Posted on 09/18/2014 10:15:26 AM PDT by Olog-hai
NATO’s new rapid-reaction “spearhead” force, meant as a deterrent to Russian aggression, should be up and running with initial capabilities in less than a year, a top alliance official said Thursday.
The creation of a 4,000 to 5,000 troop response force, which will be able to respond to a crisis in eastern Europe within two to three days, was a key decision taken by NATO leaders earlier this month in Wales.
The force represents a calculation by NATO that Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t risk going head-to-head with the Western alliance. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
This is a joke.
If Russian forces cross into Europe, the bodies of our troops will be solely employed to grease the treads of their tanks.
I question just what amount of military capability Russia still has.
It may be a lot more than I think. It might be a lot less too.
I haven’t been particularly impressed by it’s efficiency in the current Ukraine flare-up.
Putin absolutely will be going after the Baltics. He as much as said so at a conference in Russia last week where he spoke to ethnic Russian representatives from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. I expect more and more Russian incursions across those borders and I also expect Putin to invade Estonia before Obama gets out of office. This is because he knows he can get away with it while Obama is pResident.
How long has NATO been around and they’re just getting around to creating a rapid-reaction force?
Russia is no match for us.
NATO has had a NATO Response Force for many years, this is a more tip of the spear element that can react within hours.
Persia was no match for the Spartans, either, but...
Russia isn’t Sparta, we are.
You might want to rethink your loyalties and take a look at the militaries involved.
I’m no miltary expert, so I apologize if my views are unsound, but my impression is that Russia has, like, a gazillion tanks and a huge army.
Or are my views too Cold War and out-of-date?
Yeah, they’ll move about as fast as a herd of turtles in January. ..
Tanks aren't what they used to be, and Russia could never launch a successful attack against NATO, and the oceans, and the skies, they aren't even structured the way they used to be, they used to be built for attack, and of course Russia is incapable of protecting itself on it's other borders and from internal rebellion if it committed it's small military against NATO, or lost the bulk of it in war.
The general condition of the Russian Army is poor - most units would have been classed as Category 3 back in the Red Army days. That is not to say they would be a pushover, and they can certainly run rough-shod over Ukraine and possibly Poland. They can also put more effort into improving their situation, but they still have vast layers of tradition and institutional corruption blocking much progress.
Russian Air Force and Navy forces are in similar poor shape - most of the old Red Fleet is non-operational and rusting at peirs. They have some good ships still, and have built a few newer ones that are impressive, but their shipbuilding has fallen from its Soviet days and they actually have to get ships built in France (something the Red Fleet would never have done). Russian Air units have some good fighters but are lacking in fuel and spare parts - again, soemthing that could be addressed with effort, but expense and corruption seem to dog them at every turn when they try to improve things.
Do not take this as a dismissal of the Russian military. Some parts of it are quite good indeed. However, it is not the all-conquiering boogeyman some would have you beleive. It could easily defend Russian territory from all comers, and even make some inroads against its neighbors, but would not be able to defeat a united NATO in a European invasion, even in NATO's current weakened state.
There is no reason to think that they are creating a rapid reaction force that won’t fill it’s purpose.
And what this will accomplish is to encourage Putin, who’s not unaware of Russia’s experience with military forces from the west, to increase his efforts to create a Russia-friendly buffer zone between Russia and NATO.
Which is why, remembering the function Poland served in the late 30’s, the Russians are doing whatever they can to keep a buffer zone between themselves and western European militaries.
Russia has nothing to fear from us, it is Russia that is the enemy and that NATO was formed to protect the free world from.
Don’t get things mixed up and start giving us enemy propaganda.
What a crock, Russia has to conquer it’s free and peaceful neighbors to protect itself from it’s free and peaceful neighbors?
You must despise Reagan and us Cold War veterans.
If you think reviewing history and articulating what motivates Putin is “spreading enemy propaganda”, then you’ll spend your life mystified at his actions.
Willful ignorance just isn’t my thing.
Oh sure.
Peace through strength doesn't work.
Peace through appeasement must be or approach.
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