This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
Legendary US Army Commander Says Russia Would "Annihilate" US In Head-To-Head Battle
Late in September, we brought you “US Readies Battle Plans For Baltic War With Russia” in which we described a series of thought experiments undertaken by The Pentagon in an effort to determine what the likely outcome would be should something go horribly “wrong” on the way to landing the US in a shooting war with Russia in the Balkans.
The results of those thought experiments were not encouraging. As a reminder, here’s how Foreign Policy summed up the exercises:
In June 2014, a month after he had left his force-planning job at the Pentagon, the Air Force asked David Ochmanek - deputy assistant secretary of defense for force development - for advice on Russia’s neighborhood ahead of Obama’s September visit to Tallinn, Estonia. At the same time, the Army had approached another of Ochmanek’s colleagues at Rand, and the two teamed up to run a thought exercise called a “table top,” a sort of war game between two teams: the red team (Russia) and the blue team (NATO). The scenario was similar to the one that played out in Crimea and eastern Ukraine: increasing Russian political pressure on Estonia and Latvia (two NATO countries that share borders with Russia and have sizable Russian-speaking minorities), followed by the appearance of provocateurs, demonstrations, and the seizure of government buildings. “Our question was: Would NATO be able to defend those countries?” Ochmanek recalls.
The results were dispiriting. Given the recent reductions in the defense budgets of NATO member countries and American pullback from the region, Ochmanek says the blue team was outnumbered 2-to-1 in terms of manpower, even if all the U.S. and NATO troops stationed in Europe were dispatched to the Baltics — including the 82nd Airborne, which is supposed to be ready to go on 24 hours’ notice and is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
To be sure, the fact that this is even under consideration is somewhat surreal. Sure, no one took Hillary Clinton serioulsy when she presented Sergei Lavrov with the now infamous "reset" button (which actually didn't say "reset" because thanks to a "typo" the prop said “peregruzka” which means “overcharged"), but with a Nobel Peace Price-winning President in The White House, no one expected things to deterirotate to the point that NATO was seriously contemplating a war with the Russians.
Nevertheless, Moscow's intervention in Syria has the West concerned that for the first time in nearly thirty years, The Kremlin doesn't fear a direct confrontation.
The problem for The Pentagon isn't so much that the US has fallen behind in terms of spending money on expensive war toys (i.e. we don't necessarily doubt that Washington has the best technology).Rather, the US seems to have fallen behind in terms of its ability to fight a conventional war against a formidable foe, presumably because there really haven't been any formidable foes in decades.
Well now, it seems entirely possible that the US may have to fight a conventional war against the Russians (and possibly the Iraninans) and that means you can no longer depend on the fact that on a warrior-for-warrior basis, a handful of SEAL Team Six members can pull off battlefield miracles, because no matter how elite your spec ops are, you can't pit twelve guys against four thousand and expect them to win.
It's with all of this in mind that Washington is beginning to assess whether the US could hold its ground against Russia in a conventional standoff. According to retired Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor, American forces would get "annihilated." Here's more, via Politico:
For those villagers eagerly snapping pictures on the side of a road in the Czech Republic in late September, the appearance of the line of U.S. “Stryker” armored fighting vehicles must have seemed more like a parade than a large-scale military operation. The movement of some 500-plus soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Vilsack in Bavaria to a Hungarian military base was intended to strengthen U.S. ties with the Czech, Slovak and Hungarian militaries and put Russia’s Vladimir Putin on notice.
But not everyone is convinced. “This Stryker parade won’t fool anyone in Moscow,” says retired Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor. “The Russians don’t do many things well, but they have been subverting, destabilizing, invading and conquering their neighbors since Peter the Great. And what’s our response: a small unit of light armored trucks.”
Viewed by many of his colleagues as one of the most innovative Army officers of his generation, Macgregor, a West Point graduate with a Ph.D. in international relations (“he can be pretty gruff,” a fellow West Point graduate says, “but he’s brilliant”), led the 2nd Cav’s “Cougar Squadron” in the best-known battle of Operation Desert Storm in February 1991. In 23 minutes, Macgregor’s force destroyed an entire Iraqi Armored Brigade (including nearly 70 Iraqi armored vehicles), while suffering a single American casualty. Speaking at a military “lessons learned” conference one year later, Air Force General Jack Welsh described the Battle of 73 Easting (named for a map coordinate) as “a stunning, overwhelming victory.”
In the wake of the battle, however, Macgregor calculated that if his unit had fought a highly trained and better armed enemy, like the Russians, the outcome would have been different.
In early September he circulated a PowerPoint presentation showing that in a head-to-head confrontation pitting the equivalent of a U.S. armored division against a likely Russian adversary, the U.S. division would be defeated.
“Defeated isn’t the right word,” Macgregor told me last week. “The right word is annihilated.” The 21-slide presentation features four battle scenarios, all of them against a Russian adversary in the Baltics — what one currently serving war planner on the Joint Chiefs staff calls “the most likely warfighting scenario we will face outside of the Middle East.”
“Macgregor scares the hell out of the Army,” says a senior Joint Chiefs war planner. “What he has proposed is nothing less than the dismantling of the Big Green Machine, getting the Army to embrace a future of lighter, more agile forces than the big lumbering behemoth which takes forever to spool up and deploy. I’ll bet the armor and airborne guys are furious. Reform my ass: Macgregor has walked into the zoo and slapped the gorilla.”
Yeah well, the US has already "walked into the zoo" and slapped the Russian grizzly bear. It sounds to us like Macregror may have a battle plan that actually isn't a joke, which means it will be promptly dismissed by The Pentagon.
After all, it's all about covert ops these days. And that's working so well for Washington in the Mid-East. Why fix something that isn't broken right?...
»
- 3531 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
To put the amazingness of those 900 ton Russian frigates into perspective, our new piece-of-shit littoral combat ships are 3400 tons. They have one popgun on the pointy end and, I believe, a single missile.
