More Helicopters needed, the experts have no real idea! Crazy

by Babel-Fish | July 13, 2009 at 07:55 pm

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The problem with modern warfare is tactics tried in one place, do not always work in some others. At present the media is running stories that the British army is un equipped for the present conflict in Afghanistan. There is of course the constant advice given by so called military experts some are actually that but have no experience in fighting in such arid mountain terrain as found in Afghanistan.

For centuries armies have taken to the mountains that they know are easily defended, the tribesmen have never been fully defeated in Afghanistan as they know their mountain retreats well and use that knowledge to defeat any enemies.

The usefulness of helicopters in mountainous terrain is well known. However in Afghanistan the Taliban tribesmen have a vast history of destroying helicopters with ease, this in fact was a great annoyance to the Russians when they occupied Afghanistan. Ground to air weapons play a great part in the Taliban’s armory. It simply does not make sense to rely on helicopters to move troops and supplies as they are in fact a very soft target to the Taliban tribesmen skilled in destroying helicopters.

The fact that American purchased light armored personnel vehicles are being used by the troops have had no full protection against large roadside bombs and mines to me is not surprising. The enemy have had a lot of practice in making such devices and are experimenting all the time. One can not build a light fast vehicle and infallible armor to give complete protection to the troops it will carry. I bet that even armored vehicle model with the v shape will not be fail safe in Afghanistan and soldiers will still not be protected from the new adaptations of roadside bombs that the Taliban will experiment with in the near future.

However vehicles on the ground make a less easier target than helicopters in the air. That is due to the type of weapons the enemy has within its arsenal a enemy that made mince meat out of Russian helicopters many years before.

To beat the Taliban new tactics have to be tried and employed and troops on the ground are the only answer and to my mind the British troops have got it right and will win this fight with the Taliban. However I have never backed this war as its has links concerning oil and the global chess game.

The excuse in United Kingdom that the troops will stop the terrorism at home is unwarranted its an excuse given by those that sent the troops to Afghanistan to stop oil being piped to China via a Arab transcontinental pipeline from Iraq to the borders of China. China had finished there sector of pipeline to there border in preparation for cheap oil supplies.

But now the British troops are there they have no other option to finish the job so that they can fly home sooner from Afghanistan. The idea now is to box in the Taliban at the Pakistan border the Pakistan Army is obvously tasked to push the Taliban back to the Afghanistan border into a kill zone. However if this plan works I expect the Taliban will surrender and the surrender will be honored.

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mudricky

at 03:02 on July 14th, 2009

The government has a lot to answer for. Our Army should not be finding themselves in this situation.

Our government needs to get this problem sorted now and give our troops the support they need.

I don't agree with the military operations over there, but they are there so they should have the tools they need to do the job.

Babel-Fish

at 06:48 on July 14th, 2009

Actually its not the British army complaining as always its the opposition government and its supporting media. Having been a serving soldier and seen such out cries before and knowing at the time I was supplied with the best tools and adequate tools to carry out my military tasks. Yet someone at home was saying we where badly equipped seems to persuade me its just the same old samo.

It comes when soldiers are dying or wounded, the enemy are smart when it comes to warfare in their terrain on their terms in Afghanistan. What the politicians and their puppet string pullers need to be blamed for is putting the British Army into such a position in the first place.

It ludicrous to have an army at war and not expect soldiers to get killed and outsmarted on the battle fields by an enemy that has never been beaten on there own patch of mountains and that are not to unlike goats in navigating the terrain. That have had loads of practice at shooting down helicopters and experimenting with explosive devices.

They do have the tools to do the job the British army do not go to war without the correct tools its a well disciplined and well trained army that at present has been tasked to go against tribesmen that are very skilled in killing and using the terrain. All the helicopters in the world or the best fighting vehicles will not change the fact, British soldiers will be killed this is war. The tools of ultimate protection have yet to be invented.

Remember the Russians could not stop these tribesmen of whom not one invading army has defeated in the history of Afghanistan. Its the terrain that's the biggest problem conventional war and its tactics simply do not work within this type of terrain. In fact its best to fight on foot as its easy to get ambushed on the roads and helicopters are ripe targets.

mudricky

at 07:02 on July 14th, 2009

Thanks for that Babel...

Sometimes we shouldn't always believe what we read or what people tells you. Your point of view was refreshing.

I was reading about what you said about the Russians this morning elsewhere on the net.

It's starting to look like Afghanistan will be a never ending battle. I really hope not.

mudricky

at 03:04 on July 14th, 2009

Babel your story seems to cut off and does not finish.

Babel-Fish

at 04:11 on July 14th, 2009

yep thanks I will put that right straight away.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 03:13 on July 14th, 2009

There are constant improvements to vehicles that our troops use to provide protection against Improvised explosive devices. As recent casualties have demonstrated the Taliban (tribesmen) are innovative and find more powerful devices to defeat this armour.

It is also difficult to patrol a region without sticking the head out of crew hatches. Unlike conventional warfare, in this environment providing presence patrols is a large part of operations in Afghanistan.

Helicopters have proven to eliminate some of the risks for resupply, however they need protection as well either from ground forces or by providing attack helicopter escorts.

The new Rules of Engagment limit the use of attack helicptors, with hellfire rockets to some extent as a lot of collateral damage can be caused by their use. Terrain and climate cause additional problems for helicopters. Helicopters are susceptible to break down in extreme heat and dust causes additional problems.

The whole region causes a lot of problems of adaptation.

Babel-Fish

at 05:10 on July 14th, 2009

Some very good points thanks and I totally agree

Jenifer Adams (not verified)

at 03:27 on July 14th, 2009

Anybody who had anything to do with Executive Outcomes found
that in all departments, it was a highly professional military body. It would
not have lasted a year in the tough, combative Angolan environment had it
not been so. Planning and pre-battle liaison throughout for ground and air
support elements, was meticulous and always involved the participation of
unit commanders

drrexdexter

at 03:33 on July 14th, 2009

No doubt! And if swine carcasses soaked in grain alcohol were dropped on Taliban strongholds along with perfectly deployed armament, we'd not only stop their assaults, but break their spirits.