- Joined
- 27 September 2006
- Messages
- 6,102
- Reaction score
- 6,222
One of the defining sagas of the Cold War was the deployment of Soviet SS20s followed by US Pershing II and Cruise missiles, and their removal by the INF Treaty which marked the thawing of the Cold War.
Although nuclear, the weapons were all aimed at military targets. However, this would have been small comfort to the surrounding civilian populations.
It was assumed in the conventional phase of a war in Europe cities and towns might be overrun by the Warsaw Pact but WW2 style bombing or missile raids on cities was not envisaged, as the strikes were needed to take out military targets.
Russia's return to WW2 type raids to "terrorise" civilian populations in Ukraine takes us back to a nasty era of warfare in Europe. The Nazis called RAF bomber crews "air pirates".
Apart from nuclear SLBM and a few French ASMPs W Europe has no counter force to a deployment by Russia of conventional and nuclear MRBMs. No W European air force has the full spectrum capabilities of the USAF.
We have been here before in the 30s and the 70s. We have once more to decide how to rearm. The US is entitled to expect W Europe to do more than it has done.
Although nuclear, the weapons were all aimed at military targets. However, this would have been small comfort to the surrounding civilian populations.
It was assumed in the conventional phase of a war in Europe cities and towns might be overrun by the Warsaw Pact but WW2 style bombing or missile raids on cities was not envisaged, as the strikes were needed to take out military targets.
Russia's return to WW2 type raids to "terrorise" civilian populations in Ukraine takes us back to a nasty era of warfare in Europe. The Nazis called RAF bomber crews "air pirates".
Apart from nuclear SLBM and a few French ASMPs W Europe has no counter force to a deployment by Russia of conventional and nuclear MRBMs. No W European air force has the full spectrum capabilities of the USAF.
We have been here before in the 30s and the 70s. We have once more to decide how to rearm. The US is entitled to expect W Europe to do more than it has done.