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From: terryr@ogicse.ogc.edu (Terry Rooker)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: What to do with the "Peace Dividend"
Message-ID: <13217@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 17 Jan 90 01:42:56 GMT
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From: terryr@ogicse.ogc.edu (Terry Rooker)
In article <13186@cbnews.ATT.COM> ae219dp%prism@gatech.edu (Devon Prichard) writes:
>
>
>Concerning the difficulty of airlifting a heavy infantry/armored
>division;
>
>to counter an armored foe somewhere, a quick 'n dirty solution
>may be to create a airborne division (parachute) which is basically
>foot soldiers armed with shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles.  with
>lots of available rounds, special training and tactics, and
>appropriate terrain, such a critter may slow/stop an armored
>assault long enough to allow airlift of heavier brigades.
>
The advantage of "heavy" mechanized/armor forces is not just their
anti-tank capabilities, it is also their mobility.  'Leg' units simply
do not have the tactical mobility to stay with an mechanized unit.
Even air lifting a mechanized division could take upwards of a monthe.
Yes, individual battalions/brigades couled be commited as they arrive,
but then you lose to affect of mass, one of armor's strong suits.
There has been at least one proposal to use the light divisions in a
similiar fashion, just deployed to great depth (on the order of 100
miles), what the Germans living in that 100 miles think about the idea
wasn't mentioned :-)  The bottom line is that no mater how you address
it, 'heavy' units take too long to get there, and 'light' units don't
have the staying power to slow things up until the 'heavies' can
arrive.  Note that I haven't even addressed the issue of where we
would get airlift to make a division sized airdrop.


-- 
Terry Rooker
terryr@cse.ogi.edu