You have to have the right "mission module" package to be able to do anything. If they are in the middle of nowhere when the shit begins, apparently they order the right $150 million module (there are six kinds) from Amazon, which will then be delivered by thousands of drones huffing and puffing together as fast as their short but sturdy quadrotors will carry them.
And, these drug interdiction shitwagons not expected to survive a combat hit, per their design specifications and philosophy.
The shills who thought this up and approved it are fucking traitors.
The other thing about the Caspian is that it is completely off-limits to the enemy. Pretty much all countries surrounding it are allies of Russia. So Russian ships can sit there, invulnerable to attack, and threaten any target within a 1500km radius.
looks like someone in the kremlin read Red Storm Rising.
The question is how many boomers the Russians have in the Caspian ?
The old noisy ones of course.
Note to self: must read. Thanks WC.
at least our army has sensitivity training. they may get shot or bayoneted in the back when they run, but they will not offend anyone.
who cares. china's 200 million man army is the decider in chief soon.
What we have here on a financial site is a bunch of Zionists, mithering everyone for their fight club as their fake money fails and they want more war to help them for their Wolfowitz Doctrine, Project for a New Ameerican Century -all Talmudist coward war filth+ the goy serve the boy and its 'chosen ones'.
Ridiculous for my country to bow down to their effete nonsense.
Israhelll exists because of the USA. Israhell says it owns the USA.
My brothers and sisters,
Get off your knees. Stop the Zionist killing machine serving the sovereign City of London Rothschild who care nothing for ordnary jews, and you least.
Any negative assessment of US military capability originating from within the military-industrial complex, must necessarily be considered suspect. First, that assessment would be considered highly classified, unless it was pre-approved and deliberately released to scare more money out of already fleeced taxpayers. Second, .Gov used the same propaganda in our decades-long cold war with the USSR to justify massive spending and involvement in global conflicts. Profligate spending and profligate lies leave them with no credibility.
Exactly talking their own book fear mongering to increase their allocated budget and by god they will find away to spend every last cent. Remember the recent Afghan compressed natural gas outlet should have cost 500k actually cost billions!
Why? November 22 1963. A coup d'etat.
Jack defied the moneychangers, and Israel's want of nuclear weapons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhZk8ronces
If China and Russia hits the bunkers (Russia and China know where there at) multiple times there is a good chance those hiding will be cooked.
Russia has many mega-tonnage nukes
Let me guess. His assessment follows up with why the Pentagram needs more money.
Ever since the late 1960s, a total war would be total annihilation for civilization as a whole.
When the welfare president, Obama, has to bum rides to space thanks to the Russians what does that tell you?
The Chinese have an Achilles heel. Screw with their access to their limited supply of fresh water and they are gonna get really thirsty really fast.
Russia, on the other hand, would seem to have exposure with the issue of food supply chain.
The rural citizens will be relatively unaffected. The urbanites will perish quickly.
Densely populated areas of the US will find they ae similarly exposed.
Obama has to pay the Russians for rides out to space and slowly dismantling the military so more people can live off the government tit.
I like stealth. You tell someone they're invisible to the enemy, then send them into battle. If they come back entirely unscathed, stealth works! If they don't come back, they made a mistake.
1oz Silver American Eagles €12 @ EurGold
https://www.eurgold.eu/silver/silver-coins/american-eagle-1oz-silver-coi...
kind of cheap... must be mistake
Within the EU
€19.95 up to 1kg.
€7.95 per additional kg.
Worldwide (Outside of the EU)
€34.95 up to 1kg.
€9.95 per additional kg.
So a 1 TOZ ASE will cost €31.95, delivered in Europe, €46.95 delivered to the USA or elsewhere.
Decreasing ratio per coin as qantity rises, of course.
I will sell you one for €9.95, €49.95 shipping to the EU.
Yeah...the US would lose...if the Russians were sober. Pass the Stoli and the caviar, tovarisch!
For those too stupid to understand this shit, go to MacGregor's website and actually read the presentation.
Fuck ZH..who does your editing...metrosexuals with beards and lumberjack shirts?
I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZa26_esLBE
You picking a fight? Take off your high heels and glasses sir....
What?
So you can put them on?
Yeah, well, that is exactly the kind of hubris that did you in, in Vietnam. They were just a bunch of pajama wearing, rice eating nobodies after all, weren't they? And you had what, 680,000 troops there. Plus B-52's, KC-130 helicopters gunships, marine battallions, agent orange and all the rest of your sicko war toys. You're stated objective was to prevent the 'spread of communism' in south east asia, what a bunch of crap. You wanted the offshore oil and a permenent position to threaten China with. I'm afraid son that you have been drinking the Kool aid for too long now.
Yeah...the US would lose...if the Russians were sober. Pass the Stoli and the caviar, tovarisch!
For those too stupid to understand this shit, go to MacGregor's website and actually read the presentation.
Fuck ZH..who does your editing...metrosexuals with beards and lumberjack shirts?
Have you ever fought a drunk Russian? Only his mother can control him.
Russians drink only to slow down their brain. It does not make them weak. Don't ever underestimate your enemies.
Have you ever fought a drunk Russian? Only his mother can control him.
Russians drink only to slow down their brain. It does not make them weak. Don't ever underestimate your enemies.
Pretty much every country in Europe is a basket case. Invading countries is so old-school - it doesn't work out, it can't, it is impossible. What success stories can the US point to? If a war is started, it is due to monumental stupidity and acting in accordance with dated scripts that no longer make ANY sense. But if you must start a nuclear war, give us 48 hours notice so we can get seriously drunk, high and laid and go out on a happy note....
Wars are about stealing money from taxpayers, looting treasuries, looting the countries they invade and mass murder of innocents for BIG profits$$$. Banksters and elites are behind all wars.
Charles Lindberg also warned us. Eisenhower did too.
