Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!amdahl!amdcad!military
From: borynec@bnr.CA (James Borynec)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: The death of mobile war
Summary: How long does it take to concentrate combat power?
Message-ID: <26711@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Date: 11 Aug 89 05:51:12 GMT
References: <8804@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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Organization: DI, Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Ont.
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Approved: military@amdcad.amd.com


	[Discussion Caution!  When discussing potential tactics rather
	 than facts, I hope everyone will be careful to avoid repetition.
	 So far I'm enjoying this thread, but I think a look at Rommel's
	 comments on how to conduct mobile warfare when the opponent has
	 complete air superiority would be enlightening.  --CDR]

From: borynec@bnr.CA (James Borynec)

In response to Bill Thackers reply, I would like to make a few comments.

I understand that there are techniques designed to prevent
the redeployment of enemy forces during an attack.  But my point
was that technology has changed (or will change) the dynamics
of war in that with modern technology, the defeat of part of
the enemy can only be achieved with the defeat of all of the enemy,
thus resulting in a grinding war much like WWI.

Mutual support is a basic tennant of modern defense.  Basically, the
idea is that the enemy must overcome the entire defense at once, or
be cut up by one group of defenders while attacking another group of
defenders.  Much effort is spent trying to isolate defenders.

With today's technology, mutually supporting defenders can be up 
to 30 kilometers away.  This means that you must muster enough
power to overwhelm all of them, more or less at once.

You mention holding attacks.  Of course you will use them, but
mostly they are good for keeping the defenders in place.  Long ranged
weapons can respond in much less time than it takes to move troops.
As soon as the vital targets are decided on, they can be engaged.

Yes, there is a fog of war, and yes, the defender has to be able
to quickly decide where the main attack is, before it can be engaged.
There are methods to assist with decision process, the prime one of
which is to put artillery commanders in intimate contact with the 
supported arms commanders, at all levels.  The Americans are not that
good at this.

The important thing is that once a decision is made, help is on the
way, almost at once.  The defenders no longer have to wait the hours
it would take for reinforcements to appear.  The defenders can react.

You mention counter battery fire.  Yes the attackers will have more guns
but if they use them before the attack, this is almost a dead giveaway
for a coming attack.  Bye bye suprise.  Plus, the longer range
missles will come into play, and pretty soon you will have a private
duel between the entire theaters long range weapons.
Again, will you have superiority over the entire theater?  If you do
who needs strategy?  Just grind them slowly into the dirt.

You talk about having more artillery on the attacking side.  Of course,
you will need them.  Taking out a dug in defender is a difficult business.
The difference between the defender and the attacker is that the 
attacker must expose himself in order to close with the defender.
If the defender is not "neutralized" during the advance, they will
blow away huge numbers of attackers.  Witness the human wave attacks.

Trying to do counter battery, and ordinary attacks at the same time, mean
that you are splitting your efforts, and losing out on concentration.

Finally, you mentioned the demise of the tank.  I agree, that it
hasn't happened yet (although from what little I hear, the Iran - Iraq 
war was not much on mobility).  Clearly, the tank is central to
mobile war.  With the advent of smart (or even brilliant ;-) weapons
the tank, or any other mechanized vehicle is in danger.  We will have
to wait and see if the military contracters can deliver on their promises.


To sum up,  with modern communications and long range weapons, defenders
can be mutually supporting over vast tracks of land.  In order to defeat
them at any one place means that you must essentially defeat them over the
entire theater.  The ability to muster that kind of combat power is
questioned, and thus I believe the classic mobile attack is obsolete.

Cheers.. James Borynec

-- 
UUCP : utzoo!bnr-vpa!bnr-di!borynec  James Borynec, Bell Northern Research
Bitnet: borynec@bnr.CA        Box 3511, Stn C, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4H7