July 2006 Archives
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The Druze
By Maj P
A comment in John’s post below gives us a good segue to discuss another historically powerful ethno-religious bloc in Lebanon: the Druze.
The Druze in recent memory possessed a potent independent armed force in Lebanon. They played a substantial role in the Lebanese civil war, and have allied themselves with (and against) various powers at one time or another. They are no one’s proxies, and have proven quite capable of taking care of themselves. I don’t know what armed force they can field today, but I wouldn’t count them out.
From the minute this latest Lebanon issue began, I have been wondering what part the Druze might play. The article, to which the commenter on John’s post referred, sheds some light on the question. Whatever the capability of the Druze to effect change by force of arms, and whatever one thinks of them-- they're not saints-- one thing is certain: the Druze chieftain has a remarkably lucid grasp of the situation: “As I've told the Americans: As long as Syria can send weapons to Hezbollah, there will be no change in the situation. Not with this regime in Damascus. We need a force that can cover all of Lebanon, like in Kosovo. Monitor the Syrian border, then talk.”
Easier said than done, Mr Jumblatt. But I hear you.
Let's hope others are hearing him too, and paying attention.
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Israel and Effects Based Warfare
By John
As the United States established its post Cold War supremacy in the skies, a new type of war order was established, that of "effects based warfare." EBO is the simultaneous application and projection of power, flexibly executed at all levels of command, designed to force the enemy to comply with our will.
Airpower --from stealth technology, to UAVs, to precision guides munitions-- has allowed us to redefine the war principle of mass, striking more targets with more effeciency and fewer forces. That pinpoint application of airpower also makes Parallel Warfare possible.
And Parallel Warfare is precisely what Israel is employing today. Examine their initial, pre-ground assault actions. Israeli air units swept out and targeted enemy systems and centers of gravity rather than troops. The IAF hit nodes of communication, transportation, leadership, and industries, executing a parallel attack against each enemy target system, climbing down the ladder from strategic targets, to operational targets, and finally to tactical targets.
Israel is now largely in the tactical targeting phase of their effects based operation, although strategic and operational missions still continue. We witnessed the strategic ops phase as Israel blockaded the Lebanon coast, bombed the airport and roads, and struck at Hezbollah leadership. We witnessed the operational phase as Israel shifted focus towards Hezbollah gun and rocket emplacements (enemy units in enemyheld territory). And now we are seeing Israel's use of ground forces in the tactical -- the "bug hunt"-- phase of their plan, as the IDF roots out enemy fighters from the battlespace.
As stated earlier, objectives still exists at the tactical, strategic, and operational levels of warfare, and thus fighting will continue for at least another 10-14 days.
48 Hours of Midnight
By John
Why did Israel agree to strip themselves of their most decisive strategic advantage --their control of the Lebanese airspace-- for 2 days?
1) Bone toss to Secretary Rice: It was important that Secretary Rice's trip produce tangible results. This is the tightrope that the US has to walk. On one hand, we want Hezbollah destroyed just as badly as Israel does, on the other we have spent the last few years weaving a complex tapestry of relationships and alliances in the Middle East in support of our own war on terror. Coming out too strongly in support of Israel jeopardizes our ability to fight wars elsewhere. It's unfortunate, but the nature of this beast we call the war on terror.
2) Qana: Critical that the incident in Qana appear isolated and accidental, despite the fact that the Law of Armed Conflict and Geneva Convention place blame for the incident squarely on Hezbollah's shoulders. This move on Israel's part is as much of a language as it is a strategy, and the message to the Lebanese people is: "if you see Hezbollah fighters in your backyard, get out of Dodge. You've got two days."
3) The Israeli Democracy: Israel the Democracy faces the same warfighting challenges as America the Democracy. Politicians think about winning the public, Generals think about winning the battle. Both want to win the war. The airstrike pause was a political decision, whether or not it had the support of the Israel high command is subject to speculation.
Final thought: It's unlikely that Israel denies their ground troops the air support that they need. It's likely that Israel will refrain from hitting the dense civilian areas where Hezbollah cowers for the next day and a half or so, but that doesn't mean that they will deny their ground pounders close air support. Expect thunder and lightning when the IAF gets their greenlight to resume combat operations.
