A
Aussie Digger
Guest
To answer the poster who asked what's the point of the choppers and C-130's when they need a neew fighter, well obviously Pakistan needs the choppers and C-130's more. What are they doing right now? Conducting counter insurgency operations. Thus the aircraft they are getting at the moment are perfectly suited to those (and other) operations. I have no doubt that PAF will get a new fighter aircraft in the not to distant future, however things aren't at a critical point just yet are they?
Mysterious is quite correct. Operations actually contribute to a diminution of an army's skill set. On op's you have very little opportunity to learn new skills(other than those that may spring up as an urgent requirement) and your existing skill set erodes as armies (and soldiers) rightly tend to concentrate on the skills required for the operation being conducted. Other skills which are required for a peace time army (which is required to maintain every skill which might be required in wartime) but might never be used on particular operations, have a very low training priority. In peace time an army equates to the old saying of being a "jack of all trades but master of none", that doesn't exactly fit, but illustrates my point. When conducting pre-deployment training an army will concentrate on and master those skills likely to be required on the planned operation. During the Australian Army's operation in East timor for example, most artillery soldiers from 1 brigade and 3 brigade were pressed into service as Infantry soldiers, as that was what was required on the ground. Their ability to employ artillery however deteriorated during this time, due to a lack of such training.
Operational experience of any type is very useful for an army in that it validates procedures and tactics (provided they work of course...) and gives a soldier some perspective on what his or her job REALLY entails, but it does have it's down side too, besides the sad fact that a war probably just occurred and people died...
Mysterious is quite correct. Operations actually contribute to a diminution of an army's skill set. On op's you have very little opportunity to learn new skills(other than those that may spring up as an urgent requirement) and your existing skill set erodes as armies (and soldiers) rightly tend to concentrate on the skills required for the operation being conducted. Other skills which are required for a peace time army (which is required to maintain every skill which might be required in wartime) but might never be used on particular operations, have a very low training priority. In peace time an army equates to the old saying of being a "jack of all trades but master of none", that doesn't exactly fit, but illustrates my point. When conducting pre-deployment training an army will concentrate on and master those skills likely to be required on the planned operation. During the Australian Army's operation in East timor for example, most artillery soldiers from 1 brigade and 3 brigade were pressed into service as Infantry soldiers, as that was what was required on the ground. Their ability to employ artillery however deteriorated during this time, due to a lack of such training.
Operational experience of any type is very useful for an army in that it validates procedures and tactics (provided they work of course...) and gives a soldier some perspective on what his or her job REALLY entails, but it does have it's down side too, besides the sad fact that a war probably just occurred and people died...