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I was under the impression that the Millennium Challenge's red team was playing as Iran, not Iraq. A "tenacious and unconventional enemy willing to use elite t

I was under the impression that the Millennium Challenge's red team was playing as Iran, not Iraq. A "tenacious and unconventional enemy willing to use elite troops in daring and near suicidal ways" particularly known for their use of speedboats blended with more traditional military material is the Revolutionary Guard's MO.

kilroy123 5y ago
Same here. That's why I think a war would Iran would be suicide and we would suffer a humiliating "defeat". Or at least many people would die. Unless our strategies radically change.
jeltz 5y ago
Yeah, the descriptions I have read of the red team fits Iran much better than Iraq. Simulating an attack against the Iraqi navy seems rather pointless.
Marazan 5y ago
Yes, Red team played like peak Iran - but the actual purpose of the Millennium Challenge was to wargame Iraq no matter what might have publicly been said.
- jeltz 5y ago
  But why the amphibious assault then? And why did they give Iraq, a land locked nation, a navy? Red team were assigned equipment like a peak Iran but were forced to play like a demoralized Iraq. It does not make sense unless there was politics involved.
- monocasa 5y ago
  They never publicly said either way because that would have been a diplomatic nightmare. But it's clear the game only makes sense if red team was Iran. > In 2002 the Pentagon ran an expensive wargame designed to simulate what a war with Iran would be like—and the U.S. lost heavily. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a30392654/millennium-challenge-qassem-soleimani/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a30392654/millenni... > That time a Marine general led a fictional Iran against the US military – and won https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/that-time-a-marine-general-led-a-fictional-iran-against-the-us-military-and-won/ https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/that-time-a-marine-g... > Learning Curve: Iranian Asymmetrical Warfare and Millennium Challenge 2002 https://cimsec.org/learning-curve-iranian-asymmetrical-warfare-millennium-challenge-2002-2/ https://cimsec.org/learning-curve-iranian-asymmetrical-warfa... Iraq's military was set up completely different than what red team did, as Iraq tried to have a traditional, symmetric military. This is because, as a minority controlled nation, they were attracted to the added legitimacy it gave their regime to not have a focus on assymetric warfare. Tanks in columns make the state look stronger to the populace, even if you get trounced in an actual battle.

kilroy123 5y ago

Same here. That's why I think a war would Iran would be suicide and we would suffer a humiliating "defeat". Or at least many people would die. Unless our strategies radically change.

jeltz 5y ago

Yeah, the descriptions I have read of the red team fits Iran much better than Iraq. Simulating an attack against the Iraqi navy seems rather pointless.

Marazan 5y ago

Yes, Red team played like peak Iran - but the actual purpose of the Millennium Challenge was to wargame Iraq no matter what might have publicly been said.

jeltz 5y ago
But why the amphibious assault then? And why did they give Iraq, a land locked nation, a navy? Red team were assigned equipment like a peak Iran but were forced to play like a demoralized Iraq. It does not make sense unless there was politics involved.
monocasa 5y ago
They never publicly said either way because that would have been a diplomatic nightmare. But it's clear the game only makes sense if red team was Iran. > In 2002 the Pentagon ran an expensive wargame designed to simulate what a war with Iran would be like—and the U.S. lost heavily. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a30392654/millennium-challenge-qassem-soleimani/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a30392654/millenni... > That time a Marine general led a fictional Iran against the US military – and won https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/that-time-a-marine-general-led-a-fictional-iran-against-the-us-military-and-won/ https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/that-time-a-marine-g... > Learning Curve: Iranian Asymmetrical Warfare and Millennium Challenge 2002 https://cimsec.org/learning-curve-iranian-asymmetrical-warfare-millennium-challenge-2002-2/ https://cimsec.org/learning-curve-iranian-asymmetrical-warfa... Iraq's military was set up completely different than what red team did, as Iraq tried to have a traditional, symmetric military. This is because, as a minority controlled nation, they were attracted to the added legitimacy it gave their regime to not have a focus on assymetric warfare. Tanks in columns make the state look stronger to the populace, even if you get trounced in an actual battle.