More Letters from the MOB
By John
Charlie's letter writing campaign continues....
Well, I’ve got a bit of down time and I thought that I’d fire off an e-mail to you, John. Let’s call this one “logistics.”
The Army has changed, and I’ve only been in it two-plus years (not counting VMI). My S3 and I jokingly refer to the current uniform standards here at mob station as the “Continental Army”: show up with a uniform and a good set of teeth and we’ll give you a weapon! What do I mean by this? The Army recently switched from the BDU uniform it adopted in the 80’s to the new ACU uniform (a digital “urban” color). The problem is, not everyone has got the all of the uniforms yet, plus, all of the TA-50 and other issued equipment remains in the old BDU/OD Green patter. So what you get in formation is a group of people that look anything but “uniform,” and there’s not much that anyone can do about it.
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And in Comes the Hate Mail....
By John
One of the downsides of being published in a nationally syndicated magazine is that your piece becomes a magnet for the unstable. I received dozens of positive emails re: my article on academics vs. ROTC, but check out some of the hate mail that has since graced my inbox....
Pat F writes-
Your premise and thesis concerning the service gap was laughable. To blame the liberal \"intelligensia\" for what you argue is a growing (not existing) service gap is so full of holes you should be embarrassed to pander it to a wide audience. If you want to delve into some real \"stroking of society\'s underbelly for political gain\" why don\'t you take a look at the Bush/Republican Administrations (with your help) continual and perputual use of the term \"war\" . . . and actually going to war in Iraq for political gain. You use the term \"war\" as it by just saying it . . . the nation should cease any sort of discussion on the merits or lack of merits of the important decisions the nation has made and needs to make.
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And in Other News....
By John
I'll be the guest of Pundit Review Radio --WRKO Boston--, this sunday at 9:20pm EST.
You can listen live here.
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin & Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. This unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening at 8pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Leader. You can check out their blog daily at PunditReview.com. The blog was a finalist for a 2005 Weblog Award (The Oscars of the blogging world) in the media/journalist category along with such heavyweights as milblogger Michael Yon, the Wall Street Journal's James Taranto , Vanity Fair's James Walcott, syndicated columnist Mark Steyn and Slate's Mickey Kaus.
Elite Institutions and Military Service
By John
My National Review piece is up.
The Greatest TEWT Ever
By Maj P
Because we can all use some humor these days, I posted an amusing excerpt from one of my all time favorite military books, Bugles and a Tiger, over at my other blog. (What-- you didn't know I had another blog??? Why yes. Please drop by anytime, I'm always open for business. Come early, stay late.)
I posted it over there because it's slightly off-color, and we like to maintain a high-brow tone here ar Op-For.
Military vets will know what a TEWT is. If you're puzzled, ask a vet.
Enjoy!
Maj P
Wide Awake Radio
By John
Whoops, forgot to post this earlier. I'll be the guest of the Emperor himself, Misha from the Anti-Idiotarian Rotweiller, on Wide Awake Radio this evening. We'll be waxing Iran and whatever other subjects Misha deems rantable.
Listen in at 11pm CDT, here or here.
From an Undisclosed Location, With Love
By John
Got my first email from Charlie!
Hey John,
Writing with (very) limited net access from mob station. I’m not giving my location, unit, or anything else –but I thought I’d fill you in on what I’ve been up to. I spent three days at my home station armory doing staff officer work, prepping for movement, drawing new gear, and getting and giving briefings.
We ditched our Vietnam-era OD green equipment for the new MOLLE gear in the ACU pattern, and in short order we were shipped out across the country. Now let me tell you a little about mobstations:
No matter where they are, they are hot, dusty, have bad facilities, really bad food, and multiple layers of bureaucracy to go through to get anything done.
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Milblogs in the News
By John
JP Borda, the evil genius behind Milblogging.com (and fellow military.com blogger), was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal earlier this week.
Couple of other blogs, plus our slavemasters at Military.com, were mentioned.
HAIFA USO Update
By Maj P
Here's an update my post on The Mother Of The Sixth Fleet. I called the USO to see if they had any news from Haifa. The very nice lady who returned my call told me that they closed that location a few years ago, needing to shift resources to other places with the rise of wartime ops. I can understand that, but it's sad to see.
