"Zombywoof" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:18:07 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum
wrote:

snip

Anyone who bases their armaments aquisition programme on CURRENT wars is
an
idiot and is doomed to be on the losing side in the NEXT war. Major
equipment is intended to be used for about 20-30 years.
Take the example of the "Teens" generation of US fighter aircraft. They
came
off the drawing boards in the 1970's and are now at the end of their
useful
life as first world front-line equipment. It really is not acceptable
for a
1st world fighter pilot to be flying the same plane that his father did.
"Shock and Awe" only works if you have a clear margin of superiority
over
the enemy. Any leader who sends his forces into battle equipped at
parity to
the enemy should be shot for gross incompetence.

Shock and awe has been demonstrated as a concept only. Useful for
Power Point, useless, or more than useless, in terms of actual
application. If you do s&a, and it doesn't, your enemy is encouraged
to resist.

As a concept only? Tell that to the any number of countries that fell
to Blitzkrieg. Tell that to Saddam (after you dig him up) about
Desert Storm (heavy on the Storm). Large massive overwhelming
lightening shook attacks (from land, sea or air) definitely leaves the
Defenders in some version of awe. More times then not with a
resounding "Holy ****, what was that?".

the germans didn't destrot the infrustructure ot the countries they over
ran and only two, fr and pol. had real armies.
the bombings were close air support for the advancing ground troops.
the fact the germans captured the countries intact greatly facilitated their
pacification.
the fact we didn't has hampered ours.