Ours on the sand, theirs below the waves.
I’ve recently shown you articles that take a look at the role the M1-series tank is currently playing in Iraq and have stated the I view the Stryker as a complement rather than a competitor to the tank. Now, columnist Austin Bay examines the continuing need for the beast.
Like Mark Twain’s death, the demise of the tank has been “greatly exaggerated.”
Go there. Good read. Ug, me happy tanker.
Now, in the today’s very early hours I posted of a new Iranian submarine program and hoped for feedback from Chapomatic. He has obliged and generally disagreed with me.
I’m probably biased because I have been known to be near some of those submarine things, but if I had the industrial base, a small submarine for coastal defense near a strait would be an effective naval choice.
In my defense, I did not realize at the time that the program in question was for minisubs (such is the hazard of research via dial-up). I will concur that minisubs would have a great value in coastal affairs, but disagree by arguing that, in the highly-trafficked Persian Gulf, the minisub option has probably a extremely limited degree of hope in affecting travel through the Straits of Hormuz.
Comments
One response to “A Look at Looking at MilTech”
Thanks for dragging me down this line of inquiry!
All you have to do is wait for the second flaming datum for traffic to completely cease. Previous war experiences bear this out–even the rumor of a mined harbor or a submarine about stops all the traffic, and any followon work slows to a crawl while the military experts (if there are any) try to neutralize the threat.
To translate to Army-ese, it’s like having a really good sniper or three lurking and repositioning around in town. All the civilians disappear, and nobody goes to market any more. The sniper can’t go 55 MPH, but he doesn’t need to.
That’s why the Iranians have three Kilos and are building minisubs. It’s also why DPRK has ’em and why other countries do. (Plus the SOF insertion, the ISR mission, the WMD delivery, all effective roles.)
The Iranians have crappy equipment but work hard to try to make what they have combat effective. Thing is, the mission they need to do is basic, not varsity level stuff.