However, I do hope Gilla is OK. If anyone knows or knows of any bloggers from Haifa, ask them if they know her. She's a fairly prominent citizen.
(Many thanks to all who put in comments. Matt at Blackfive also linked to it.)
Picture of the Day: Marine Corps Fedex
By John
When it absolutely has to be destroyed in 30 minutes or less.....
Hook it up to one of the USMC's new V-22s!
And.....
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The Art of War
By Maj P
Apologies in advance, but I’m going to have to put in a shameless plug for a few of my fellow Marines.
We just landed our second combat artist in Iraq, Major Alex Durr. Alex is Old Corps; he flew F-4 Phantoms way back when, and F/A-18s later. These days (when he's not at the tip of the spear) he works for the airlines and has his own aviation art business. (See his latest on the cover of the July 06 Leatherneck.)
He joined Major Jeff Riley, who has been in theater for a few weeks. Jeff is there as a historian and has already drilled down on the meat of operations and is chronicling the main effort. He has a blog, but due to some IT issues it isn’t fully up yet. I’ll post the link when he gets it where he wants it.
Finally, WO1 Mike Fay’s site is always worth a look. See some of his best work here and here.
A Small Dose of Perspective
By John
Last night, on Pundit Review Radio, a woman named Susan reminded me of what we're fighting for, both at home and abroad.
As I told Kevin, one of the hosts of Pundit Review, this was one of the most moving moments I've heard on radio.
Kevin replied: "we had chills."
ONLINE BOOK DISCUSSION WITH THOMAS RICKS, AUTHOR OF "FIASCO"
By Maj P
I tuned in late, having had other sierra to do, and so I couldn't ask a question.
Here is the link to the entire session.
There are some good passages in there, and I think Ricks handled himself well against some angry questioners. I have liked some of his other work, and I believe I might just buy this one. Ricks is no fellow traveler; if he thinks that the war has been mishandled, he's also clear on what he wants the outcome to be: "The short answer is: because I want to win in Iraq. I don't know a lot of officers who think the current posture is sustainable, especially as the chaos continues in Baghdad. But I still think it is possible to win in Iraq, if we get better at recognizing mistakes and adjust better and faster."
Go thee hence and read it all.
Monday Morning Prep Fires, 24 July 06
By Maj P
A handful of things to toss out this morning:
1. Israel/Lebanon. The fight goes on. I have yet to see any maps on actual cross-border penetration (reminds me of the old phrase from the UCMJ, “any penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete the offense…”) but perhaps I’m not looking in the right places. More likely, the IDF is keeping a tight lid on that info. Diplomats are talking, but I think jaw-jaw is going to turn into war-war. The larger issue is, as I see it, what is Lebanon? Is it a functioning state that can order its affairs, or is it a state bound on one hand to its ugly neighbor and on the other hand to a terrorist entity that has control over large amounts of land and people? We shall see.
2. The IDF. What are the true capabilities of that organization? I want to know what kind of straight-leg, hard-marching, non-SOF grunts they can put into the field. The IDF website isn’t much help; nor is this because I think it’s somewhat dated. Again, I’m not sure I’m looking in the right places. So, I call for help from all the knowledgeable Op-Forians—what can you tell me about the current capabilities of the IDF to fight a grunt-intensive campaign in restrictive terrain against an enemy that has been preparing for years?
3. Iraq. Thomas Ricks of the WaPo, my quaint and amusing local paper, has a new book out on the campaign in Iraq. He’ll be online at 1300 (1:00 pm) DC-time to discuss it. The title suggests that he thinks it isn’t going well. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, as I respect his work from the past.
THE MOTHER OF THE SIXTH FLEET
By Maj P
As I’ve watched the news reports from Haifa, I’ve wondered to myself, “What’s become of the Haifa USO?” Sailors and Marines who’ve done a Med float (or two) are probably familiar with that location, a little piece of home far away from home.
So I googled “Haifa USO” and got a few hits. Then I tried the name of the lady who runs it—Gilla (or Gila) Gerzon—and I got quite a few more. Here are some of them.