Eisenhower was a war criminal.
Other Losses -James Bacque-
If Eisenhower was a war criminal, then he was the lesser of two war criminals.
If he were still president (yeah yeah) the country would not be fucked 'three sheets to the wind'.
He turned England, France and Israel back from the Suez. There hasn't been a president who had the balls to do that since.
Just exactly what has China or Russia done to the USA to justify all this war talk? Freaking warmongers in DC.
BRIC's BANK
the joos are pissed
Come on, it's the Balkans. We zip in, we zip out...we not going to Moscow. It's the Balkans. It's like going to Wisconsin.
Putin is not going to attack US or Europe. Russians can live much better selling products to the West than they can by starting wars. The takeover of Crimea was purely defensive after the West ousted Ukraine's elected President. Given the USG's love of war and killing over the past 25 years, accepting Crimea back into Russia was prudent move. The Russians learned their lessons about war 30 years ago - in Afghanistan.
Trade with them but leave them alone and they'll leave US alone.
Also, Russians are our kith and kin by blood. They are our friends, always. They helped the USA during the War of Independence, and two world wars after that. They are Vikings, turned Christian, just as our Constitution is.
Zionists are the enemy, the homocidal Bolsheviks, the warmongers; the wolf in sheep's clothing as their Fabian Society call themselves. A very treacherous lot who have no allegiance to anything but money and their own small group.
John Kennedy defied them, and their secret ways including sayng no to Israel's request for nuclear weapons which it now has contrary to international law, and uses to blackmail others:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhZk8ronces
The Russians have moar tanks than GOD
The Yinon Plan, the Wolfowitz Doctrine, the Project for a New American Century. Zionists love slaughter, as did their Bolshevik ancestors. Get the goy to kill each other, and muslims too.
Pull it, as dual citizens like Silverstein of 9/11 say, and get a green screen Hollyweird jewess Rita Katz and her SITE to promote it online with pictures from ISIS (Israel Secret Intelligence Service).
When will the world stop indulging these freak zionists? When will the USA stop allowing dual citizens to hold public office, serving their foreign interest in Israel first, and using the USA as its tool?
easy. Bomb Israel into a glass parking lot
It is not Israel that should be fought - it is those who support Israel, who define its mission in the world, who make certain that its interests are considered above all others. These are concentrated in New York and London. They control money production, all central banking, the intelligence services, the media, much of academia, the Congress, British Parliament, and surround the President in the Executive.
Good luck to you.
They did stop indulging these freaks in Ukraine.
As usual, civilians were shredded but the resistance fought the demon-cat USSA backed forces to a standstill.
Which is why you now have Syria and talk of direct war, which itself should be terrifying.
QUICK!!! BUY MOAR WEAPONS US IDIOT TAXPAYER!!!!
With the recent crucifixion of Volkswagen, Germany will probably sell you any armaments you want.
You mean that you sir who have the benefit of having a budget bigger than anyone on the face of the earth would get you dick handed to you by someone spending a fraction of what we spend?
Then you sir, you are FIRED!
Because you and everyone else in command are wasteful idiots.
Have a nice day :)
That's what a real man would say to such jackass speech as this. If they say shit like that cut their budget down to a quarter and tell them to fail with less.
Fucksticks.
Principle matters more than price. The real point is that the Constitution allows for our protection at home, and does not allow for budgets to fight endless wars abroad for Israel, a foreign country.
We, the American people, are being scammed, skimmed, bamboozled by Zionists who care nothing for the USA, and merely buy or blackmail CONgress into submission. Congress which has the lowest approval rating ever.
Read the Wolfowitz Doctrine, the Project for a New American Century, and hear the words of Gen. Wesley Clark on youtube when he tells how the USA was hijacked by foreign interests after 9/11.
If you don't know his name, then you are in no position to whine or comment. But this might clear your mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RC1Mepk_Sw
He rose to the top tier of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and was NATO Supreme Allied Commander.
Clark is clearly suffering from the same dementia that brought Ronnie Reagan down.
As for being NATO Supreme Allied Commander, that's what Breedlove is now and he's more demented than all of them.
duh.
True. They should not say things like that. They should tell these folks how big and powerful and wonderful they are - how no military in world history can be likened to theirs. Reinforce their self-image of the 'Undefeatable'.
Indefatigable in English.
I say we let Russia have Europe and their banking system. No since in following a preplanned destiny.
"I say we let Russia have Europe and their banking system"
You asume that Russia wants Europe.
I'm not sure what you mean by that but I see no evidence that it wants Europe, other than as a trading partner and energy supplier.
We have to rid ourselves of the idea that Russia under Putin is Soviet Union II, because I do not believe it is and there is no evidence to support that theory.
As for Europe's banking system, why would anybody want it?
American military is impotent. The leadership is corrupt and the soldiers on the ground dont have the will, the stomach or the heart to fight a real war.
You wish. Not going to happen.
That's why the CIA ordered their ISIS stooges to behead and burn prisoners. To give the US army incentive for the fight against Russia.
Bullshit. Russia isn't even on my Top 10 List.
The Greatest and Most Powerful Countries on Earth:
1. Saudi Arabia
2. Pakistan
3. California
4. Israel
5. Germany
6. Japan
7. China
8. New York City
9. Kuwait
10. USA x-California, x-NYC
In your dreams...
Holy shit you've got yourself some good weed there. Don't lose that dealer!
Don't overdo the smack you're mixing with that weed.
I'll take "Where he recieved the biggest pink sock" for $350 please Alex!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pink+sock
DREAM ON. Oh you delicous (or rather delirious) TROLL.
you forgot Las Vegas, stoop
.
Demographically, Europe is going Islamic, even before this clusterfuck refugee migration. I'm not a huge Russia fan (I like them but they ain't no saints as many here would lead me to believe) as many here are, but I will say I'd prefer the Russians in Europe over Islams. However, real Russians are also dying off demographically.
