Modern Military Forces notes

Types of Units
Regular
Standardized Organization and training (more or less)
Paid
Irregular
Guerrillas
No standardization
Fight with whatever they have

Regular Units

Irregular Units

Active / Reserve Units
Active
Full time
Tend to be younger
May be conscripts (drafted) or professional (volunteer)
Reserve
Part time
Tend to be older
Tend to have “hand me down” equipment
Often former Active members
Usually organized by geographical locations
Helps maintain cohesion and esprit

Capabilities of Units
Elite
Standard / Regular
Poor
Deals with the morale or spirit of a unit.
Morale is a relative thing
Impacted by situation, training, age, supplies, unit history etc.
One nation’s “Elite” may be another nation’s “Poor”

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So Which Picture Shows the Elite Force?
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Types of Modern Units

Sea Forces
Aircraft Carrier Groups
Submarines
Attack
Ballistic Missile
Amphibious
Marine
Special Ops

Land Forces
Armored
Infantry
Special Ops
Marine

Air Forces
Fighters
Bombers
Tactical
Strategic
Reconnaissance
Transportation
Missile
Nuclear
Conventional
Space?
Unmanned?

Land Forces
Armored Division

Tanks – and plenty of them
Big guns
Heavy armor
Mobility
Good in open territory
Not as good in close in terrain
Cities
Woods
Mountains
Vulnerable w/o infantry support

Divisin’ Artillery? I got a target ferya’ but yergonna have to be patient

The Infantry

Riflemen who fight onthe ground
Do most of the fighting
Do most of the dieing
Come in a variety of types

I need a couple o’ guys that don’t owe me no money for a little routine patrol

Types of Infantry
Light Infantry –
Motorized Infantry
Mechanized Infantry
Airborne Infantry
Air Assault / Air Mobile Infantry
Special Infantry
Special Forces
Ranger / Commando

Light Infantry

Walk into battle
Carry all their gear on their backs
Few vehicles
Easily transportable
Very immobile once on the ground
Plenty of “Boots on the Ground” strength.

Missions: Use when you need a lot of troops.
Woods, mountains, cities etc

There is nothing “light” about light infantry

Mechanized Infantry
Infantry that ride into battle in armored vehicles
Mission: Support the Tanks

Mech Infantry – help tanks lead an armored breakthrough

Motorized Infantry

Generally uses Wheeled vehicles
Trucks or Wheeled armored vehicles
More transportable than tanks and Mech Inf. But less powerful
More tactically mobile and powerful than light infantry, but not as easy to move
Great for peacekeeping forces
Good for screening flanks

Airborne

Strategically Mobile
Parachute into battle
Tactically Slow
Once on the ground – must walk
Lightly armed
If you cantfit it out the door, you cant bring it
* US and Russia have perfected the art of dropping light tanks by parachute
Typical Mission:
Go anywhere fast
Seize and hold vital terrain
Bridges, river crossings
Spearhead invasions

Air Assault / Air Mobile

Carried in helicopters
VERY mobile
BUT – once on the ground, they walk
Missions:
Fighting guerrilla wars (take advantage of mobility)
Seize key terrain
Lead invasions

Ranger / Commando

Elite light infantry
Shock Troops
Often Airborne / Air Assault as well
Hard hitting, VERY aggressive
Same problems of all Light infantry: few transportation assets
Missions:
Seize airfields
Raids
Lead invasions
Do the jobs that nobody else can do

Typical Ranger Objectives
Point du Hoc, Normandy
D-Day objective
Need to grab an airfield?
Call the Rangers

Special Forces

Irregular fighters
The most elite in the military
Often serve as advisors to other armies
Help allies train their armies
Recruit people to fight our enemies
The real “THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX” soldiers

Delta Force / SAS / GSG-9

Special Anti-terrorism units
Specialized in Hostage Rescue
D-Force is so secret – it has never been officially acknowledged by the US government

London, 1980 raid

Naval Forces
Ships and stuff that goes on the oceans

Navy Carrier Battle Group
Mission: Control the Seas

Only US uses large “Super Carriers”
Other nations use smaller “Baby Carriers”

US Super carrier
Battle group may cover hundreds of square miles
British Baby Carrier

Submarines: two types
Attack Submarines

Sink enemy ships navy or merchant
Deny enemy freedom of the seas
Protect carriers from enemy subs
Launch missiles at ships or land targets
Hunt down and destroy enemy Ballistic Missile Submarines

Ballistic Missile Submarines
Carry Nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)
Capable of destroying ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.
Mission
1 Deterrence
Stay undetected
The enemy never knows where you are.
If they cant find you, they cant kill you.
2 Nuclear Response
Even if enemy hits your homeland, the subs are still available – to launch retaliatory strike

Marines

The Navy’s Infantry
Special Assault Troops
-Specialize in Amphibious Assaults
Seize beaches, ports, small islands

Navy SEALS

Naval Special Forces Units
Small units.
Can go by SEa, Air or Land

Missions:

Recon Beaches before landings
Ensure beaches can support landing vehicles
Blow up beach obstacles
Raid Coastal Areas
Secure Ocean Oil platforms, Merchant Ships, etc
Blow up enemy naval port facilities
Rescue Hostages on Ships

Air Force Units
Strategic Bombers
Destroy large targets
cities, large formations of troops
Drop nukes
B2 Stealth Bomber
B1 Bomber
B-52 Bomber
“When it absolutely, positively HAS to be destroyed overnight”

Conventional Bombing Attack Results

Tactical Fighter / Bombers
Destroy “point” target - bridges small targets etc
Fighters -Fight off enemy planes
Protect airspace
Fastest planes on earth
Fighter breaking the sound barrier

Reconnaissance Aircraft
Take Photos to help planning
High or low level methods

Transport Aircraft
Haul Stuff
Haul People
Drop Stuff
Drop People

Missiles
Nuclear or Conventional
ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)
Very Long Range Nuclear Missiles
“City Busters”
Once launched – there is no turning back
If these ever fly – game over.