Re: Aircraft Carriers

George Z. Bush wrote:
Islander wrote:
Jerry Okamura wrote:

(Snip)
They are vulnerable, and not just to nuclear weapons. Marine Lt.General
Paul Van Riper was asked to command the red forces in a pre-Iraq war
game that illustrated just how vulnerable US Naval forces are to
unconventional attacks. Here is the account:

http://zfacts.com/p/357.html

One event that shocked Van Riper occurred in 2002 when he was asked, as
he had been before, to play the commander of an enemy Red Force in a
huge $250 million three-week war game titled Millennium Challenge 2002.
It was widely advertised as the best kind of such exercises -- a
free-play unscripted test of some of the Pentagon's and Rumsfeld's
fondest ideas and theories.

Though fictional names were applied, it involved a crisis moving toward
war in the Persian Gulf and in actuality was a barely veiled test of an
invasion of Iran.

In the computer-controlled game, a flotilla of Navy warships and Marine
amphibious warfare ships steamed into the Persian Gulf for what Van
Riper assumed would be a pre-emptive strike against the country he was
defending.

Van Riper resolved to strike first and unconventionally using fast
patrol boats and converted pleasure boats fitted with ship-to-ship
missiles as well as first generation shore-launched anti-ship cruise
missiles. He packed small boats and small propeller aircraft with
explosives for one mass wave of suicide attacks against the Blue fleet.
Last, the general shut down all radio traffic and sent commands by
motorcycle messengers, beyond the reach of the code-breakers.

At the appointed hour he sent hundreds of missiles screaming into the
fleet, and dozens of kamikaze boats and planes plunging into the Navy
ships in a simultaneous sneak attack that overwhelmed the Navy's
much-vaunted defenses based on its Aegis cruisers and their radar
controlled Gatling guns.

When the figurative smoke cleared it was found that the Red Forces had
sunk 16 Navy ships, including an aircraft carrier. Thousands of Marines
and sailors were dead.

The referees stopped the game, which is normal when a victory is won so
early. Van Riper assumed that the Blue Force would draw new, better
plans and the free play war games would resume.

Instead he learned that the war game was now following a script drafted
to ensure a Blue Force victory: He was ordered to turn on all his
anti-aircraft radar so it could be destroyed and he was told his forces
would not be allowed to shoot down any of the aircraft bringing Blue
Force troops ashore.

The Pentagon has never explained. It classified Van Riper's 21-page
report criticizing the results and conduct of the rest of the exercise,
along with the report of another DOD observer. Pentagon officials have
not released Joint Forces Command's own report on the exercise.

Van Riper walked out and didn't come back. He was furious that the war
game had turned from an honest, open free play test of America's
war-fighting capabilities into a rigidly controlled and scripted
exercise meant to end in an overwhelming American victory.

I think I read somewhere recently that there were or are some 35 or so retired generals and admirals who have endorsed and support Hillary Clinton. I mention that not so much in the context of that narrow political statement but rather to provide a better perspective on where our military leaders who no longer have a military career investment in where their political postions fall as compared to their active counterparts.

These are people whose careers are largely completed and the public political stances they may take can more freely be attributed to their love of country and patriotism than any other influence of significance. Their views and attitudes deserve far more attention from the public than those provided through the auspices of Department of Defense and White House orchestrated press conferences. By way of example, I pay far more heed to the counsel offered by the likes of Generals Wesley Clark and Hugh Shelton than I do to that provided by General David Petraeus; the first two offer independent judgements that the latter is not free to make available.

Food for thought.

George Z.


All the political candidates seem to have their stable of retired military experts. Even the Bush administration used retired military brass to help spin the news in directions favorable to the party line. Note reports of a couple of weeks ago about how the Pentagon "briefed" retired military who were employed by the media as military experts. Fortunately, that practice, once discovered, has been discontinued.

I'm a bit surprised that we have not heard more about the resignation of Admiral William Fallon, CentCom Middle East. Perhaps he has not yet completed the resignation process. It will be interesting to see where he resurfaces. Possible SecDef?

Otherwise, the issue of when and how active duty military should act to oppose unwise decisions continues within the services. Recall last fall the controversy over this?

http://tinyurl.com/329bm7

Challenging the Generals

By FRED KAPLAN
Published: August 26, 2007

On Aug. 1, Gen. Richard Cody, the United States Army’s vice chief of staff, flew to the sprawling base at Fort Knox, Ky., to talk with the officers enrolled in the Captains Career Course. These are the Army’s elite junior officers. Of the 127 captains taking the five-week course, 119 had served one or two tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, mainly as lieutenants. Nearly all would soon be going back as company commanders. A captain named Matt Wignall, who recently spent 16 months in Iraq with a Stryker brigade combat team, asked Cody, the Army’s second-highest-ranking general, what he thought of a recent article by Lt. Col. Paul Yingling titled “A Failure in Generalship.” The article, a scathing indictment that circulated far and wide, including in Iraq, accused the Army’s generals of lacking “professional character,” “creative intelligence” and “moral courage.”

---[use link above to see remainder of article]---
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Aircraft Carriers
    ... One event that shocked Van Riper occurred in 2002 when he was asked, ... huge $250 million three-week war game titled Millennium Challenge 2002. ... retired generals and admirals who have endorsed and support Hillary Clinton. ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • Re: Aircraft Carriers
    ... One event that shocked Van Riper occurred in 2002 when he was asked, ... huge $250 million three-week war game titled Millennium Challenge 2002. ... retired generals and admirals who have endorsed and support Hillary Clinton. ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • Re: Next big Strategy Game?
    ... >What will the next big Real Time Strategy game be? ... >Zero Hour and Rome Total War, but have played them to death. ... >Is there some great RTS game coming up that I don't know about? ... Generals 2 would be great! ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action)
  • Re: Next big Strategy Game?
    ... > What will the next big Real Time Strategy game be? ... I love C&C Generals ... > / Zero Hour and Rome Total War, but have played them to death. ... > Is there some great RTS game coming up that I don't know about? ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action)
  • Galloway/diRita exchange of views
    ... van riper and the rigged war game in 2002. ... Rumsfeld to task for ignoring the war game lose inflicted on his ... Rumsfeld packed up his military and went to war ...
    (rec.aviation.military)