US Defense Secretary James Mattis (left) has been putting pressure on Germany to increase its military readiness
Teri Schultz, DW: NATO's 'Four Thirties' plan — does it add up?
"Ready or not?" A new US initiative demands that within two years, NATO allies will keep thousands of highly-equipped troops on constant call. Teri Schultz looks at the plan's feasibility.
Discussions between EU foreign ministers and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about removing barriers to military movements across Europe are picking up steam ahead of next month's NATO summit. But highly-publicized concerns about those difficulties may actually be the least of NATO's worries in its new "European Readiness Initiative" — dubbed the"Four Thirties." The pledge: by 2020 NATO nations will be able to deploy 30 battalions, 30 battleships and 30 air squadrons within 30 days or less.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: When this idea was first proposed .... that by 2020 NATO nations will be able to deploy 30 battalions, 30 battleships and 30 air squadrons within 30 days or less .... I said that such a force would be puny in comparison to the manpower and firepower that Russia would be able to deploy in any conflict. It is good to know that I am not the only one who thinks that this NATO plan is useless.
6 comments:
I look at this proposal as Trump's way to force the hand of Germany. Either they cough up the funds, which are ample, and put it into reconstituting their military or it doesn't. Trump could hardly be blamed for washing his hands of NATO at that point.
Yes it is too small to defeat Russia in a pitched land battle but what if that isn't the purpose?
Is that every 30 days for the foreseeable future of a conflict?
That picture speaks volumes about NATO. Mattis a career warrior with years of combat experience and years of leading combat divisions. Ursela von der Leyen the German Minister of Defense, a very accomplished women in the health field, as a physician then as a govt official overseeing health and social services. As a Minister of Defense she is a light weight and doesn't have the experience that Mattis has.
Again just shows that under Merkel, defense was a side show for the past decade and still is today.
I say it's a good plan. Russia is overrated.Russia fights weaklings only!
It's a good plan. Russia is a paper tiger, it's equipment has been shown time and time again to be second-rate to it's NATO adversaries. With an economy the size of Australia and a us airatarian dictator concern only with domestic opinion, it's not surprising. 24000 well equipped and trained troops ain't nothing. It's a huge deterrent. As far as the air and Naval components, Russia wouldn't have a chance. So even if Russia could flood zone with a large number of less equipped and trained soldiers. Without air power, or the ability to prevent amphibious operations or two Supply Itself by sea, makes their combat prospects horrifying. That's why if it was a conventional fight, Russia would be in it alone.
You misunderstand what this is about. This is not the force that will meet the Russians ultimately. This is the force that will first face Russia and if Russia dares to kill enough of them then automatically we go to nuclear war. No ifs, no buts, no coconuts.
Post a Comment