Comments on: Emulate Hezbollah To Beat Hybrid Foe http://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/ Online Defense and Acquisition Journal Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:13:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Oblathttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14981 Oblat Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:17:08 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14981 IDF officers are at least realistic enough to rank Hezbollah "higher in motivation, doctrine and strategy, training, gathering intelligence and small unit leadership" but from the US officers it's: "they don't play fair" IDF officers are at least realistic enough to rank Hezbollah “higher in motivation, doctrine and strategy, training, gathering intelligence and small unit leadership” but from the US officers it’s: “they don’t play fair”

]]> By: CharlesHoustonhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14910 CharlesHouston Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:46:42 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14910 John Swanson is correct - the advantage that irregular forces have is that they disregard the Laws of Armed Conflict that most modern militaries give some concern for. Japan in WW2 and the Soviets (anytime) barely acknowledged them but the Wehrmacht frequently did follow them. The US has mostly respected them!! Insurgents are generally very inefficient and error prone, but they are very tolerant of losses. They are inflexible but numerous - so that some of them might accidentally use effective tactics. They do use low tech weapons such as the RPG - which is only marginally effective when used in large numbers. Fortunately for them, if they are effective once out of 100 times they "win". So my contention is that this guy Dakota Wood may be a senior fellow someplace but he should pay attention to reality and stop watching so many sci fi movies. He is as unrealistic as Rumsfeld, Fieth, and that band of Dungeons and Dragons fans. Those guys read in the comfort of their offices and think they understand the battlefield!! Charles Phillips LtCol USAF Ret John Swanson is correct — the advantage that irregular forces have is that they disregard the Laws of Armed Conflict that most modern militaries give some concern for. Japan in WW2 and the Soviets (anytime) barely acknowledged them but the Wehrmacht frequently did follow them. The US has mostly respected them!!

Insurgents are generally very inefficient and error prone, but they are very tolerant of losses. They are inflexible but numerous — so that some of them might accidentally use effective tactics. They do use low tech weapons such as the RPG — which is only marginally effective when used in large numbers. Fortunately for them, if they are effective once out of 100 times they “win”.

So my contention is that this guy Dakota Wood may be a senior fellow someplace but he should pay attention to reality and stop watching so many sci fi movies. He is as unrealistic as Rumsfeld, Fieth, and that band of Dungeons and Dragons fans. Those guys read in the comfort of their offices and think they understand the battlefield!!

Charles Phillips
LtCol USAF Ret

]]> By: John Swansonhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14902 John Swanson Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:58:03 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14902 Wrong. What makes a fighting organization like Hezbullah so difficult to effectively strike is the fact that they can hide behind civilian population centers, among other tactics (such as transporting weapons and personnel in ambulances) that modern militaries generally will not strike for political reasons. I have no doubt that is the Israeli military hit Hezbullah with all they had, and DIDN'T bother to send text messages or leaflets indicating where they were about to strike etc, the world woudn't have to even contemplate this so called "next gen" warfare. This isn't some sort of enemy we have never seen before people. They just simply aren't playing by the rules. . . and if they won't, then honestly, neither should we. John Swanson LtCol USMC Ret - Semper Fi Wrong. What makes a fighting organization like Hezbullah so difficult to effectively strike is the fact that they can hide behind civilian population centers, among other tactics (such as transporting weapons and personnel in ambulances) that modern militaries generally will not strike for political reasons. I have no doubt that is the Israeli military hit Hezbullah with all they had, and DIDN’T bother to send text messages or leaflets indicating where they were about to strike etc, the world woudn’t have to even contemplate this so called “next gen” warfare. This isn’t some sort of enemy we have never seen before people. They just simply aren’t playing by the rules. . . and if they won’t, then honestly, neither should we.

John Swanson
LtCol USMC Ret — Semper Fi

]]> By: WarScientisthttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14892 WarScientist Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:32:11 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14892 Combine this with the steady and significant supply of weapons pouring in from Egypt and Syria and the increasing availability of GPS-guided munitions and you have a force that essentially exemplifies Network Centric Warfare. They are flexible, robust and decentralised, fighting as a swarm of completely independant units whilst using cellphones & radios to maintain situational awareness. In addition to that they can very effectively use urban surroundings to their advantage, and neutralise multi-million dollar vehicles & equipment using a a large number of cheap(er), precision-guided weapons. On a strategic level, they have a serious advantage over us should we ever decide to visit their neighbourhood and start some sh!t. Combine this with the steady and significant supply of weapons pouring in from Egypt and Syria and the increasing availability of GPS-guided munitions and you have a force that essentially exemplifies Network Centric Warfare.

They are flexible, robust and decentralised, fighting as a swarm of completely independant units whilst using cellphones & radios to maintain situational awareness. In addition to that they can very effectively use urban surroundings to their advantage, and neutralise multi-million dollar vehicles & equipment using a a large number of cheap(er), precision-guided weapons.

