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There's a joke dating from the Cold War. Two Russian generals sipping coffee in Paris. One asks the other, "So who won the air war?"
by macintux 6y ago
There's a joke dating from the Cold War.
Two Russian generals sipping coffee in Paris. One asks the other, "So who won the air war?"
- protomyth 6y agoIt's an old joke. Some generals from Iraq may want to talk about how many tanks were left after the air war was lost.
- ISL 6y agoOne cannot easily discuss tanks in Iraq without mentioning the Battle of 73 Easting at least in passing. Superior armament, training, and tactics make a huge difference. https://www.historynet.com/learned-battle-73-easting.htm https://www.historynet.com/learned-battle-73-easting.htm TL;DR: As part of that engagement, a troop of 9 US tanks and 12 APCs encountered one of Iraq's finest tank brigades. They destroyed ~50 Iraqi tanks, 25 APCs, 40 trucks and more in 23 minutes without taking any casualties.
- Maursault 6y ago> Superior armament, training, and tactics make a huge difference. The Republican Guard was absurdly outmatched. Re: training... arguably, the encounter occurred in the way it did due to (then) Captain McMaster's aggressive advancement leading to the necessity of ignoring regimental orders not to become decisively engaged. What made the decisive difference was technology, specifically, infrared sighting and laser range-finders available to and used only by one side.
- blt 6y agoCan you explain this joke?
- rch 6y agoI believe the implication is that wars are won by taking and holding ground.
- azernik 6y agoThey're "sipping coffee in Paris" as in they've beaten NATO and occupied Continental Europe. They're asking "who won the air war?", with the implication that they don't really care because they won the part that mattered.
- blt 6y agoThanks!