Posted on 02/10/2023 10:33:19 PM PST by familyop
The former commanding US general in Europe, Ben Hodges, has told DW that the West should provide Kyiv with fighter jets. He said that providing Ukraine with the planes could lead to a victory for Kyiv within the year.
The former commanding general of the United States Army in Europe, Ben Hodges, said that Ukraine could achieve a quick victory if the West provided swift help with fighter jets.
He predicted that the defeat of Russia could otherwise take three to five years, given the current level of Western support.
What the former general said "The sooner we deliver them the capability to achieve a decisive outcome, the sooner that [the war] could be over," he said, arguing that Ukraine could expel Russian forces from its territory by the end of the year if given additional support.
Hodges told DW's Ines Pohl that concern about training and runway compatibility issues do not make it "unfeasible" to provide Kyiv with the "capability" to use the aircraft. He praised the UK for being "in the lead" in providing several forms of military support to Ukraine.
Hodges said he believed that the only "red line" for Washington's involvement in Ukraine is "boots on the ground."
He stressed that Kyiv must retake Crimea to preserve the "international rules-based order" and the "UN Charter." Hodges added that it is important for Ukrainian ports to maintain access to the Sea of Azov through Crimea.
Hodges — who presided over US forces in Europe from 2014 to 2018 — said he believed that Russia was attempting to "surge" a new offensive, but added that does not have the capability to launch a "major" one.
"They don't have the armored forces, the ability to break through," he said, adding that this isn't going to change the "overall operational environment" in Ukraine.
Kyiv "has enough to limit the Russian success," he said, adding that this will still be "costly" in terms of casualties and ammunition.
He did not mention that providing Ukraine with the planes could lead to WWIII.
Anyone who tries to say the US isn’t involved in this is a bald faced liar.
RAND means Research and Development for the Pentagram.
Corruption - lots of aircraft unserviceable before the war for no good reason.
Destroyed on the ground at their airfields.
Brought down by Russian AA.
Lack of parts - Ukrainian jets were mostly made in other parts of the former USSR that are now Russia or interdicted by Russia, so they can’t get wear parts. Or munitions.
And who is going to fly the jets? Learning to effectively fly a fighter jet is not like taking a high school drivers’ ed class.
The differences between this war and Vietnam are pretty extreme. Despite what Putin says Ukrainians consider themselves separate and distinct as a country and a people from Russia. Not the case in Vietnam where north and south considered themselves Vietnamese, not north or south. In Vietnam US did the majority of the fighting though there were many tough and effective south Vietnamese units, in Ukraine the Ukrainians are doing the fighting for their country against an invader.
Modern aircraft alone would not win anything, but added to the mix it could change things dramatically. As good as our soldiers fought, it was air power on time and target that allowed them to do so much with relatively little.
The much talked about attack on US troops in Syria was severely blunted by overwhelming air power, minus that I doubt the events would have turned so favorably for those Troops
Close to the hundred donated or ship dipped units lost as well.
Even if all that is true, it still doesn’t equate to justification for the US to send tens of billions in direct military aid to Ukraine. Why are we involved?? We’re always involved. It just leads to more killing. Let them figure out their own disputes.
Sure it does. We are not involved but simply sending weapons to Ukraine to defend itself. Russia will always be an enemy, since they play the part. No different than China.
The second the money hits Hunter’s bank account, the jets are as good as delivered.
Maybe the Jets and Giants could play an exhibition game in the new stadium that US dollars will build in You drain.
There's is that conditional word again; could.
For all we know he may idolize Gen. Mark Milley.
Provide 2 men with a rifle. One man has been trained to use a rifle and has been shooting a rifle all of his life, and is a marksman with a rifle. While the other man had never touched a rifle, and is trained for a couple of weeks.
Is the man trained for 2 weeks going to be as proficient as the man who has been shooting for many years and has received marksmanship rating?
Very unlikely.
First off, a jet is far more complex to learn. So, it would take considerably more time to get even someone who has flown for many years, but never something as complex as a fighter jet, to become even somewhat effective in the cockpit.
The likelihood of getting much productivity out of him would be closer to zero than 100. Therein lies the problem. Time is not on their side even if jets were provided.
My assessment is the Gen Ben Hodges is akin to Gen. Mark Milley if he believes what he is saying. The only way jets would even have a chance of changing the dynamics of this conflict, is if experienced fighter pilots who know & have been trained on that fighter jet, were manning the jets.
And after that they can push on for a further win in Afghanistan and then finally, finally Vietnam.
After living through Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, it's time to follow the guidance of George Washington, and stay away from foreign entanglements.
We have a doddering fool as our CinC who calls mishandled classified information as merely "stray papers", and didn't give a damn about the Southern Border until mayors of "sanctuary" cities started crying "no mas".
His uniforms are ready for pick up at the local cleaners.
Thanks Night Hides Not. I’m as American as apple pie and like you lived have thru every war and every military misadventure since before Vietnam. I feel strongly that the current political cabal in Washington is a clear and present danger to the future of our nation. If I could wave a magic wand, I’d have Putin return to the February 23, 2022 border, and have him sit down with Zelensky at a peace table. Unfortunately any such talk is met with Nevil Chamberlin-like comments from our card carrying Neocons. Condemnation of Russia without acknowledging that the conflict started in 2014 is meaningless. Obama and Biden backed the Maiden coup in 2014 and fueled the ensuing Donbass war were thousands of Russian speaking citizens were killed by Kiev artillery. Russia’s invasion is not out of the blue by a long shot. At least to me.
This quick Ukrainian victory…it’s over a year old now. Maybe give it a rest.
“Even if all that is true, it still doesn’t equate to justification for the US to send tens of billions in direct military aid to Ukraine. Why are we involved?? We’re always involved. It just leads to more killing. Let them figure out their own disputes.”
You and other Freepers are spooked by the Iraq and Afghanistan wars where we really did blow trillions for nothing. With thousands of our boys got killed or maimed. Ukraine is a just war. That you are complaining about billions spent by us. NOT TRILLIONS!
And no US Military is fighting on the ground there.
WHAT ABOUT OUR BORDER?
GTH out of Ukraine.
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