Can Ireland take Zimbawe in a war?

OS119

ok, so it may well be true to say that compared to a regular infantry soldier from the US, UK or France, the average Irish soldier is less well trained (in that he doesn't get to use the toys as often, nor in such demanding and realistic exercises), he is much less experienced (there isn't a UK infantry Bn that hasn't done 3 tours in Iraq or A'stan in the last 6 years and most have done 4), and he isn't as fit - peacetime fitness will never equate to wartime 'hardness' regardless of how many breezeblocks you stick in your bergen.

but. he is almost certainly better trained than your average ZA soldier, and his kit - and i'm thinking particularly of Javelin ATGW - when married up with the capabilities that others would have to provide purely in order to get him to Zimbabwe, would give him a massive capability advantage over not just the individual ZA soldier, but the defensive capability of the Z military - thats not to say he couldn't do with a 'parachute' of extra kit - Javelin and 105mm LG artillery being the obvious examples.

however, if strategic airlift to a host country, Logistical back-up, tactical and battlefield airlift (C-130, CH-47 etc...) ISTAR (UAV, GR4A, AWACS etc...) and Counter-Air, interdiction and CAS were provided by other states - and all of these things are regularly provided by states to other states as 'enabling modules' - then with a decent work up i genuinely don't think that a 2 Mech Inf BattleGroup Irish Bde would face serious obsticles in removing the current Zimbabwean regime from power.

Fratton Fred

OS119 wrote: »

however, if strategic airlift to a host country, Logistical back-up, tactical and battlefield airlift (C-130, CH-47 etc...) ISTAR (UAV, GR4A, AWACS etc...) and Counter-Air, interdiction and CAS were provided by other states - and all of these things are regularly provided by states to other states as 'enabling modules' - then with a decent work up i genuinely don't think that a 2 Mech Inf BattleGroup Irish Bde would face serious obsticles in removing the current Zimbabwean regime from power.

they could be called the coalition of the willing.

donaghs

Since this is Walter Mitty, I'll give this Frederick Forsyth secenario a shot.

How about something like this? Fly in the ARW on a commandeered Aer Lingus flight(s) to South Africa. Make an "emergency" stop in Zimbabwe. Time this when its known where Mugabwe is, e.g. the Presidential Palace. Take out Mugabwe in his Palace, and an other ZanuPF big-wigs. Seize anything else that's possible (e.g. TV & Radio station) with the limited numbers of men and equipment available. Then announce a coup with MDC people?

I don't think South Africa would allow this to happen though.

Tenger

Riddle101 wrote: »

Well to be honest the US soldiers didn't go into Iraq in 1991, they just drove the Iraqi forces back behind the border of Kuwait and then left.

Actually they did enter Iraq. The Western element of the Allied force entered Iraq,charged north then turned East to trap the Rep Guard units trying to leave Kuwait. (This consisted of the Franch,Uk and most of the US troops) The Arab forces were mainly tasked with liberating Kuwait.
The 101st Air Assault had fuel dumps and attack helicopters roaming through Southern Iraq. The pictures you may have seen of vast numbers of tanks streaming through the desert were this flanking force. (Some elements actually got as far as Nasiriyah in the Tigris/Euphrates{not sure which} valley and were shocked at seeing a lush green landscape when they were expecting desert.)

The 4th Infantry division had originally been planned for insertion through Turkey into Northern Iraq but the Turks refused permission.And don't forget the small groups of Special Forces in the Western desert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DesertStormMap_v2.svg

Riddle101 wrote: »

.......people actually wanted USA to go into Iraq ........ the Iraqi people all rebelled against Saddam in the hopes that the US would come in a take him out of power, however the US ..............left the Iraqi people to their fate who were brutally murdered by Saddam and the rebellion brutally quarreled. Then when the US came into Iraq in 2003, the Iraqi people didn't want to know the US anymore for allowing their people to get slaugtered.

True here. The US/UK forces wanted to push to Bagdad and could easily have done so (militarily speaking) However Bush did not want to overstep his UN mandate (shame the son didn't learn a lesson here) and the threat of possible chemical/biological retaliation was very high at the time.

The Arab nation probably would have been unhappy with a sudden US takeover of Iraq. In fact the US showed the Saudis sat pics of Iraqi tanks on the Saudi-Kuwait border to try to get permission to deploy there. They apparently had airbrushed out the defensive positions surrounding the tanks to make the Saudis feel threantened.

Riddle101 wrote: »

Anyway i'm sure if the UK and the US proveded us with Tanks and Air vechiles we'd be able to fight Zimbawe, but would it be too much to ask for aid from out so called allies or should we try alone

If we got tanks and aircraft from others then it wouldn't really be Ireland V Zimbabwe. We might get disqualified.

return guide

If we got tanks and aircraft from others then it wouldn't really be Ireland V Zimbabwe. We might get disqualified




nice one

Fratton Fred

Of course the UK and US would be only too willing to help out Ireland, all the help Ireland gives towards NATO etc

meathstevie

An old fashioned Afrikaner Boer Commando with modern equipment would stand a better chance.

CHD

The scouts are better equiped than the irish army

Sod'o swords

Oh we'd be arse raped sideways, like to the max.

Zambia

Actually Ireland if the whole transport thing was sorted would kick the living crap out of the ZA.

Here are my reasons

1: African armies like to be on the winning side of a fire fight. If the IA could start landing some well aimed rounds they will turn tail and flee. it actually helps the IA not to have air support , there would be so many 7.62 AK rounds from full auto blind fire up there it would be most dangerous.

2: Plus your average ZA trooper would just see white men with Guns think the british where coming for mugabe and run. ireland is not really well known if the sub continent.

3: I severly doubt those hawks can fly. Anyway the ARW would be tasked with disabling them I am sure they could manage that. Simply letting the air out of the tyres will f**k them.

4: The ZA are bullies , bullies make bad stand up fighters.

5: The IA have been chomping at the bit for a decent RUCK for years plus they would be no retreat option.

6; Communications are terrible in that region full mobilistion would take them ages.

7: With a good plan and Surprise it is well possible to invade and hold Zim for a few days. but the fun part would be trying to keep it ....

However we are so far into the walter mitty realms here its unreal.

Victor

Riddle101 wrote: »

Can Ireland take Zimbawe in a war?

There is no way we could take it.

Its too heavy. :pac:

Local-womanizer

We'll never know what will happen untill we try!:D

kowloon

It's settled then. RELEASE THE MONGOOSE!