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Special forces in today's warfare
Posted: Thu 19 Feb, 2009 10:59 pm
by mr_man_2168
Right then lads and lasses, time for some topical discussion. I'm not trolling, just interested in some points of view!
Obviously I don't know much of what special forces do (I'm talking SAS and SBS here mainly as SRR is apparently quite a different set up) but based on their famous or better publicised missions and the success/failure, is there really that much of a role for special forces in today's battles? The traditional behind enemy lines sabotage/recce missions surely aren't called for as much as they once were? Why risk the lives of your best troops and equipment when you can gather intel via satellite, then drop a few hundered punds of explosive on your targets relatively safely (given that most of our current or potential future enemies have minimal air power of their own)? What are the special forces getting up to that couldn't be done by Paras, RM, etc?
Just curious really...
DISCLAIMER: I have no doubt that whatever our SF are doing and wherever they're doing it, they're doing it very well! I have the utmost respect for all (well, most
) of our troops and I'm currently in the process of joining the forces. This thread isn't meant to offend, belittle or take the piss. Opinions expressed may be influenced by alcohol.
Posted: Fri 20 Feb, 2009 12:22 am
by Doc
Sales of north face and other fine makes of duvet jackets would plumment if we got rid of the SF for one thing!
Lots of gadgets that hit our enemies have to have mark one eyeball on target first....SF
Lots of arrests in HE areas are made by SF
Lots of CP for goverment bodies is done by SF
Lots of foreign training of personel is done by SF
Intel and recces...SF
anti-terrorism..SF
SAS are you tough enough would have to be scrapped
Book publishers would see a dramatic drop in sales
Hereford would revert to being better known for its apples
Gadgets and conventional troops dont work well in all theatres of war.
Smaller wars with the goverment denying all input is usually given to SF types
I would bet that SF types are now busier than ever, hence why both well know types are much larger now than ever before in history and SRR are huge in comparison to their early days. Must be all them protein shakes.
Sales of black masking tape would put b&q out of business
The bloke sat in the hedge in my garden would be threaders to learn hes just been reverted back to his old capbadge as SF have been disbanded.
The boat house would attract less tourism
two thirds of the sixteen to nineteen year olds on this forum would have nothing to aim for and indeed may avoid the normal forces altogether as it was only ever a stepping stone to glory.
Some of the best posts on this forum for giggle factor are about SF, where would be then without that morale booster??
There'd be shed loads of men with odd facial hair on the circuit and that would fark it all up for the rest of us!
Posted: Fri 20 Feb, 2009 1:36 pm
by ofens
...and don't forget, balconies and balaclavas would go out of fashion very quickly.
Posted: Fri 20 Feb, 2009 5:45 pm
by fodd
Doc i love your posts lol
Posted: Sat 21 Feb, 2009 8:20 am
by sittingstress
To add to Doc's list:
EBay would collapse overnight:
No more SAS red topped batteries
No more SAS BCH
No more SAS BCH laces
No more SAS green right angled torches AND filters
No more SAS "Completed the Course" certificates
No more SAS decorative wall clocks
No more SAS compo
I think you get the idea by now
Posted: Sat 21 Feb, 2009 10:00 am
by ofens
... and those "How2become" DVD packs would go out of business...
Posted: Sat 21 Feb, 2009 4:26 pm
by Al_2
Doc wrote:Sales of north face and other fine makes of duvet jackets would plumment if we got rid of the SF for one thing!
Lots of gadgets that hit our enemies have to have mark one eyeball on target first....SF
Lots of arrests in HE areas are made by SF
Lots of CP for goverment bodies is done by SF
Lots of foreign training of personel is done by SF
Intel and recces...SF
anti-terrorism..SF
SAS are you tough enough would have to be scrapped
Book publishers would see a dramatic drop in sales
Hereford would revert to being better known for its apples
Gadgets and conventional troops dont work well in all theatres of war.
Smaller wars with the goverment denying all input is usually given to SF types
I would bet that SF types are now busier than ever, hence why both well know types are much larger now than ever before in history and SRR are huge in comparison to their early days. Must be all them protein shakes.
Sales of black masking tape would put b&q out of business
The bloke sat in the hedge in my garden would be threaders to learn hes just been reverted back to his old capbadge as SF have been disbanded.
The boat house would attract less tourism
two thirds of the sixteen to nineteen year olds on this forum would have nothing to aim for and indeed may avoid the normal forces altogether as it was only ever a stepping stone to glory.
Some of the best posts on this forum for giggle factor are about SF, where would be then without that morale booster??
There'd be shed loads of men with odd facial hair on the circuit and that would fark it all up for the rest of us!
Posted: Tue 02 Jun, 2009 2:35 pm
by colmurph
sittingstress wrote:To add to Doc's list:
EBay would collapse overnight:
No more SAS red topped batteries
No more SAS BCH
No more SAS BCH laces
No more SAS green right angled torches AND filters
No more SAS "Completed the Course" certificates
No more SAS decorative wall clocks
No more SAS compo
I think you get the idea by now
Look at the upside.......no more SAS Walts.
Posted: Sat 25 Jul, 2009 9:06 pm
by Sarastro
Right, I'd expect it from a SE London lad who is still pre-Land of Nod, but Doc - intel? Are we all fcuking Americans now?
For shame...