You are working off old data. New data shows that the Russian governments efforts to encourage an increase in birth rates, a decrease in alcoholism and better economic conditions is paying off.
"New data" furnished by the Russians. LOL
And China's GNP is increasing 10% a year.
Hey, I've got some prime acreage in Van Horn, TX, today only, at a steal of a price,a thinker like you would be interested in. Soon to be developed with close proximity to ready for the picking 2nd world gateways. Special price today only.
You forgot the US unemployment rate is about to break under 5%
Yes the US spends the most on Defense than the next 14 countries combined but a lot of that is wasted on pie-in-the-sky useless junk like the F-35 meanwhile they keill the A-10 Warthog (which was amazing). And a lot, and projected to go to 50% of spending is on personnel costs, retirements and healthcare, sex change operations, whatever but not on guns, tanks and trianing. But I digress. We are not going to go to war with Russia, or China. THose kleptocracies would collapse without the West to sell their raw materials or manufactured cheap shit to. All the Russian money is safely out of Russia, in Swiss accounts and London Estates, the Chinese are buying up the US West Coast for cash one lot at a time with no end in sight. Smart young Russians and Chinese are leaving those countries in droves if they can and not going back.
Is your ignorance congenital or intentional?
A little of column A, a little of column B...
There is overlap IMO.
Of course Russia would win NATO. Just look at our Russian army - we are strong and smart.
Our missles are super modern as our navy missles.
Our BUK missel system can not only down passanger airplanes but bring fire everywhere.
We have strongets & newest tanks in world! Our military infrastructure is in best shape ever.
Our air force better than ever! And our plans to expand military power is working just as planed.
We have greater GDP than any other country in the world.
So NATO with it's tiny military budget is worthless.
US military tehnology is so outdated compared to Russia. US has lame military systems - just look at them.
As we all know Saddam, Gaddafi and all other free world leader had Russian MIG fighter jets - and we all know how those free world leader won US every time they meet US air force! Yes we are strong!
So - YES - Zerohedge with it's super sourcers are absolutely right!
Hahahahaj ignoranamus cheeky cunt basement troll. You cant fix the stupid.
Mushrooms or iodine deficiency?
Did you mispell your moniker, surely it start with Ras.
LOLROF!
Drink some more koolaide, you make me laugh.
Thanks, forputin, doing the job the 0 asswipes won't do.
The American military reaction time is so slow and clunky, and we rely on high-tech vs. quantity the idea being that one high tech augmented fighting unit can out-match multiple low-tech units.
The truth is a fighter jet is a fighter jet, its better to have 10,000 slightly dated jets than 500 High-Tech jets.
The U.S.A is not a full-spectrum dominating force, we are primarily a Naval Combat nation, with augmented air-support (carriers) (sea to sea and sea to air).
When it comes to planting boots on the ground, we frankly suck at it, that entire portion of our military is very very rusty, deployment time is horrible, decision time is even worse , it takes the govt days to realize anything is happening and then days to weeks to make any kind of decision as to what should be done.
The NAVY is the crutch the U.S. leans on, without the NAVY no one would even bother listening to what the U.S. has to say about anything, no one would care.
But that wont last forever, China is quickly building a modern Navy and they will continue to secure their power and control over the Pacific (we pretty much lost the Pacific already) and China is entrenching itself with "sand-castles".... which have numerous military advantages (refueling, re-supply, controlling popular shipping lanes, etc... etc...) not to mention the potential for long range ground to sea defense/offense systems.
Its almost game time, and when the game starts it will soon be game over very shortly after.
It doesn't help that our allies are all a bunch of failed European states now also lol, I mean like, there are almost no military powers left in Europe worth a damned, the Entire E.U. is more of a liability than anything for the U.S. in the condition they are in... No E.U. country has an economy that can muster any kind of war machine right now... and the outlook is not good.
Frankly I dont even know what Russia and China are waiting for, the doors wide open for them to completely conquer Europe and the Pacific, no one would really put up any real struggle.
It's OK Amerikantskis, USSA (as the entire world knows) would never dare fight a real country with a real army. Having said that it should even be patently clear to USSANS that Pentacon Kill Industries' serial judaic wars against rag-tag peasant "armies" of women, old men, children and Al CIAduh "a$$et$" is anything but impressive.
Onward to the mother of all wars, our fast approaching toxic derivative food stamp Saudi Mercan dollah meltdown "Civil War"!
Translation :We want even more money
This reminds me of Millennium Challege 2002 when Lt Gen Paul Van Ripper beat the opposing force using asymetrical warfare. They had to reset the war games because the good guys got beaten and THEN tie Ripers hands so he couldn't win. Sounds like "Heartbreak Ridge" where Eastwoods misfit's were suppose to ambush in the pre-planned ambush site but didn't. Good military people have been getting passed over and/or retired early for over a cople decades because they speak the truth and not what the MIC/ Washington beaurocrat want. Yeah, I could take some of the Baltic countries in a matter of hours and a few airborne companies couldn't get there in time before the Parties Over ceremonies were in full swing. Some Baltic countries are still in budget processes for defense (gives them time for the MIC to buy their votes). Notice how many countries now have female defense chiefs. Not to put down the women but are they up to speed about strategies of defending their countries?
What, you mean the U.S. might actually pick on someone its own size for once? Say it ain't so!
"The NeoCON SCUMMM* do the lyin'. The Dumb Goy do the dyin."
Sounds like a plan... "LETS ROLL!"
(SCUMMM* - Satanic Cabal Underwriting Mass Murder & Mayhem)
"Defense" budget must be urgently increased to 200% of total ....
“The Russians don’t do many things well, but they have been subverting, destabilizing, invading and conquering their neighbors since Peter the Great." Really???
