scratchnsurf
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I dont claim to be any great tactician but why not just nip round the gap in the wall in the North East of Poland?
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I dont claim to be any great tactician but why not just nip round the gap in the wall in the North East of Poland?
Ha, a good ol’ out flanking manoeuvre like the Germans did with the Maginot line. The issue is that Poland has a reputable 100,000+ army.
They have relatively modern equipment too, including their air force, so their border isn’t a concern.
Ah the good old Suwalki Gap. That strip of land has long been a thorn in NATO’s side.
NATO thinking is that any attack from Russia would be first directed into Lithuania then would swing South to capture the gap, connecting Kaliningrad to Belarus and denying NATO the ability to reinforce the Baltic states overland.
Given what’s unfolded in Ukraine (Russias inability to capture Kyiv and the consequent degradation of their military), it’s not seen as a major imminent threat. That being said planners in NATO decided to forward position a US heavy brigade in Poland to counter this threat, that along with Sweden and Finlands’ succession to NATO was deemed an appropriate response.
Now given that a Trump victory is likely in the November US elections it’s possible that the US brigade is recalled to the U.S. As @PhilM points out in his post, Poland has stepped up and will now be able to provide that defence of the gap.
The terrain itself is pretty rough and dotted with lakes, rivers, heavy forests so offers the defender many advantages.
Also NATO had just completed a 3month exercise (Steadfast Defender) the point of which was to defend that area against incursion and used mostly European military forces.
davids
Player Valuation: £70m
Still finding the idea that a disorganised Russian army struggling in Ukraine is a wider threat to Eastern European NATO members more than a bit odd.
davids
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Fingers crossed.
unn.ua
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The 'here and the now', and the region in ten or even twenty years time, are not one and the same. Governments and militaries must look to the future.
For all their losses, for all their ineptness and all their technological deficiencies coming to the fore, I do think we have to acknowledge they're gaining experience.
This experience is to some extent benefiting them now with the gains they have made, but in the long-term they'll have some experienced officers and NCOs.*
Look at the growth of the Chinese military as an example of threats grow until they are starting to gain parity, if not eclipsing. Do I think Russia will do this?
Honestly, no... but making suitable preparations will increase the likelihood even further.
*Those not dead or with no missing limbs.
davids
Player Valuation: £70m
Twenty year time it'll be a totally techno battlefield. Unless someone is a modern day Nostradamus a lot of money will go to waste.
Think most of these stories are generated by arms manufacturer lobbyists.
Have no fear, the North Koreans are here... coming to a Ukrainian battlefield soon.
Tipp blue
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
Makes you wonder why they bother making the long range missiles
Rumour has it, their dreams of ICBMs is to allow them to rapidly deploy these guys anywhere around the world - twenty drop out of each missile.
davids
Player Valuation: £70m
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