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  • How will we fight?

    Between this board and speaking to friends today, there is much being said about the call up of British personnel for the War in the Gulf.
    I can't but think that if Ireland ever did get evolved in a major conflict, how would we portray ourselves?? What kind of tactics would we employ?? What type of equipment could we field??

    In reality we have a “Defence Force”, not an aggressive Army, we have a small navy and (no insult intended to the Air Corps, not their fault) a practically non-existent Air Force!!
    Apart from the Rangers "taking the war to the enemy" in a limited offensive role, I believe we would mainly be a Defensive Force, providing services to a larger force!!

    As for defending ourselves against aggression on Home Ground, we would be able to deal with paramilitary groups, however, if a major force attacked by sea and air what would we do?? Run for the hills?? Would we become like the NVA in Vietname and wage a gurellia war?
    Or , God forbid, we were subject to an NBC attack, what would we do?? Take your Iodine pill!!!!

    Ultimiately my question is:
    HOW WOULD WE FIGHT AND WHAT TYPE OF FIGHT WOULD WE PUT UP?
    :confused:
    "Dwight D. Eisenhower: The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear it it's usually lousy.

  • #2
    Futher to what I posted above, it was very worring to see on the news last night that a traces of the lethal biological toxin, ricin, were found at a London address!!
    "Dwight D. Eisenhower: The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear it it's usually lousy.

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    • #3
      OSA problem

      This subject cannot be speculated on this or any other forum, because anything we say as current or ex-members of the DF will be influnced by stuff that we already know, and could breach the OSA.
      "We will hold out until our last bullet is spent. Could do with some whiskey"
      Radio transmission, siege of Jadotville DR Congo. September 1961.
      Illegitimi non carborundum

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      • #4
        I don't agree with you Turkey, apart from being in any mailitary orgainisation, if a person wants information on any military harware or makeup of a countrys force all they need is a good search engine and a few books!!
        For example the recently published book on Irish Military vehicles, not only tells you how many of each vehicle was bought but what kind of arament they have and how many are still in service......
        As for the military esablishment of an county , this can be got from the CIA's online directory, right down to the amount spent by a county on the military.
        The OSA was written in a time when information was not so readily available.
        Saying that a breach of the act would be to publish militray movements on such a site.
        But anyone can can speculate on the role a force can have in any conflict, I have ofen been asked in social circles about what are the Irish army doing here or what is our navy doing there, the day is gone where by people are conten to act ike mushrooms ("be fed bull adn kept in the dark"), they are aware what is going on and those that wnat to know the military capibalities of Ireland or any country for that matter can get the information they want easily.
        Would you consider a units webpage a breach of the OSA?? If so there are alont of breaches of the OSA out there!!!
        "Dwight D. Eisenhower: The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear it it's usually lousy.

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        • #5
          Sorry, did'ent make myself very clear, I am talking about how our troops might operate in the event of a conflict, not our army's equipment.
          It's hard to hide a country's equipment, remember all the embaressment T. Clancy caused with 'Red Storm' and the F117.But plans and deployments are a different matter.
          For example; I know how my old FCA unit will be deployed in the event of a possable invasion of this country, I was not told it's a state secret, but I ain't taking any chances.
          That's what I mean, OK!
          "We will hold out until our last bullet is spent. Could do with some whiskey"
          Radio transmission, siege of Jadotville DR Congo. September 1961.
          Illegitimi non carborundum

          Comment


          • #6
            HOW DO WE FIGHT???

            WITH BRAVERY!
            Over the centuries, mankind has tried many ways of combating the forces of evil...prayer, fasting, good works and so on. Up until Doom, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun. Eat leaden death, demon...

            http://www.iamawesome.com/

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            • #7
              The answer to your question is only 90miles from Dublin the people in the north
              have been facing an occupational army for 30 years the same would happen here.we would be broke down
              into small cells using hit and run guerilla tactics in our local areas

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              • #8
                Speculation

                Well lads, lets just make clear that we are speculating!
                Then there can be no chance of giving secrets away.

                I have to say that we would not get to do the partisan thing like in the north! (thats more civil war, not really occupation at all operationaly)
                After all the Iraqi army does not have more than a "poor" chance of getting to invade Ireland.

                Lets face it, nobody is going to invade us in the near future,... peat is not yet a vital resource.
                So conflict will be either aid to the civil authority (like the reclaim the streets crowd getting out of control again), anti-terrorist operations, or most likely, support for a coalition (either as part of a UN or EU operation).
                Support for a coalition abroad is presently the most likely in my opinion, and this would probably not be involving Irish "Fighting Troops".
                This would be to keep the Greens and other lefties happy at home and also for the practical reason of it not being worth the logistical hassle of sending only a small detachment abroad.
                The great powers have plenty of fighting troops already!
                I believe (or I would if it was up to me) that we would send support services such as Medics, MP's, Engineers and Signals. These are the meaningful contributions that we could make, and they are for the most part highly skilled.

                They would be very important for the dealing with the securing of newly captured territory and the dealing with POWs and refugees, which would be a major focus.
                The dealing with the above would also appear more "Global" if not undertake by the major powers, but by regular UN members.
                It would also be more difficult to accuse us of being part of the "Militant" club of nations if we were using these kind of troops.

                So in my opinion, I think combat service for Irish troops is a "Nay"!

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                • #9
                  LordFlash, I'd have to agree with you on this one, somehow I can't imagine our Tanks tearing accross the desert along side a couple of Abrams.......
                  I also totally agree with you on Irish troops providing logictic support in an PfP or UN mandated actions. We have proven ourself very capiable of Peace keeping operations in the past and continue to do so, I have heard that Irish troops are strongly saught after by UN commanders because of their logictical experience.
                  As I said before we are more of a Defence Force and this seems to be in keeping with our policy or Neutrality (Now thats a whole other topic!!).
                  "Dwight D. Eisenhower: The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear it it's usually lousy.

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                  • #10
                    It would be HIGHLY unlikely that we would like our US or UK counterparts be called to provide troops for a foreign mission but instead we would be used to fill-in any gaps that were made in the PDF's deployment such as cash escorts, prison duties? and of course filling in the PDF roles that Lordflash suggested such as Medics, MP's, Engineers and Signals.

                    But before any of that happens there would have to be some sort of deal made with employers for time off.

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