Aren't these kinds of
"experiments" yesterday's
news for a country
like America?
I mean, when we have things like
Spectre Gunships and --
probably -- things like
Brilliant Pebbles, do we need
so many options
for getting ground troops
from place to place? I mean, if
we're not going to
colonize some place,
then don't our high tech weapons
make these ground things moot?
We're not colonizing Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Phillipines and we are approaching 200,000 Army troops in those places. And if we lined up our Air Force wing-tip to wing-tip over any of those countries and vectored in every satellite in outer space while the entire Navy steamed off-shore it would not reduce the need for those soldiers by one man.
The problem with the latest greatest high tech whiz-bang idea is that the enemy never seems to cooperate. That is why the diesel snorkle subs didn't starve out the UK. That is why our fleets of long range heavy bombers with Norden bomb sights didn't destroy Germany's industry. That is why we can do shock and awe by launching missiles and planes from the other side of the world and guided by satellites and lasers to hit targets with pin-point accuracy--and have no effect except destroying a bunch of empty buildings & probably killing a few conscripts left behind to guard them.
The most flexible and effective weapon in our arsenal is a well-trained soldier on the ground--operates in any terrain, weather, or climate against any enemy. Can kill or capture, can separate bad guys from civilians, can use one shot to kill the sniper in the mosque, and unlike a high tech gizmo--a soldier can adapt to completely new or unforeseen circumstances.
Nope. It takes boot on the ground to take and hold terrain. We're not interested in colonization, but even if those of overly politically correct sensitivities don't like the word, we're interested in occupying places like Iraq and Afghanistan until they are safe.
Unless we want to nuke vast portions of the earth's surface or are willing to indiscriminately kill every human being in those countries where terrorists hang out, we will have to put infantrymen on the ground