tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post5767249231196841102..comments2024-03-27T20:37:08.065+01:00Comments on Defence and Freedom: A stampede of stupid ideasUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-86676967369877570952014-05-11T17:03:17.055+02:002014-05-11T17:03:17.055+02:00I agree with the sentiments of assisting/training ...I agree with the sentiments of assisting/training the locals to provide a first robust defense against invaders but my caveat - only for countries with a unified local populous.<br />I believe a major issue with the Ukraine is no-one in the West (or in their own government) knows how many of the military and/or police are loyal to this government, or the last; to the Ukraine as a whole or support partition. In this case, we could end up arming potential adversaries when it all goes south.<br />Given the history, I think much of that region and the baltic states have some level of this within their own boarders.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-83638393655081742922014-05-11T03:48:20.799+02:002014-05-11T03:48:20.799+02:00Paratroopers and the threat thereof tend to produc...Paratroopers and the threat thereof tend to produce very much confusion. Rumours about paratrooper landings are likely to spread once a vulnerable country goes into paranoid mode. This happened in the Netherlands 1940, for example.<br /><br />The police was merely meant as a by default dispersed and relatively trustworthy source for confirmation or denial of rumours.<br />It would be embarrassing (and dangerous) to go into national if not alliance crisis alert only because an innocent aircraft with technical problems had made an emergency landing on a road, too.<br /><br />The military - typically largely massed at least at battalion level for economies of scale - would only be able to confirm/deny within up to two hours (and possibly much slower during winter time).S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-76822935240913981112014-05-11T03:33:29.965+02:002014-05-11T03:33:29.965+02:00I second much of what you're saying. The Russi...I second much of what you're saying. The Russians have of late demonstrated a strategic tendency towards strategic fait accompli; the only practical deterrence for neighbouring nations who feel at risk is a robust indigenous military response capable of withstanding sudden strikes; this means dispersed arming points, headquarters, a national culture of defence, et al. Finland for example is quite well placed to implement such a strategy, as they've been doing it for decades, and they further improve their position by being one of the few nations who actually talk *to* the Russians rather than *down to* the Russians, as equally sovereign nations rather than the scolding-a-mentally-handicapped-child approach that the West takes with its heavy-handed, completely self-unaware pulpit situated on the moral high ground. <br /><br />In order to defeat a fait accompli in an area (the Baltic zone) saturated with Naval Infantry and Air Assault Force units, you have to implement procedures such as you've described here, SO. Simply put it has to become clear that any sudden landing will be opposed violently and immediately, regardless of whether or not the "polite armed men" are wearing any national or unit insignias. <br /><br />I disagree with the minutiae on one point; I do not believe that the police can provide an effective first response without being significantly upgunned, which has repercussions. Simply having police cruisers and their occupants shot to pieces achieves absolutely nothing, especially when those law enforcement personnel may have secondary roles as military reservists (as is not uncommon in Canada, at least) or will be vital in their own, current, capacity during a conflict or immediately following. If you instead were referring to tactical response units (SWAT teams) then that's a different matter entirely; add a couple infantry-like contact drills to their repertoire and you're good to go. Arguments about "that would make them clumsier in law enforcement" means that you're not training them correctly or they're too stupid to respond appropriately, again, either problem is personnel based, not doctrine based.NWnoreply@blogger.com