On a strategic level, they have a serious advantage over us should we ever decide to visit their neighbourhood and start some sh!t.

]]> By: WarScientisthttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14891 WarScientist Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:31:43 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14891 The irony of the situation is that someone who we consider a "low-tech" or "primitive" is actually doing a better job of acquiring & implementing Network Enabled Capabilities (NEC), something with which the USA (and all other NATO partners) have been seriously struggling to achieve. We may have the technology to be a network-centric force, but we do NOT have the correct organisation, doctrine or training. Most of the hezbollah fighters were trained as guerilla fighters, and they operate in small units because of the constant threat of discovery & imprisonment by ISF forces, meaning that agility and flexibility for them are more important than having a GPS attached to their back (which they dont need anyway since any fighting is done in their back yard). The irony of the situation is that someone who we consider a “low-tech” or “primitive” is actually doing a better job of acquiring & implementing Network Enabled Capabilities (NEC), something with which the USA (and all other NATO partners) have been seriously struggling to achieve.

We may have the technology to be a network-centric force, but we do NOT have the correct organisation, doctrine or training. Most of the hezbollah fighters were trained as guerilla fighters, and they operate in small units because of the constant threat of discovery & imprisonment by ISF forces, meaning that agility and flexibility for them are more important than having a GPS attached to their back (which they dont need anyway since any fighting is done in their back yard).

]]> By: CharlesHoustonhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14874 CharlesHouston Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:08:45 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14874 The enemy now comes with modern, high end, precision-guided, weapons? Where do they get them? Where does their logistics train start? If we could (or would) make their logistics support and training go away, wouldn't that mean that the forces would be a lot less effective? High end, precision-guided weapons leave a force vulnerable to people that can interdict training, maintenance, etc. Those sophisticated IEDs have components that are built by highly specialized people in well equipped workshops. We need to find those workshops and kill the specialists in them. Charles LtCol USAF Ret I think that is one area that people are not talking about - hopefully the CIA and friends are looking for those workshops, training camps, logistics dumps, and are targetting them with Predators, etc. The enemy now comes with modern, high end, precision-guided, weapons? Where do they get them? Where does their logistics train start? If we could (or would) make their logistics support and training go away, wouldn’t that mean that the forces would be a lot less effective? High end, precision-guided weapons leave a force vulnerable to people that can interdict training, maintenance, etc. Those sophisticated IEDs have components that are built by highly specialized people in well equipped workshops. We need to find those workshops and kill the specialists in them.
Charles
LtCol USAF Ret

I think that is one area that people are not talking about — hopefully the CIA and friends are looking for those workshops, training camps, logistics dumps, and are targetting them with Predators, etc.

]]> By: CharlesHoustonhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14882 CharlesHouston Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:36:18 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14882 Yes the article has some odd phrases - I don't think of the RPG as high tech at all. And our recent experiences in Afghanistan have been in the rural, rugged eastern mountains like Nuristan - not in urban terrain. I think that Dakota Wood may have seen Starship Troopers (low fi Sci Fi movie based on Robert Heinlein book) too many times. Should we be looking for super-empowered infantry, or for the critical nodes of our enemy's supplies?? Charles Phillips LtCol, USAF Ret Yes the article has some odd phrases — I don’t think of the RPG as high tech at all. And our recent experiences in Afghanistan have been in the rural, rugged eastern mountains like Nuristan — not in urban terrain. I think that Dakota Wood may have seen Starship Troopers (low fi Sci Fi movie based on Robert Heinlein book) too many times. Should we be looking for super-empowered infantry, or for the critical nodes of our enemy’s supplies??
Charles Phillips
LtCol, USAF Ret

]]> By: CharlesHoustonhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14881 CharlesHouston Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:35:37 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14881 Yes the article has some odd phrases - I don't think of the RPG as high tech at all. And our recent experiences in Afghanistan have been in the rural, rugged eastern mountains like Nuristan - not in urban terrain. I think that Dakota Wood may have seen Starship Troopers (low fi Sci Fi movie based on Robert Heinlein book) too many times. Should we be looking for super-empowered infantry, or for the critical nodes of our enemy's supplies?? Yes the article has some odd phrases — I don’t think of the RPG as high tech at all. And our recent experiences in Afghanistan have been in the rural, rugged eastern mountains like Nuristan — not in urban terrain. I think that Dakota Wood may have seen Starship Troopers (low fi Sci Fi movie based on Robert Heinlein book) too many times. Should we be looking for super-empowered infantry, or for the critical nodes of our enemy’s supplies??

]]> By: Danielhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/10/05/emulate-hezbollah-to-beat-hybrid-foe/#comment-14877 Daniel Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:35:50 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=10230#comment-14877 calling a magazine a "banana clip" doesn't help your credibility. calling a magazine a “banana clip” doesn’t help your credibility.

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