On paper, Assad's armed forces seem formidable. His army has 215,000 soldiers with a similar number in the reserves. It includes eight armored divisions and three mechanized divisions, equipped with 4,700 tanks, 4,500 armored personnel carriers, 850 surface-to-air missiles, and 4,000 anti-aircraft guns. His air force consists of 40,000 personnel and 611 combat planes. By these measures, the Syrian military may appear to have more firepower than Saddam's did. However, in real life, it is burdened with at least as many shortcomings.
The Syrian army was not merely supplied but trained by the Soviets, and so inherited their highly centralized, top-down, take-no-initiative style of warfare. In July 1998, Hafez Assad, the current president's father (who died in 2000), appointed a new chief of staff, who tried to press modern ideas on his officer corps, including an emulation of Israeli tactics.
Syria really does have weapons of mass destruction, probably more than Iraq ever had, and its whole military strategy is geared to using them if necessary.
Syria is now believed to have several thousand chemical bombs, packed mainly with sarin, as well as 50-100 chemically tipped ballistic missiles, mainly Soviet-built SS-21s and Scuds. Assad bought Scud-B's, as well as the longer-range Scud-C's and -D's, from North Korea, which also provided the means for Syria to manufacture them.
LIBYA'S MILITARY:
The Lybian People's Militia:
The concept of universal military service is embodied in Statute 3 for 1984, approved by the GPC in March 1984. This law declared that all Libyans coming of age, whether male or female, were to receive regular military training, as long as they were physically able. Military studies were to be among the basic subjects of the educational curriculum at all stages above the elementary level. Military studies and training in regular military establishments of "specialized cadres in warfare" were to be restricted for the present to males.
The number of individuals organized into paramilitary units has been estimated at 45,000 but may have increased with the application of the new law. In 1987 the People's Militia was headed by Major Khuwayldi al Hamidi, one of the original members of the RCC. The militia units reportedly were generously equipped with arms, transport, and uniforms. In November 1985, it was announced that the first contingent of "armed people" trained as paratroopers had made a demonstration drop.
In early 1986, Western reporters were shown military training at a high school in Tripoli at which a minimum of two out of thirty-six class hours a week were devoted to military studies. In addition, one of three summer months was spent at a military camp. Graduates either entered the army directly or went on to college. Those entering college had to continue reserve training at their former high schools. The weekly lessons included hand-grenade throwing, signals and codes, and machine-gun maintenance. High schools concentrated on designated specialties, which in the case of the institution visited was the operation of the Soviet truckmounted Katyusha rocket launcher.
The Libyan Army:
By 2002 the Libyan Army numbered some 45,000 men, including 25,000 draftees. Recent years saw the Army undermined by the embargo, which deprived it of new weapons, and even more by the rise to power of the 40,000-strong Revolutionary Guard. The Army had been further weakened by having been disorganized into the "People's Guard."
The Libyan Army is organized into seven military districts and five Presidential Guards have been created - a product of the 1994 - 1995 restructuring process. Its strength is 45 000 personnel of which 40 000 are conscripts. It also possesses some 40 000 reserves organized into a People’s Militia.
The structure of the Army is as follows:
21 X Infantry Btns
10 X Armoured Btns
22 X Artillery Btns
15 X Special Forces
8 X Air Defence Btns
The Army is charged with border protection and acting as a rapid deployment force depending on operational circumstances. Doctrine is a mixture of Egyptian doctrine which was adopted after the 1969 coup and socialist principles derived from the concepts of a People’s Army.
In 1987 the army--by far the largest and most developed branch of the military forces--was still organized tactically in battalion formations. These included twenty tank battalions, thirty mechanized infantry battalions, ten artillery battalions, and two special forces groups comprising ten paratroop battalions. Air defense was organized into two antiaircraft battalions and six surface-to-air missile battalions. Two surface-to-surface missile brigades were equipped with free rocket over ground (FROG) and Scud missiles acquired from the Soviet Union.
In early 1987, the Libyan army was well outfitted with modern armaments, including rocket systems, armored vehicles for its infantry and artillery, engineering equipment, up-to-date Soviet infantry weapons, sophisticated fire-control systems, flame throwers and chemical munitions, and antitank guided missiles. Libya's more than 3,000 tanks gave it the tenth largest tank force in the world. Its range of tracked and wheeled armor, tank transporters, and air transport ensured it the necessary mobility to bring its forces to bear rapidly against any threat to its territorial integrity and enabled it to intervene in ventures far beyond its borders.
The Libyan Navy:
The navy has always been the stepchild of the Libyan armed forces, although its Soviet-supplied submarines and fast-attack craft with missiles have endowed it with the potential for inflicting damage on other naval powers in the Mediterranean. The enormous firepower available to small vessels armed with missiles and sophisticated electronic guidance systems has enabled them to assemble a modern flotilla at relatively low cost and with few personnel.
The largest surface ship in the Libyan navy, a frigate of about 1,500 tons with a crew of 130, was ordered just before the 1969 coup and delivered in 1973. Later, high-speed patrol boats and corvettes equipped with surface-to-surface missiles were purchased from France, Italy, and the Soviet Union. Between 1976 and 1983, six Soviet Foxtrot-class submarines were delivered. Each required a crew of seventy-five; in addition, twelve Soviet advisers were reportedly assigned to each vessel.