Israeli Offensive Backed By The People (scroll down to the end)
And here’s mine: I am proud to say that I have met Gila Gerzon. It was back in ’94, on my second float with 24th MEU (SOC). We had just come back from the expedition to burn the Philadelphia in Tripoli harbor… Ha ha, it wasn’t that Old Corps, in fact we had just come from Somalia after the covering the withdrawal there, and we were due for some liberty before resuming our exercise schedule in the Med.
Right before we pulled in, the MEU S-3 and the CO pulled me in and told me they had a job for me. The lady who ran the USO in Haifa not only provided a nice place for the sailors and Marines to go relax, she had also, solely on her own initiative, constructed a memorial park to the 243 men who were killed in Beirut in 1983. It was high atop Mount Carmel, and whenever ships pulled in it was SOP to have a small ceremony up there. Someone had to plan it, someone had to go with her while she planned her end of it, and that someone was 1stLt P.
I was not pleased, because the task lopped three days off my liberty schedule, but what could I do? It was important for the CO, and therefore I made it important for me. Besides, he’s not the kind of guy you say “no” to.
A burden became a privilege. I met Gilla, and went with her all over Haifa while she saw to a million little details. And I learned a few things about Haifa and her memorial. It was on choice real estate, if I remember correctly, and she got the land donated. 241 olive trees lined a path that extended to an overlook on the edge of the mountain, and the axis of the path pointed toward Beirut. All of this she did on her own, only because she loved the Americans who came through Haifa and wanted to make sure that no one in her country forgot those who died in Beirut.
She later had a tree planted in my name in the Mt Carmel National Forest. I have the certificate to prove it. I’ll see if I can dig it up, and some photos too, and maybe post them later.
So when you see the reports from Haifa, know that a great friend of the United States is there under fire, and say a silent prayer for her, all her good works, and her countrymen.
TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI (LEBANON)
By Maj P
Ok, well, maybe they’re not evacuating people out of Tripoli, but I couldn’t resist.
I found several press releases on the Marine Corps website concerning the NEO underway in Lebanon, and I commend them to your attention. As important a capability as the NEO is, it’s only one of many at the disposal of the very powerful Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG).
A quick timeline:
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GUNS UP, READY TO FIRE
By Maj P
Didn’t that used to be an old naval gunfire pre-fire report, the “GURF report”? I seem to remember that from my formal naval gunfire training back in late 1991, at the old naval base at Subic Bay. But that was back in the Old Corps—no name tapes, PRC-77 radios, etc, etc. You get the point. Ah, the Philippines. We trained hard, we played hard.
It seems that the GURF report is no longer in use, or at least so I gathered from my course last week at EWTGLant. I went through the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) Primer, which now certifies me as an entry level JTAC-in-training and establishes a training regimen. Great course, taught by outstanding Marines. I hadn’t done any thing like that in a while; it was good to get back into the call-for-fire and nine-line briefs. The simulators we trained on are superb, like nothing I have seen before. Best of all, it gets me back on track for more training when revert to the SMCR—the Shooting, Moving, Communicating Reserve.
So, WTF? I take a week off, and look what happens… Charlie heads downrange—good luck, soldier, and remember the footsteps in which you tread—then Lebanon explodes, Somalia talks trash to Ethiopia. Also, I’m pleased to say that my good friend Major M.F. is out of Iraq and on his way home. Good work, Brother Rat, I’ll be glad to see you home.
Many thanks to Pinch for PINCH-hitting, and I applaud his posts, especially the one on Canadian defence. At any rate, I’M BACK, and it’s GUNS UP, READY TO FIRE.
Canada, Climbing Out
By Pinch
Back in 2005, our neighbor to the north decided they needed to address their national defense programs after decades of neglect.
The Canadian Senate Committee on National Security and Defence issued its first report in September last year, titled : " WOUNDED, Canada’s Military and the Legacy of Neglect, Our Disappearing Options for Defending the Nation Abroad and at Home."
One of the rather stark admissions was this comment:
“Canada should mount enough military strength to protect its own borders, assist in the protection of North America, and – by focusing carefully on assignments within its grasp – assist in defusing international instability. This would represent a wise investment in Canada’s future. Instead, Canada is neglecting its military, neglecting its foreign aid program, and attempting to make its international mark mainly through the use of words – weak words when they are backed with so little substance.”
