I also made the exact same meme comparing the A-10 to the B-1 earlier in the thread and caught nowhere near this level of "Um Ackshually". And that makes me laugh.
Yes, that's basically what I'm saying rephrased as though it presents a contradiction. They're using these low cost weapons to attack known stationary targets and that's causing a good amount of monetary damage and general chaos. What it isn't doing is anything to disrupt the air campaign, which is using some similar weapons (one way attack drones like LUCAS and Harpy/Harop, ballistic weapons like ATACMS and air-launched ROCKS/AirLORA), but using them as part of a larger doctrine that is objectively better at destroying the enemy's ability to keep fighting war.
The Goa'uld also had something of an air/space superiority doctrine and made up for having glorified slavers for their presence on most worlds by basing Deathgliders wherever they expected anything more than token resistance and sending Ha'taks full of actual war criminals around to crush anything that got out of hand, but that didn't change the fact that they were still the System Lords, warlords jumped up on stolen technology (like how Iran got educated on drones) while pretending to be divine (like how Iran leans on Islam to justify their internal politics). Maybe it's cringe but there are a lot of parallels, enough for a meme that was never supposed to express anything this coherent.
I love Grognard because he provides good conversation and input in a way that certain other contrary opinions who come through the thread definitely don't, and that's really important for having a good thread and not a circle jerk, but goddamn sometimes I wonder where Uncle Sam touched him.
Nah Grognard is a good lad, I just like to talk shit.
Iran's main strategy is that of making the war as expensive to everyone around them, especially to those they see as collaborators to the American empire. Destroying oil infra in the Persian Gulf is a more viable strategy for them than trying to disrupt American air power, especially from areas where they can't reach with their missiles. The leadership there understands that the best way they can pressure the States is by making the oil as expensive as they can with whatever tools they have.
Saddam also thought this, it ended up galvanizing international politics against him and turned into a multinational coalition bombing down his front door. Which appears to be happening again.
Yeah, I can sympathize with having those politics as a chip on the shoulder, it's just kinda cringe how we keep parading it through the Equipment Sperging Thread like he was built at Plant 4 in Fort Worth.
There is basically no way Desert Storm happens again. Iraq abused the fuck out of chemical weapons and openly fucked with OPEC members among other things which basically turned the world against him, Iran is in the unique situation where they are backed by 2 major arms exporters eager for some real world trials of their weapons, as well as a somewhat battletested IRGC, while America has to deal with a 5th column sitting in the U.S Congress.
The Charles de Gaulle is on it's way, Diego Garcia is now open for business, UK France and Germany announced a joint intent to 'defensively' destroy Iranian military capability, there is now also word that the GCC is also planning to join strikes, and Trump ended the day saying that operations are going to proceed to current objectives whether or not newly installed Iranian leadership signal willingness to talk. I don't think a full scale Desert Storm invasion is going to happen either, it isn't likely militarily or politically on either side of the Atlantic, but it's clear that the 'squeeze the oil' strategy is currently having an opposite effect than the theorized intent; it isn't dissuading further attacks, it's increasing international participation.
The issue with trying to do a Desert Storm 2.0 is that it required about triple the manpower that these militaries are wielding now on top of having near total unamity to back it up from the outside world. Iran is larger both in physical size and in population to Afganistan and Iraq combined with terrain that's unfavorable for ground operations. Iran knows this and their institutions are quite robust, so they have a reasonable shot to endure this war especially if Russia and PRC back them up. Squeezing the oil works in favor of Russia, so they have a tangible reason to at least, keep the trade going in the Caspian sea.
The official press release from USCENTCOM says that the Kuwaitis shot down 3 Strike Eagles by accident. Shit happens, as is the normal situation. At least the Martin-Baker tie club got 6 new members.
Valued allies, guys...
I can't wait for the groyper retards to totally get all worked up about this like ISRAEL and the Liberty.... Right?
Like clubbing a baby seal, just how all war is supposed to be.
A hornet getting a kill on a fucking F-15 is sad bro. Not even in the same class
The plan for this, such as it is, is now clearly to combine the ongoing popular revolt with armed militia groups and the existing air campaign to try and take control of the institutions and political bodies of the country, or at least weaken it on the ground to such a degree that large parts will be either open and welcoming or unable to resist a potential multi-national occupation when the regime is failing. Whether that will work at all is obviously too soon to say, but all signs point to this intent.
This part isn't going well. Hormuz carried half of all Chinese oil imports, the Russians may be lining their wallets but the PRC are not happy and are pulling out all of their people. Squeezing the oil has had an opposite effect, the Gulf states are now actively taking bombing missions in Iran and multiple EU/NATO nations are now also getting involved.
All very true, but Iran is going to keep digging itself deeper. They're now firing missiles into Turkey that are being intercepted by the larger NATO missile defense architecture.
Your combination of solid commentary and perpetual saltiness is my seasoning these past few days of gud, gud eatin'.
Nope, Eagles and F-16s use... ACES seats from Raytheon.