I, apparently, am not reading the same history as Col (Retired) McGregor. Peter the Great had a mixed record at best when it came to war. His bout with the Swedes can be said to be a draw at best. However, when Peter the Great went up against the Ottoman Empire, he got his ass kicked. It resulted in - talk about history repeating itself - having to give up Black Sea ports. Hmmm . . . Black Sea ports - that has come up in recent news - well never mind. It will come to me in a minute.
Then there is Col (Reitred) McGregor's notion that tank battles can be fought with "lighter, more agile forces." Huh? When he fought in Iraq he was battling the Iraqis with main battle tanks, AH-64 armored helicopters, Bradley fighting vehicles, massive air force and artillery assets and far superior C3I. In other words, he was able to bring to bear the most potent conventional fighing machine to be fielding anywhere at that time on the planet. Not taking anything away from the heroism and bravery of his men, but that is why he was successful. To then say that we need smaller, lighter more agile forces in exchange for the above and go up against the same array of enemy hardware albeit with better Russian leadership and training is absurd.
Note, there is no question that the Russian army is better equipped and better led than the Iraqis. However, we are still talking about a conscript army. Soldiers do their time and get as far away from the army as possible. NCOs might as well be non existent in the Russian army. Orders come down from officers - after checking with the political officer - and then to the men. Yes, there are NCOs, but they are discouraged from taking the initiative. The consequence is their "table top" exercise is rote memorization of order of battle, plans, and targets. When the Soviets were in Afghanistan it wasn't just ground to air missiles that broke their backs, but their lack of being able to alter battle plans in the heat of battle.
The only thing that is true in this article is the state of European defenses. The constituent countries of the EU have sold their ability to defend themselves on the g_d of socialism. As the cost of their entitlement regime spiraled ever higher over the decades their defense budgets took a distant back seat. Two decades ago it was noted that they could no longer defend NATO collectively. As little as a decade ago, it was noted that not one of the constituent countries could even defend themselves. They are a toothless - tiger isn't the right word - how about kitty cat!
If you want to read something truly hilarious look up the trials and tribulations of the French fielding their one and only aircraft carrier. Did I mention that the not so great Britain no longer has even one aircraft carrier?
Putin knows full well the inadequacies of his armed forces, but when measured against that of his potential adversaries, he knew he was on firm ground in his invasion of the Crimea and the attempt at invasion of eastern Ukraine.
Putin did not invade shit ass wipe...
Crimea seceded
you said all long weak opinions only to end repeating lie...
In a pigs eye Crimea seceded.
Crimea wouldn't make a pimple on a monkey's ass in any war or other world issue.
All pipsqueak countries in Europe exist only from the benevolence of the US of A, holding he barbarian hordes at bay, on our dime.
Take your inflated misguided "weak opinions" and recognize reality.
Of course, Crimea succeeded.
Why else did the Negro hold up his fudge stained boxers for us to see in his address from the Oval Office?
If I see ONE MORE pic of Hillary, I think I'm gonna throw-up.
Nothing personal. It's just that she's the COMPLETE ANTITHESIS to EVERYTHING I've ever held TO BE WORTHWHILE, HONORABLE, LIFE-AFFIRMING, DECENT...
NOBODY in Europe will go to war for USA dictators.
USA government ... fight (and loose) your own wars.
NATO, USA and Europe have nothing to do in the Baltic, period.
Stay the F%$& out of other people their countries, you War Criminals.
We know that most of Europe is currently on it's knees to the Islamic cult of hate and death, shutterbug.
What are you, a frenchperson?
Got time on your hands because you have no member of the Islamic cult of hate and headchopping to surrender to, this morning?
Believe me, if the PEOPLE of our US of A had a say in this, Europe could kiss our rosy buttocks. That also goes for the ME, ASIA, Canada, the other Americas and the rest of you lame asses.
TORT - I was going to confront your position until your percieved fantasy did it for me:
In case you gushed over your own critical point please notice the ONLY logical end to your "IF" phrase:
"if PEOPLE of our US of A had a say in this" ...... um, THEY DON'T.
Wait, I may have fallen for troll bait. Damn. MOAR COFFEE ......
What, news flash, those Muslims are migrating becuase America/Israel are destroying their nations. If your homes, schools, hospitals were being bombed, wouldn't you flee?
I swear to God, feminism runs deep in America, no concept of cause and effect. WE or more specifically our zionist government, are responsible for this exodus from the Middle East, why do you not comprehend this?
"Islamic cult of hate and death", GW Bush did a whole lot more killing of Muslims than they have ever done to US, are you insane?
America had NO enemies in the Middle East before Israel was "created". The West (zionists) have done infinitely more terrorism to the Middle East, than they have ever done to us, what has been done to us, is retaliation.
this soldier just seems to basically be saying "we want moar militarisation, moar weapons, moar gear so we can fight a non-existent threat". So he's from the same sort of McCain ideological camp.
If they push that button, will Hittleries head explode ?
Yemeni troops gain new victory in war against jewSaud chimpanzees: http://en.alalam.ir/news/1757351
One thing is completely certain. If all this rhetoric and provocation turns hot, it will go nuclear, and if it goes nuclear, well then you might as forget about everything, because life wouldn't be worth living. You would be far better off to get hit and just evaportate.
One of the biggest concerns I have is that Netanyahu has, for the last 30 years, boasted about how he can control America, and that statement appears to be true. Israel has captured the State Department, the Pentagon, all of Congress, the neocon wing of the Republican party, and, when there is a Republican president in office, the White House. Your people are being crushed under the weight of government debt, your banks are insolvent to say the least, you waste trillions on defense research that becomes worthless and meaningless overnight and the Jewish bankers rake in the profits.
It is important to note that the Talmud Jews, i.e. the Zionists, despise both Christians and Muslims. That book describes both those groups as 'animals' to be brutalized. Under Talmud teaching no Jew ever owes any debt to a Goy or a Muslim and murder is condoned. What kind of people have you associated yourselves with? Is that the 'America' who stood for liberty, equality and freedom? That book teaches exactly the same kind of philosophy as Naziism, except in it's vision, the Talmud Jews are the overlords.