The Libyan Air Force:
The Air Force is organized into an Air Defence Command which is subdivided into squadrons and regiments which attention paid to close air support and ground attack. Eight close battlefield support squadrons and nine air defence squadrons exist. The size of the Air Force is 22 000 persons including 15 000 conscripts. It has 426 combat aircraft and 52 armed helicopters with many more in store.
With Soviet assistance, the air force was organized into one medium bomber squadron, three fighter interceptor squadrons, five forward ground attack squadrons, one counterinsurgency squadron, nine helicopter squadrons, and three air defense brigades deploying SA-2, SA-3, and Crotale missiles. (The three SA-5 launch sites were operated by army units.)
As of 2000, the national armed forces of Venezuela (FAN Fuerza Armada Nacional) comprised 87,500 individuals in four service branches--the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, and the Armed Forces of Cooperation (FAC), commonly known as the National Guard.
As of 2005, about 100,000 soldiers were integrated in the military through a fifth service branch, the Armed Reserve, although some of this force is more of a militia than a formal, professional armed corps.
In 2001, a civilian was appointed Minister of Defense for the first time in many decades. His role is largely policy-oriented, and operational command remains with a uniformed services commander.
As of 2006 the FAN will be transformed into six service branches, the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Reserve and the Territorial Guard. The Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard will serve under the Strategic Operational Command (Comando Estratégico Operacional), the National Reserve and the Territorial Guard will serve under the National Reserve and Mobilization Command (Comando General de la Reserva Nacional y Movilizacion Nacional)
The Venezuelan army bears the title "Forjador de Libertades" or "Creator of Freedoms". This apparently refers to Venezuelan armies fighting Venezuela's independence war, as well as the independence wars of five other countries, namely Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Panamá (then part of New Granada, present day Colombia) and Bolivia.
The army's officer rank system is unremarkable, but the system of non-commissioned ranks is notably complicated, with eighteen non-commissioned ranks from Distinguido to Maestro Técnico Supervisor. (For comparison, there are seven NATO non-commissioned ranks (OR-3 to OR-9) and six British non-commissioned army ranks.)
The Venezuelan government has embarked on a massive military modernization and purchases that greatly expand their defensive and offensive capabilities, including negotiations for German submarines and transport aircraft, several agreements with Russia (outlined ahead), transport aircraft and naval vessels from Spain, radars from China, home-made and designed armored light vehicles and rocket launchers, studies for Leopard 2 main battle tanks, amongst many others.
In 2005 Venezuela signed agreements with Spain to procure 12 naval transport and reconnaissance aircraft and eight naval patrol vessels. The deals have been greeted with criticism from the United States, which opposes the government of President Hugo Chávez, who claims the deal is necessary for Venezuela's defense, and criticizes the United States for failing to supply spare parts for Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets. The United States, in turn, hoped to block the deal, but since the Spanish defense industry can replicate American technology with more expensive European parts, an export license from the United States is no longer required.
Venezuela has also recently purchased 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles and 12 Mi-17 military helicopters from Russia.[1] The government of Venezuela has also announced its intention to obtain about 3 dozen more Russian helicopters, including Mi-17 "Hip", Mi-26 "Halo" and Mi-35 "Hind", as well as announcing the procurement of 24 Su-30MK Interceptors with future possible purchases of Su-35 fighters.
Venezuela is studying Antonov transport aircraft to revamp its aging fleet of transport craft, which includes IAI Aravas and Skytrucks, as well as Ground Attack Planes, like the Su-25 "Frogfoot".
Venezuela has announced the purchase of top-of-the-line anti-aircraft systems; while not specified, it is believed that the S-300 battery, or the TOR-M1 system. Recent development do indicate the possible purchase of up to 12 TOR-M1 systems.[2] Border defense systems are being purchased from Brazil, plus Steyr anti-riot trucks and expanded Tiuna purchases.
A co-operative research into UAV between Venezuela and Iran is also underway.
National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional or FAN) includes:
Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito)
Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada)
Venezuela Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion)
Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
National Reserve (Reserva Nacional)
Territorial Guard (Guardia Territorial)
An average soldier will have a FN FAL and a Glock 17 as a sidearm and the crew service will carry a FN MAG instead of the FAL, Altough the FAL's are now being remplaced by the AK-103 in just about any branch.
A frontier soldier will have a Glock 18 and a Mossberg 500 or instead a IMI Uzi.
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
lol. Don't worry, I don't plan on turning this into a huge thread. Thats pretty much all I had to say on the matter.
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
I'm gonna have to expand on this just a tad bit more....
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
http://entertainmentcentral.iboards.us/
Last edited by NuclearWinter on Mar 31st, 2007 at 09:30 PM
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
http://entertainmentcentral.iboards.us/
Last edited by NuclearWinter on Mar 31st, 2007 at 10:17 PM
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
Before taking on another's army...make sure that you first respect it.
Otherwise you are already doomed to fail.
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
http://entertainmentcentral.iboards.us/
Last edited by NuclearWinter on Mar 31st, 2007 at 10:31 PM
Nah. We have nuke *****. If I a President and in a war, I would nuke civilians as scare tactics without hesitation. I value my people more than theirs.
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
I forsee no winner of World War 3. I can think of no possible positive outcome of this war. And I believe it will be stopped dead in it's tracks by a force more powerful than many people are willing to comprehend.
__________________ "To ignore factual reality by believing it to be otherwise does not mean that a person is removed from that reality. It only means that they suffer it ignorantly."
__________________ In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during an interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said:
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... And how many want out."
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Mar 8th, 2007 02:55 AM