The implication, of course, is that all of this was not happening in the Canadian military of the late 20th and early 21st century.
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Targeting and "Fence Checks"
By Pinch
Found this interesting bit in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer today:
Military analysts question Israeli bombing
From reading various and sundry articles over the past few years from the Seattle P-I, I am well aware of its reputation, notwithstanding the fact that it comes from the state that has given us Patty “Osama builds day care centers!” Murray (for a surprisingly good smackdown of Senator Murray for this comment from, again surprisingly, the same newspaper, go here) and Jim “Saddam Capture Was Staged” McDermott.
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Today's Correspondence from Iraq
By John
From my friend at FOB Warhorse:
well man, I made a mistake today and drank the mango koolaid that was given to me at a city council meeting, it was made with the water from the haji river...that can only mean one thing, I have to go and sh*t my guts out now.
Heh, somehow they always leave that part out in the recruiting pamphlets....
Rumors of War
By Pinch
Murdoc over in his place posts this tidbit from the McMinnville, OR News-Register about their scheduled F-14D Tomcat museum aircraft (the planned centerpiece of their collection, no doubt):
But the flareup of violence between the Israeli army and Hezbollah and Hamas militias in Lebanon and Gaza led to a change in plans. The Navy, which had been planning to replace the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt's F-14 Tomcats with newer, more multi-dimensional F-18 Hornets, has decided to instead dispatch the carrier to the Middle East with its current squadron of F-14s - including the one promised to the museum.
SOP. Standard Operating Procedure here. My spies down around Oceana say that this is just that, a rumor, and that there is no buzz about any emergency deployment of the USS THODORE ROOSEVELT and its airwing, which would include VF-31, the last Tomcat squadron left in the US Navy.
The Tomcatters are heading to "the Boat" for carrier qualifications in the near future, though, but that has been a scheduled evolution so the aircrew can maintain their required qualifications to land onboard the ship. They need to maintain those quals because it is indeed true that they, and the rest of the airwing and the ship, are one of the "stand-by" carriers in the navy's 6+2 Fleet Response Plan scheme.
Under this schedule, the Navy retains the capability to deploy 6 carriers immediately in a national emergency and then 2 additional carriers within a certain time limit after. Those additional 2 carriers include the one that just returned from deployment, in this case the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Knowing how wacky this world can be, though, I'll just go on record as saying "Who knows?" and leave it at that.
But hey!.....Any excuse for a Tomcat picture!
The Genesis of a Deep Penetration Raid
By John
**Two Notes** This map is best viewed using Firefox. Second, I know that the first line of attack arrow is a little off, stemming from the Sinai instead of the Negev... I think when movable type resized the picture, the arrows shifted a bit to the right.
I put together this battle map as a means to convey how difficult it would be for Israel to succesfully execute an airstrike against Iranian nuclear facilities. This is a scenario that I wargamed myself, based on the geo-political situation in the middle east, the location of air defense facilities, logical refueling points, and distance to targets. Note that I said this type of operation would be difficult, not impossible.
I narrowed down the aim points to 4 must-hit targets. The experimental reactor at Bushehr, the uranium processing and enrichment facilities at Isfahan and Nataz, and the Arak heavy water facility. All of these facilities would have to be destroyed for Israel to call this a successful mission. The remainder of even one of these facilities would limit the "set-back" effect that the strikes would have on the Iranians nuclear development program.
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Picture of the Day: Out of The Mist...
By Pinch
or a reduced-radar signature LHD:
060115-N-6282K-001 Atlantic Ocean (Jan. 15, 2006) – The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) shown operating in dense fog in the Atlantic Ocean. Iwo Jima is currently underway conducting exercises in preparation for an upcoming deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Lithographer Seaman Apprentice Bryant Kurowski (RELEASED)
The Amphibious navy is one of the often overlooked aspects of our maritime capabilities despite the fact that we plan on having just as many Expeditionary Strike Groups as we have Carrier Strike Groups.
Capability wise, the ESG does not have the strike capability of a carrier air wing (having AV-8B Harriers as their prime air/strike platforms), but their purpose is basically to move the US Marines around to where they need to be and to support said Marines on the beach or in a joint forceable entry scenario ("kick the door down").