It is said that the family fortune of the Rothchilds is over 500 Trillion dollars. They are Talmud jews. You never see any Rothchild coming forward to offer part of that fortune so solve the world's problems, feed the poor, create innoculation programs, pay off crushing debts or anything that would make the world a better, safer place. No. All the money, all the gold, and the wealth and all the control rests solely with them and they aren't going to change.If they used just 30% of their fortune they could pay off the debt of the entire world. Think about that.
Frankly, they are the problem.
Dark Daze; You're able to have "one of the biggest concerns", and write about it, with out repercussion, ONLY because of projection of the military umbrella of our US of A.
Netanyahu doesn't control butkus in our US of A. He has friends that stand for truth, justice, and honor; as he does in his country. The reason there are no progressive/fascist, dimocrats supporting Israel is because; I cannot think of a word vile enough.
Talmud Jews are entitled to their "you say" beliefs, as are you. That they even exist is because of the courage, honor, and death of others that are more sanguine. No mention of the Islamic cult of hate and death that all others submit or die, doen't fit your facist meme.
I don't know about the Rothchilds, the fact that they even survived the murder, hate, racism against the Jews since the start of A.D. is a miracle in itself, and more a testament to the greed and lies of Jew haters as it is of their good fortune. The fascist Soros is a better prime example of a "despise"r.
You don't do math very well and "Frankly", you and your ilk are "the problem"
God Bless America and all those that support it's inalienable exceptionalism.
I am sure that LtC.Macgregor would acknowledge that the most signioficant difference between his troops and the Iraqi troops was the difference in proficiency. US troops were better-trained and fought more effectively as a unit. Superior Training, Command and Control, Equipment and Logistics all favored the Americans decisively.
If American forces were to be "annihilated" by Russian forces in any hypothetical engagement, it would probably be due more to a combination of these factors than due to a difference in organizational structure.
The US Army of 1990/91 was organized precisely to engage the Soviet Army. Its performance during the 96-hour ground war against Iraq was as shocking as it was sobering to the generals in the Kremlin.
I agree with Macgregor that the US Army today is not fit for combat against a first-rate military adversay. But that is the result of the way it has been oriented toward Occupation and Oppression of technologically and economically inferior countries. Were our nation to pull back from Empire-building and refocus on fighting wars Against Aggressors, it would -given enough time- become combat-ready to fight the Russians, Chinese, North Koreans or any other comparable force. But the only reason why we should ever consider doing so, would be to respond to an unprovoked invasion by any one of these countries against another which had not in any way provoked them.
MacGregor's concept of a Reconnaisance Strike Group (RSG) is nonsense. Such units, fighting in isolation from each other and carrying a week's supplies around with them, would be destroyed in piecemeal fashion. I can't imagine what kind of Mad Max world he envisions in which his RSGs would be running amok against a scattered and disorganized adversary.
When the shooting finally starts it will come down to what soldiers are prepared to die for.
Russia's two thousand year old culture, blood and history.
or the share prices of Raytheon and Boeing.
Not sure why the downvote on this one, but certainly a key factor if ever there is a war rivaling ww2 or other where 000s of US soldiers are being killed. In WW2, men were standing in line to join....standing in line and lieing about their age to join and die. In their eyes at that time it was glorious duty to the US to protect out soil and freedom.
Was it right? Is that what happened? Was the attack on pearl harbor unprovoked, un-forseen? un-preventable? Or, was it at the time the story was so easily controlled and consistently told, there was no opportunity for people to hear an alternative story. I have no idea which is true or not...I'm a believer in the greatest generation....and not because i think they faught a truly just and pious war, but given the information they had, that generation mad incredible sacrifices and basically conquered the world in less than 5 years.
The last two fucknuts in the WH took 14 years to supposedly kill 1 idiot in a cave!
No, this generation is not the greatest, but not just because they would unlikely be able to make the sacrifices necessary to wage a war like ww2 again....far too selfish for any of that. But, i do give some credibility that there might just be enough to see through all the patriotic bullshit like came after 9/11.
No way do I see this generation wasting valuable tinder time standing in line to go die for what important patriotic story is told to motiviate people to go kill freedom hating russians....same goes russians I suspect too btw
The only war worth fighting is the war here at "home", for our nation.
In America it is not our freedoms or our rights, but the perception of these contrived notions. How can you have "democracy" when the vetting system is owned by corporate/zionist interests who get to pick the options.
If ANY man/women candidate for president stood up and spoke the truth, they would be DESTROYED by the media, period. So we don't have real choice, we have the illusion of choice, which makes us accept our situation, because we blame ourselves, not the system. though, thanks to the internet, things might be starting to change, which begs the question, how much longer will they allow us to have the internet?
And it should be stated, if any man/women did get past the media vetting system, and made it into the White House, they would meet a similar end that befell JFK, and again the media gave us the story and we bought it hook line and sinker, other wise you are a "conspiracy nut-job", right?
"And it should be stated, if any man/women did get past the media vetting system, and made it into the White House, they would meet a similar end that befell JFK"
Perhaps we can 'crowd fund' a couple of 'hit-men' to take out the mouth pieces who are begging for war? I sure there's many would do it for expenses only!
Only an idiot would downvote this comment. SPOT ON.
Now if you told some of the troops a new pair of red pumps were the spoils of victory ......
What has become of the shining beacon?..... Bring the boys home as they fight for NOTHING.
MOAR WOAR! MOAR!
The US spends 50% of all income on the military. It spends more than every other country combined. Surely it's the best military on the planet, by far already.
How on earth could you possibly spend more?
My next point is ... Man you personally are not getting much in return are you. The 0.1% on the other hand are making out like bandits.
