by NoOneImportant » Wed May 07, 2014 2:32 am
While reading John's article pertaining to the Iranians, I couldn't help but reflect upon the take the Greeks took regarding war - for me history is a great instructor. In Plutarch's: Lives; under Lycurgus, the law-giver of Sparta, there are a number of Rhetras - rules, or ordinances for the conduct of Spartan life. The one Rhetra, that I read and remember from a lifetime ago, that immediately came to mind was: "do not make war, often, or long with the same foe, lest you instruct them, and train them in war...", that is, long conflicts train the implacable enemy to defeat you - you'll remember Vietnam.
Each of the Carriers house a crew compliment of roughly 6,000, and the total Carrier Strike Group many more. Furthermore the Carrier Strike Groups represent (human life aside), for the carrier alone, hardware assets (including the 85+ aircraft) worth in excess of 20 -30 billion dollars per carrier. That hardware cost does not include the cost of the submarine, the missile air defense cruiser, and the 2 - 4 destroyers or frigates that provide surface, and anti-submarine protection. Without the carrier providing air cover the remainder of the Carrier Strike Group is considered vulnerable. All, with the associated human capital, are not easily replaced.
http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/usw ... imitz.html (somewhat dated)
and
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does ... ornet_cost
The Iranians have come to understand that It is the human capital that is the real prize in war. Churchill early in WWII intentionally disbursed the British fleet that they might be available to come together, when needed, to sink the true prize in warfare, the German invasion troop transports, when the expected German invasion of Britain might come to pass.
To underestimate an implacable enemy is one of the great errors in conflict. In the final passages of Thucydides': History of the Peloponnesian War, he describes the utter destruction of the 25,000 man Athenian army at remote Syracuse that Athens only became aware of a year after the fact - for us that would be two Carrier Strike Groups. In the current context of world events it must be expected that any American foe, including and especially Iran, would be armed with the current state-of-the-art Russian, and/or Chinese anti-ship weapon systems in addition to any indigenous, home-brewed, weapons.
While the ultimate outcome of any Iranian conflict might not be in doubt, in a world where America is no longer respected, nor feared prudence would dictate extreme caution in the risking of assets and lives not easily replaced, as we have given the Iranians 25 years to prepare for any prospective conflict. Additionally, in any such conflict with the Iranians, we have also given the Russians, and Chinese license to eradicate American carriers with prospective impunity, by arming the Iranians with state-of-the-art anti-ship weapon systems, systems that might possibly even be maned by Russian, or Chinese crews.
While reading John's article pertaining to the Iranians, I couldn't help but reflect upon the take the Greeks took regarding war - for me history is a great instructor. In Plutarch's: Lives; under Lycurgus, the law-giver of Sparta, there are a number of Rhetras - rules, or ordinances for the conduct of Spartan life. The one Rhetra, that I read and remember from a lifetime ago, that immediately came to mind was: "do not make war, often, or long with the same foe, lest you instruct them, and train them in war...", that is, long conflicts train the implacable enemy to defeat you - you'll remember Vietnam.
Each of the Carriers house a crew compliment of roughly 6,000, and the total Carrier Strike Group many more. Furthermore the Carrier Strike Groups represent (human life aside), for the carrier alone, hardware assets (including the 85+ aircraft) worth in excess of 20 -30 billion dollars per carrier. That hardware cost does not include the cost of the submarine, the missile air defense cruiser, and the 2 - 4 destroyers or frigates that provide surface, and anti-submarine protection. Without the carrier providing air cover the remainder of the Carrier Strike Group is considered vulnerable. All, with the associated human capital, are not easily replaced.
http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/navy/aircraftcarriers/cvn68nimitz.html (somewhat dated)
and
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_one_FA18_Super_Hornet_cost
The Iranians have come to understand that It is the human capital that is the real prize in war. Churchill early in WWII intentionally disbursed the British fleet that they might be available to come together, when needed, to sink the true prize in warfare, the German invasion troop transports, when the expected German invasion of Britain might come to pass.
To underestimate an implacable enemy is one of the great errors in conflict. In the final passages of Thucydides': History of the Peloponnesian War, he describes the utter destruction of the 25,000 man Athenian army at remote Syracuse that Athens only became aware of a year after the fact - for us that would be two Carrier Strike Groups. In the current context of world events it must be expected that any American foe, including and especially Iran, would be armed with the current state-of-the-art Russian, and/or Chinese anti-ship weapon systems in addition to any indigenous, home-brewed, weapons.
While the ultimate outcome of any Iranian conflict might not be in doubt, in a world where America is no longer respected, nor feared prudence would dictate extreme caution in the risking of assets and lives not easily replaced, as we have given the Iranians 25 years to prepare for any prospective conflict. Additionally, in any such conflict with the Iranians, we have also given the Russians, and Chinese license to eradicate American carriers with prospective impunity, by arming the Iranians with state-of-the-art anti-ship weapon systems, systems that might possibly even be maned by Russian, or Chinese crews.