Not the most exciting of the Big Decks, but good sailors and good platforms, nonetheless.
The Wood Shed
By Pinch
The Wood Shed has a new home! Steve Ambrose is a former S-3 Viking naval flight officer and as such, has some great insight into not only ASW (anti-submarine warfare, a recurring theme that pops up occasionally anytime some fool thinks that aircraft carriers are passé) but a pretty damn keen perspective on events of the day, as well.
As far as Steve being a Hoover 'Fo ("'Fo" being naval aviation shorthand for "NFO", or Naval Flight Officer - once virtually a pejoritive in naval air parlance, now a well established member of the naval aviation team (note: the first Navy F-4 Phantom back seater who was part of a Vietnam MiG killing team was offered, at first, a lesser award than the pilot, who was receiving a Silver Star. Needless to say the BS flag went up on THAT one and both received the third-highest military decoration for valor)), we won’t talk about why we call the Viking the “Hoover”.
Ok, we will. Those big high-bypass turbofan engines on the thing sound exactly like a vacuum cleaner when it is spooling up.
Blogroll him.
Temporary Duty
By Pinch
99 OpFor... John asked me to help fill in for a short bit while Charlie begins his active duty. I can’t say how much an honor it is to be asked and to have the opportunity to bring a Navy perspective to these pages, specifically Naval Aviation.
My30-second bio: F-14 Tomcat RIO for about 8 years and left active duty in 94 back when the Soviet Union declared peace on the world. Still doing the reserve thing (Commander) down near Naval Air Station Oceana, and currently hanging the civilian hat at a large multi-sided office building in the northern Virginia area on the banks of the Potomac. I’ll be going back on active duty here in the DC area in the near future, though nothing like Charlie’s upcoming adventure. I’ll be battling a different enemy – Militaryius Administratium supported by their staunch ally, Reddus-Tapeus.
I have a little blog called Instapinch where you can usually find the occasional sea story, usually associated with carrier-based naval aviation, and for at least a few more months, the F-14 Tomcat (which, with all due respect to those plastic jet drivers, remains the singular coolest aerospace war machine ever devised by man).
Launch ‘em…
This video has been around a while. First saw it over at Lex's place (the aforementioned "plastic jet driver") who was passed the link by another who saw the vid on another blog, and since we are all a bunch of interbreeding linkers, we're bringing it to the OpFor crowd. "In the weeds" is a term we use when we need to get low....and I mean really *low*...when the hard deck is the hard deck and you have need to utilize every bit of available airspace you can. Plus its fun :)
The aircraft are Mirage F1AZ (ground-attack variant) from the South African Air Force and the terrain is in the Northern Cape Province.
The music (“Era” from The Mass) is simply beautiful and melds with the video images perfectly. This is one you will never get tired of watching. If you've ever wondered what low-level flying is like in a tactical fighter jet, enjoy:
Israel Can Go the Distance
By John
Israel has purchased 25 $84 million F-15I (I for Israel) Ra'am, a special version of the U.S. F-15E long-range interdiction bomber. It also is buying 102 of another long-range tactical jet, the $45 million F-16I Sufa. About 60 have been delivered.
The Jewish state also is buying 500 U.S. BLU-109 "bunker buster" bombs that could penetrate the concrete protection around some of Iran's underground facilities, such as the uranium enrichment site at Natanz. The final piece of the enterprise is a fleet of B-707 air-to-air refuelers that could nurse strike aircraft as they made the 900-mile-plus trip inside Iran, dropped their bombs and returned to Israel.
"They have the capability to strike Iran," said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas G. McInerney, a former fighter pilot who has trained with Israelis. "It would be limited, though. They could do 30 to 40 'aim points' in the array. I'm not worried about them hitting the targets. They will suffer losses, but they are capable of doing it."
You don't buy airborne refuelers unless your intention is to project force outside the normal range of your fighters. 30 to 40 aim points sounds about right; I'd be curious to see the strike package that Israel assembles for the mission. As Operation Dawn proved in 1967, the Israelis won't hestitate to send their entire fighter fleet if that is what they feel is necessary to accomplish the mission.
Now the question is airspace. What Arab nation are they going to have to fly over to strike the Persians?