Is it not the greatest of ironies that while America pays the most for a military, yet our borders remain wide open. What is a military for if NOT defending your borders? Because our military is about defending corporate and zionist interests, not the people's interests.
Sure the US spends vast amounts on it's military but throwing $600 toilet seats at your enemies may not be as productive as one would hope. There is a subtle difference between spending on the military and spending on the MIC.
oh, look...another fat cat tied into the military industrial complex is trying to frighten us into spending even more on the MIC...what a shock...arrest this troll for treason
Our society's capacity for large scale ground combat is effectively hampered today by a preponderance of soft living, less-than-manly males best represented by SweetDoug.
This story is total bullshit. It's just a bunch of military assholes trying to get more money out of the taxpayers.
Russia cannot defend itself against NATO's overwhelming numbers. Thats why they have said they will use nukes to defend themselves. Russia has about 800,000 soldiers, NATO has 3.5 million. In order to launch an attack you should have a 3 to 1 advantage for the attackers. Do the math.
At the same time the USN is saying that ideally it needs like 5 more carrier groups.
LOL
I don't think a war between Russia and NATO would be fought with foot soldiers, at least not in phase 1, so the number of boots is irrelevant.
It will be a war between aircraft and ships dropping bombs and missiles to destroy the other's hardware and infrastructure and cause as much collateral damage as possible.
Get with the program, chum. We're well into "phase one" for some time now. That you haven't recognized that, or understood the nature of warfare now, should give you pause.
No. We're at the pre-phase 1 stage aka the "proxy stage" which can include covert acts of Western sabotage and assassinations and in Russia's case, sanctions to weaken its economy.
Phase 1 proper begins when one side takes the gloves off and starts dropping bombs or missiles directly on the other.
And why oh why does the UN need 3.5 million soldiers? The zionist bankers have the world in a strangle hold, seems that Russia, maybe China are the only holdouts, for now.
Tell us. How many armies have underestimated Russia in the past?
You don't understand the Russian mentality and that of the Russian people.
We have a professional army. That is great to form a cadre of an army to fight a real war but only useful to supply enough of a delay to get a real army in the field.
A real army is one that fights for itself and its friends and simply wants nothing more than to win and go home as fast as possible.
That is what fought so effectively in WWII. It was our soldiers who wanted nothing more than to get the war over and go home that created an overwhelming victory. If the professional officers got in the way of their fighting in WWII, the situation was handled by removing the officer or simply having accidents to get rid of them.
That does not happen today and the soldiers all obey the insane commands and strategies of their lunatic leaders. That is what you get with a professional army. Having regular smart people fighting your war will result in the quickest path to victory. All they want to do is win and go home.
And yes, as far as us fighting in the Baltics, that is about as insane as it gets and only a moron fights in Russia's back yard, between Sunni and Shia, and in Afghanistan. Does anyone see the trend line? Oh yes we must not forget the War on Terror as well. A smart person could easily end that war in a few weeks but not a professional army.
I am also a graduate of the US Naval Academy where they educate the professional morons to do stupid things no sane person would ever do because they educate nothing but engineers who will do nothing but make a better weapon.
We expel 7 year old boys from school for drawing pictures of guns or Cowboys and Indians. We have married couples in their late 20s and early 30s in full body armor riding bicycles on the sidewalks with rhe kids in full body armor. God forbid someone including dad should skin a knee.
We have become an all inclusive , anything goes culture. Schools and administrations are now run by women . The winner in a fight is last man standing . That is all well and good if your society is raising and turning out men. USA. My two dads army will come fight your battle singing Barney songs. USA, I hardly knew ya. Sad
Once I heard they outlawed dodgeball in middle sschool................I knew it was all downhill from there.
*smiles*
China destroys the GPS satellites and it's on. Will be house to house Red Dawn.
Vladimir Putin,
You are a liar and a fraud who is a lackey of the bankers.
If you weren’t,
1) The Russian central bank would not be a private treasonous institution controlled by City of London/Western ruling class interests.
2) Russia would not accept fraudulent (unconstitutional, illegal) and not-even-worthless [because FRNs are not even defined as to exactly what they are worth] US dollars or Euros for Russia’s real and valuable oil and other natural resources, or for its arms sales.
3)Russia would vehemently have denounced the fact that Americans and Europeans are manipulating the price of gold, silver and platine lower by selling precious metal that they don’t have in fraudulent paper markets only, to the tune of several hundred ounces MORE than each ounce the West actually have available for delivery. [For each ounce of eligible & registered gold in Comex warehouses, the Americans already have sold several hundred ounces on paper.] Like all IMF member countries, Russia acquiesces that it’s forbidden to use gold as money…
Putin,
You’re a fucking traitor to mankind.
If not,
You’d have used fuel-air bombs on Raqqa (the de facto capital of the Islamic State) and exterminated these American agents before they tortured, raped and killed hundreds of thousands of human beings.
You would have hit the oil fields controlled by ISIS which finances their rape, torture and mass murder of human beings in the name of American- and European-aligned interests. You would have denounced and attacked the parties that buy this oil from them and destroyed their oil trade routes.
Putin,
You’re not a chess player. You’re a piece of shit.
And Obama is what, or maybe you rather Bush Jr, or Clinton... The very idea you can sit in judgement is laughable. Last I checked Russia did not destroy an entire nation, Iraq, nore did they remove an democratically elected governemnt, like we/Israel did in, Egypt, Ukraine, Iran, Libya, and we are trying to do in Syria.
So spare us your critique of someone who is actually doing some good, and focus on the zionist filth that is destroying the world around us.
Reagan=Obama=Bush=Clinton=PUTIN
America=thesis + Russia=antithesis = NWO
Maestro Maestro = monkey = caged in zoo
Maestro Maestro = masterbating = while eating mrs. monkey's poop.
Zero Hedgers are no better than the average person they look down upon.
I mean,
Zero Hedge readers are morons, most of them.
You are not very smart nor honest at all.
