from the Georgian infantry, armed with unidentified guided missiles—allegedly of Israeli origin—sparked a minor panic and a major diplomatic row between Russia and Israel, when they destroyed several T-80s, apparently by punching right through the reactive armor. The possible secret? A twin warhead: one charge to set off the reactive blocks, another to punch through the tank's steel hull.
+ Advantage: Georgia
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A Cold War stalwart, Russia's swing-wing Backfire made a surprise appearance flying high-altitude recon dashes over Georgian defenses. That is, until a Georgian surface-to-air missile battery—probably an SA-11—knocked one of the bombers out of the sky. The Backfire was one of 10 Russian planes that Georgia claims to have destroyed during the fighting—"no mean feat," according to U.S. analyst John Pike, from Globalsecurity.org.
The high-reaching SA-11, like many of Georgia's weapons, was designed and produced in the old Soviet Union. In fact, earlier this year Russia used SA-11s to shoot down several of Georgia's Israeli-made Hermes 450 spy drones over South Ossetia. In retaliation for the Backfire loss, Russia sent in a flight of bigger, faster Tu-160 bombers to attack Tbilisi. One of the 275-ton planes reportedly carried a bomb on which Russian troops had scrawled a never-to-be-seen message to their Georgian foes: "Hi, Tbilisi, this is our gift for the downing of the Tu-22M."
+ Advantage: Georgia
------------------------------------------------------
As the Russian Black Sea fleet, anchored by the powerful cruiser Moskva, steamed to blockade Georgian ports, several of the roughly seven small patrol boats that comprised the entire Georgian navy made attack runs. Russian Nanuchka-class missile boats raced to intercept—and made quick work of the Georgians with gunfire and antiship missiles. "The whole Georgian fleet does not, of course, present a serious force," claimed one former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst. The Georgians' SS-N-2 missiles, especially, are relics of the 1950s, making them practically museum pieces. The Russians' SS-N-9s are faster, heavier and longer-range (60 miles versus 45 for the SS-N-2s). Plus, the newer, supersonic SS-N-22s have been called carrier killers for their alleged ability to take out U.S. flattops. Against the Georgians' ragtag fleet, these missiles were undoubtedly devastating.
+ Advantage: Russia
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+ Advantage: Russia
thanks for this one.
I bet they would do better if they had some US arms.
These people are our friends and while I do not want us to go to war, I hate just sitting back and watching them get creamed.
Brings to mind Col Charlie Williamson’s recent article in Armed Forces Journal regarding “cyberbombing”. This is precisely what’s been preached in the info assurance community as the danger against which we must be able to guard.
Colonel, USAFR
They sure didnt do a good job.
And did you see that the “Air Force Cyber Command” was stopped? It’s shut down now.
I read a report yesterday that the cruiser Moskva actually took at least one serious hit and was witnessed limping back to port.
No, didn’t see that one. They were supposed to stand up at 8AF/Barksdale, and I thought they’d begun the process. More info?
Colonel, USAFR
They did not disband the Cyber Command defense capabilities. They just suspended standing up Cyber Command as a separate Air Force Command.
I didn’t mean “disband” I guess. Suspended. However, that pretty much means it’s going NOWHERE and since there aren’t any people being pulled into it, there must be some reasoning behind it.
I don’t know.
I was recruited for that “service” in the Reserves a few years back. There are some units that are actively doing this, and at least one is a USAF Reserve unit, but I don’t know it’s status any more. This was some years back now, probably 9 or 10 now.
Come on guys. It is a Popular Mechanics review of what went on. It is riddled with tales and inaccuracies. It makes a good read. If you believe every single detail then you are being taken for a ride.
“I bet they would do better if they had some US arms.”
That can be arranged. It would be penny wise / pound foolish to begrudge the former block weapons.
Only one that I saw: they totally forgot to mention that those puny little boats managed to send "the powerful cruiser Moskva" limping home to port badly damaged.
Seems to be a bit of a story?
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/08/while-the-media.html
The missile boats regardless of size are equipped with anti-ship missiles. They are designed to cause damage. Never underestimate your opponent or enemy. The Israeli Navy got caught out with an anti-ship missile off the coast of Lebanon.
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