Picture of the Day: Fox 2!
By John
"Derivery" for Kim Jong-Il...... Total Force work at Rimpac
F-15 Eagles fire AIM-7 Sparrow missiles at a tactical air-launched decoy off the coast of Hawaii on July 16 during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2006. The F-15s are from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron.
Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force
I'm Out
By Charlie
Folks, my number's up.
Sometime in the near future I'll depart to an undisclosed location and begin preparations for deployment. I've left my job, moved out of my apartment, and have spent the last week shedding all vestiges of civilian life. My radio silence here at OP-FOR has been directly linked to those preparations. I'll be out of touch for a while, but blogging will continue once I can get a reliable connection overseas.
It's been great, running this blog. I look forward to continuing my contributions here, but duty calls (and duty usually has a way of getting in the way of the things you do for fun.)
OP-FOR, meanwhile, is (and has been) in good hands with John and MAJ P.
So until my next dispatch, I big you all farewell. Soon I'll have the OP-FOR forward command post established, but until then, continue the fight, win the race, and keep the faith.
-Charlie
Anti-War Logic
By John
Firedoglake, one of the most profane and vicious of the liberal anti-war blogs, has a big problem with G-Dub using naughty words to describe the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Using vulgar language to describe Republicans, conservatives, and those who support the war is still fair game, however.
Prepping the Battlespace
By John
One of the lessons America, and the world, drew from the lightning campaigns of Gulf Wars I & II was the importance of battlesplace preparation. That is, the conditioning of the battlefield's environment prior to initiating full scale military operations.
What we are witnessing in southern Lebanon is concurrent with actions designed to prep a battlefield for the insertion of ground forces. So far, Israel has relied on its dominance in sea and air forces to isolate Hezbollah, rather than focusing their brunt of their superior forces on actual enemy positions. By blockading the coast, neutralizing Beruit's airport, and damaging roads and bridges into and out of Lebanon, the IDF has cut off Hezbollah's supply routes by land, sea, and air, and blocked all lines of escape.
These isolation actions are eerily similiar to Coalition movements prior to Operation Hail Mary during the first Gulf War, where allied aircraft severed supply lines to foward deployed Iraqi Army units.
The end result is a battlespace that traps the now ill-equipped enemy force, the ideal environment for Israel to crush Hezbollah forces.
I think that in the coming days, we will see a sizable Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon, a campaign designed to exploit the favorable conditions that Israel has created for itself. I have the feeling that once that invasion comes, Hezbollah's ability to launch rocket attacks into Israel proper will be severly reduced, if not eliminated.
Endstate: IDF holds the territory until it is satisfied that the Lebanese Army is A) free from Syrian control and B) capable of holding the southern border on their own.
**Update** Defense Tech and Stratfor concur....
**Update #2** A reader writes:
I just read your blogposting "Prepping the Battlespace."I am a faculty member with the US Army Command & General Staff College and your comments are the same ones we have been having with students.
Picture of the Day: When Pigs Fly
By John
I'm too hungover to blog anything coherent right now, so here...look at the pretty picture.
Two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 52nd Fighter Wing, 81st Fighter Squadron, Spangdhalem Air Base, Germany, drop away from a refueling tanker during a NATO Operation Allied Force combat mission. The "Warthogs," deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy, are specially designed for close air support of ground forces.
Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force
Hezbollah Successfully Employs UAV
By John
**Update- Looks like I was wrong on my patrol boat theory....
Several hours after the vessel was hit, an Israel Defense Forces spokeswoman said the damage was worse than originally thought. She added that the ship, still burning, was being towed back to Israel. There were some 80 people on board the ship when it was hit.Emphasis mine. Goodbye 9 man Super Dvora, hello 74 man Eilat Sa'ar 5 Corvette.
That means the Hez bird beat the Israeli's Neptune radar and human lookouts...**
IDF Confirms Warship Hit by Explosive-Laden UAV
A Hizbullah strike on an IDF warship off the Lebanese coast damaged the ship severely, The IDF confirmed to The Jerusalem Post late Friday.Earlier reports disagreed regarding the extent of the damage, with the IDF initially reporting that the ship was largely unharmed. According to security officials, the ship was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle packed with explosives, a new tactic for Hizbullah.
