Re: Afghanistani Warfare.

[Jacob E Boucher <jbuchr@xxxxxx>]

On Thu, 13 Sep 2001, Gareth Livergood wrote:
> Yes that is true, our technology is/was superior to the Soviet and the
> Afgani.  Technology cannot win the war, it can make jobs easier, faster,
> more convenient, but, it still comes down to the individual soldier, sailor,
> marine, airman and putting steel on target.

Although I hesitate to use the Gulf War as any form of example, as war
with Iraq and War with Afghanistan would be as different as WWII and
Viet Nam, our current level of sensory tech will make guerilly warfare
extremely difficult.

Sitting on my shelf at home is a book called "Total Resistance" written by
a Swiss military officer some years ago.  It's a brilliant book, an almost
"how to" on guerilla warfare.  Unfortunately, its sorely obsolete.  Police
IIR is so good helicopters can track a suspect through a city at night
with extreme confidence.  Satellite imaging is extremely advanced and
capable.  And, although it is true that it all comes down to the soldier
who uses it, our troops *are* trained to use it.  That's what its all
about these days.  Infantry with night vision goggles, tanks with
one-shot-kill fire control, Apaches that can kill tanks without even
seeing them or merely having to put the top two feet of the rotor over the
treeline.  In Viet Nam, we learned how technology might be used in
warfare, but never really got the chance to fully realize it. In the Gulf
we demonstrated how technology, properly manipulated, was a tremendous
force multiplier.

In the Gulf we used lessons studied for forty years after WWII.  I imagine
in the possible forthcoming conflict, we will be using lessons taught to
us by the Viet Cong, and taught to the Russians by the Afghans.

Still, it won't be a cakewalk.

-- 
Jacob E. Boucher
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