Proof above.
Putin is collaborating/doing business with the head-chopping Saudis who are responsible for the shooting down of the Russian passenger jet.
Putin is a traitor.
what a moron and pos who wrote this
Why is the answer to all our problems always more military spending? The idea that America has to concern itslef with insuring we can match Russia man to man on THIER borders is laughable, who cares?!
Russia is NOT our enemy, Washington is, or rather those who own it.
Russia just needs to drop some 'dildos' in the battlefield and American soldiers will be running desperate to grab them.
This is a standard protocol for asking for money.
Is he saying that political correctness combined with a high level of diversity doesn't win wars?
That wouldn't be fair.
That HRC cunt is scary ugly - needs a vet to fix her teeth
It doesn't surprise me. The Russians seem a lot more relaxed about Americans than Americans are about Russians.
American attitudes toward Russia are often borderline hysterical.......no doubt intended to goad American people into believing all their military spending is soooo necessary that they should, "ask no questions." That's all, that even daring to ask the question is wrong.
he had me at "annihilate"
Not sure if you guys read the article... but he is talking about a SPECIFIC battle in IRAQ (batytle of 73 easting).
The tactics used turned out to be an overwhelming victory for US, but if they fought someone better trained, like the Russians, in that one perticular scrimmage they would have been anhaliated.
The title is misleading. Obviously commanders use tactics based on the preparediness and trainning of the enemy they are fighting. Anyone taking this out of context is a zero hedge idiot.
Normally I'd agree that's a good point. You'd have to throw out the assumption that the American tactics would have been the same against an equal or superior force offering much more resistance. However, considering the quote if from the actual commander of the battle in question, he's somewhat uniquely qualified to say he'd have gotten his ass handed to him (paraphrasing) against an equally sized Russian force. The thing I would question more was what incentive did he have to make that point in the first place. That has to be considered also. After all, when the military is being down-sized it's not going to be hard to find generals making doom and gloom warnings as they have their budgets cut. I'm not aware of any government organization that defends its own down-sizing.
Let the EBT thugs and whining liberals from NYCgo fight.
No way am I carrying a Gun to fight the Russians for the same administration that wants to strip me of my 2A rights.
I think it is going to be Russia taking the reigns, not China. Learn Russian now. I have nothing against China. But the written Chinese language needs to be modernized before they are going to progress much. Just to type on a keyboard they have to learn a whole different phonetic language that allows them to bring up the menus for their pictographs. Pictures and complexity make phonetics so weak that they can barely understand each other a few hundred miles distant in the countryside. Russia, without the burden of Socialism, with its size and resources, is going to be leading. The test will be what happens after Putin. If they get a new generation of Yeltsin type US sponsored looters in power, they will be put on hold for a while.
Listen to an old veteran folks: It's not about providing the troops with the best equipment and training in the field to defeat a well armed and cunning adversary, Vietnam proved that. Hasn't been in my lifetime {never mind how many years that is}. It's not about defending the "homeland", the russians built nuke shelters in abundance for their people back in the 50s and 60s, how many did the USA build? The US gubmint response was "duck and cover". It's about THEM. Has been since the end of WW2. It's about how much $ the war machine can churn, and the more the better for them. Equiptment doesn't have to be the best anymore, all that matters is the cost, and is everyone in their "circle of friends" is getting their palms greased. This is how the Mafia operates.
PS: I seriously doubt NATO would get annihilated by the Russkies. Not that there is any bravado in this statement, or love for the MIC, because their isn't any. My point is this: You can bet you ass the black works boys and girls have something squirreled away far away from prying eyes, just waiting to bring it out for such a confrontation. That is one thing they do excel in.
and the psyop conditioning continues
Only in the US Army can you be a 'legend' for winning one battle against a self acknowledged inferior force. But then again - Custer is a legend.
All the while losing contact with command and engaging in practices that would result in a tribunal if he hadn't been fighting untrained sissies.
SURE ! Thanks to the Sodomite-in-Chief Obama for making our
Military weaker than EVER !
WE ARE TOAST !
One Ohio class sub has up to 192 nukes. What would that do to any country? Better know where every one of those subs are before starting anything big.
Lol @ Russia starting a war in Europe.
All Putin would have to do is spend a few hundred dollars to hand out some halal cookies ala Nuland and Europe goes up in flames.
Mission Accomplished.
Angela Merkle, Refugee Mama Extraordinaire, is exactly like Vortigern inviting the Anglo-Saxons to England to fight the raiding Picts of Scotland.
It seemed like a good idea at the time but had a devastating impact on the future of the the ruling class. The Anglo-Saxons took the country, killed it's leadership, and drove the Celts to the nether regions.
Do these Pentagon morons ever look beyond their obsession with toys that go boom?
I'll bet Putin surely does.
Considering the sizes of the RF and EU economic areas, coupled with the extractive nature of the RF economy, Russia is happy to trade with "Old mother" Europe.
Both need each other despite the low level rhetoric that generally emanates from WashDC third hand.
Russia has a good thing developing exporting to China, but they're abt to have a 1929 moment.
No-one wins.
If there were any more cunts in the Pentagon it could be re-purposed as a brothel.
The Iraqi's surrendered in mass to the US for one reason: They were psychologically defeated before they fired the first shots. They viewed the US Army as invincible. That aura of invincibility has now been shattered, and they can never use that weapon again.
Baltic - Balkan equivalence worthy of the CNN presstitutes.
Come on Tyler clean the clickbait up a bit ffs.
Considering how much we've already reduced our military and our European presence (and that’s not to argue whether that's a good or bad thing) this doesn't seem like a shocking revelation. To say the Russians could kick our ass in the Balkans right now (in a conventional conflict) is akin to saying right now the US could easily defeat the Russians in Mexico. That’s kind of a “duh” statement.
MIG-35 a modern jet fighter that works! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9EIKqQTimY