The use of low-tech UAVs is a logical strategy, considering Hezbollah's ability to project force has long been constrained by a tightly sealed Israeli border.
However I am surprised by Hezbollah's successfully employment of a "explosive-laden UAV" (read: flying bomb) against an Israeli naval vessel. To illustrate, think of how hard it would be to fly a Cessna into one of our destroyers. And not a peace-postured warship that is fueling in a friendly port, like the USS Cole, but a fighting vessel that on full-alert, executing combat operations a few miles from a hostile shore.
I think this narrows down the type of vessel that was hit. The Israeli navy operates 4 basic classifications of fighting ships: diesel subs, corvettes, missile craft, and patrol boats. Of their three types of surface ships, two are equipped with anti-missile defenses, such as the bogey-shredding Phalanax Close-In Weapons System.
That leaves Israel's robust fleet of patrol craft, either a Super Dvora or Dabur class. Crewed by 6-9 sailors and armed with machine guns and rockets, Israeli patrol boats are designed to intercept low level, sea-borne terrorist infilitrations of their coast. They have no real defenses against an air-to-sea threat.
If this is the case, perhaps Israel will start stocking their patrol fleet with shoulder-fired surface to air missiles?
Picture of the Super Dvora below the fold:
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The Same War
By John
Throughout Israel's short existence, America has stood on the sidelines of the Jewish-Arab conflict.
But that was during the days of the Cold War, when the Russian juggernaut used its Arab allies to maintain influence in the region. The Israel-Arab conflict, from the Sinai in '56 to the first Intafada, were proxy wars, with Jews and Arabs playing out the role of pawns in the global chessmatch between the Eagle and the Bear.
But when the wall fell, the Islamists rose. New York, Saudi, Bali, Chechenya, London, Madrid; the war that Israel fought for decades has become global.
Does anyone disagree that we are fighting the same war as the Israelis, against the same enemy?
We stand as democracies, they as terrorists. Perhaps it is time that we treat the proxy war as history, the Syrians and Iranians as enemies, and Israel as a real ally.
Navigating the Blogosphere
By John
I've spent the last few hours reading blog roundups on Israel's two-front war. Here are the ones to which you should be paying attention. No comments section for this one, just read.
For some reason, however, many Europeans and Americans can't bring themselves to accept that Hamas is articulating not a negotiating posture but a religious conviction. By now, most people understand that Islamists consider it impermissible for a Muslim ever to convert to another religion -- conversion brings a death sentence in Saudi Arabia and other countries where extreme variants of Islam hold sway. What most people may not realize is that Islamists also believe it is impermissible for land to convert: Territory once conquered by Muslims, they insist, must never revert to the rule of infidels. That includes not just Israel but large parts of Europe. Also Kashmir, they demand, must be Muslim-ruled; that almost certainly was the motive behind this week's railway bombings in India.
Michael Leeden fingers Iran, and seems to concur with my political assessment of the crisis:
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Israel's War on Terror States
By John
President Bush said Thursday that Israel has the right to defend itself, as it launched fresh attacks on Lebanon after the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers.Bush laid the blame for the escalation of violence along the border on Hezbollah, whose guerrillas mounted a cross-border raid earlier in the week and captured the two soldiers. He also said that Syria "needs to be held to account" for supporting and harboring Hezbollah.
That's it. No "we support a peaceful resolution to the crisis," or "we encourage both sides to act with restraint," or "we fully support the UN's efforts to bring about a diplomatic resolution." Israel has a right to defend herself, you don't negotiate with terror states, get your boys back.
Israel's fight isn't a war against Lebanon, or the Palestinian people, or the peace process. It is a targeted campaign against two terror states, Hamas controlled Gaza and Hezbollah controlled southern Lebanon.
Americans don't think like Israelis do. We play checkers, they play chess. We want our wars lightning fast and equally furious. Israelis play the waiting game.They're the tortoise; we're the hare. They think 10 moves down the line, so their first moves often times don't make sense. And they fight to achieve a singular endstate: to exist.
Israel is our ally in the war against terrorism, one that just opened two important fronts in the fight. I fully support them and wish the best for their captured soldiers. But with that support comes with concern.
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