US vs Russia: What a war would look like

[The Blue Flower]

http://www.militarytimes.com/longform/military/2015/10/05/us-russia-vladimir-putin-syria-ukraine-american-military-plans/73147344/

Early on the morning of Sept. 30, a Russian three-star general approached the American embassy in Baghdad, walked past a wall of well-armed Marines, to deliver face-to-face a diplomatic demarche to the United States. His statement was blunt: The Russia military would begin air strikes in neighboring Syria within the hour — and the American military should clear the area immediately.

It was a bout of brinksmanship between two nuclear-armed giants that the world has not seen in decades, and it has revived Cold War levels of suspicion, antagonism and gamesmanship.

With the launch of airstrikes in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin instigated a proxy war with the U.S., putting those nation's powerful militaries in support of opposing sides of the multipolar conflict. And it's a huge gamble for Moscow, experts say. "This is really quite difficult for them. It's logistically complex. The Russians don't have much in the way of long-range power projection capability," said Mark Galeotti, a Russian security expert at New York University.

Moscow's military campaign in Syria is relying on supply lines that require air corridors through both Iranian and Iraqi air space. The only alternatives are naval supply lines running from Crimea, requiring a passage of up to 10 days round-trip. How long that can be sustained is unclear.

[Oneironaut]

1. I know that it's the "military times," but this seems overly "propaganda-ish."

Especially the parts where this is all Russia's fault, and that the U.S. Military would "clobber" Russia. It comes off as full of hubris.

[Bucky]

2. Well, we DO have a lot more experience fighting in the region

Between Chechnya & Ukraine, Russia's been punching down for two decades. Our military has had to go into ugly areas with impossible missions and has learned a lot really painful lessons, thanks to Bush & Cheney. It looks like a solid assessment, but agreed it's all pretty silly speculation.

[Johnyawl]

4. In 1979 the USSR, then at the height of it's economic and military power, invaded Afghanistan.

10 years later they pulled out leaving a debacle the equal of our own in Saigon in 1975. While Afghanistan is not wholly responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union, that war certainly played a role in it. Putin is playing a dangerous game here, far more dangerous to Russia then to the US. If we're smart we'll stand aside and let him charge into the quagmire.

[bemildred]

3. Interesting, thanks. nt