Independent Rank list of global firepower

[Crown-Loyal]

Interesting to look at, not sure how accurate, but interesting none the less.

http://www.globalfirepower.com/index.asp

 

[Mike Baker]

I like it. One to add to my favorites  ;D

 

[Infanteer]

Any purely qualitative measure of "military power" (such things as equipment, personnel, budget, etc) is liable to be utterly worthless.

 

[techie]

I read an article a while back(few months) and it basically repeats what you said infanteer. Each battle, conflict, war has variables in it which will favour each side in a conflict.

Ill try to describe it the best i can, but ill be looking for it before i go to BMQ.

The best example i can think of is the current Iraq war. The Collation forces have superior weapons, technology, training. You would think that this conflict would be over. The Insurgents though, have the advantage in the knowledge of the terrain, guerrilla tactics, and various other things.

Does everyone know what im talking about? ill try my best to find that article...

 

[Mike Baker]

Techie you are exactly right. That is why the U.S. lost the war in Vietnam. They had the superior weapons, technology and training, yet the U.S. lost. That is like whit is happining in Iraq as you said.

 

[Rory]

America had to pull out of Nam due to a large part played on the homefront not just because of guerrilla tactics.

 

[FredDaHead]

In military terms, the US won by a landslide (or at least, was heading there) in Viet-Nam. The problem was the communists, hippies and other nuisances at home disturbing the peace and protesting the war. Even Ho Chi Minh (I think) said something to the effect of "we won the war in Berkeley, New York, Miami, Washington (...)" The Tet Offensive was a military disaster for the Viet-Cong and NVA, but thanks to "why are we here" journalists, it looked as though the US had lost.

Just adding to what Rory said.

I have a feeling this is what's happening in Iraq as well, though I can't back that up.

 

[Bert]

The site appears to be a statistical comparasion.  Though I don't know how accurate the info is
and there is a disclaimer at the bottom right, conclusions are up to the reader.  Interesting
nevertheless, I didn't know Canada was an oil-producing powerhouse.  Something to think about
after guzzling edible petroleum products.

 

[FredDaHead]

The disinformation seems to be taken directly from the CIA World Factbook, a useful but not quite adequate ressource for comparing military might. Also, we're better than Iran, North Korea and all those pesky "bad" countries...

Canada: World Police?

 

[Rory]

So does this mean we get our own movie with puppets and comedy?

 

[Centurian1985]

America had to pull out of Nam due to a large part played on the homefront not just because of guerrilla tactics.

One coudl argue that if they had won the war quickly, then the homefront problems would never have had time to surface and swell... 

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

So does this mean we get our own movie with puppets and comedy?

What do you think the House of Commons is??

 

[Kalatzi]

I
The best example i can think of is the current Iraq war. The Collation forces have superior weapons, technology, training. You would think that this conflict would be over. The Insurgents though, have the advantage in the knowledge of the terrain, guerrilla tactics, and various other things.

Does everyone know what im talking about? ill try my best to find that article...

Yes, Many would say that "The West" is using 2nd generation attrition tactics, "Shock and Awe", on a 4th Generation opponent - William Lind is one of the best proponents of this" He also co-authored "The Manuever Warfare Handbook" that is on the Canadian Army Reading List.

For an even simpler analogy - Think of the mythic use of Dragons Teeth, The more you sow the more enemies spring up

 

[paracowboy]

fairly good discussion on Lind here: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/32574.0.html

 

[dapaterson]

Hmm... Mexico is #14.  We're #15.  Good thing we've got that buffer zone between us (aka the USA)

 

[rz350]

it looks to be a decent list, but its not perfect.

Vietnam was, as others have said, a Major military victory for US forces, but home front issues.

and Afghanistan was 25,000 Soviet deaths to 1,000,000 Afghanis, but once again, other issues made it into a loss.

So its not a 100% But I think in terms of a 2nd gen attrition war, it is pretty much accurate.

 

[Centurian1985]

Yes, Many would say that "The West" is using 2nd generation attrition tactics, "Shock and Awe", on a 4th Generation opponent - William Lind is one of the best proponents of this" He also co-authored "The Manuever Warfare Handbook" that is on the Canadian Army Reading List.  For an even simpler analogy - Think of the mythic use of Dragons Teeth, The more you sow the more enemies spring up

Lind is currently being lambasted in another thread (see "William S. Lund, FMFM- 1A, Fourth Generation War" in Military Literature and Film) ...I wouldnt put too much stock in his writings...

 

[Bubblez]

Any body else click on the "Fear No Man" heading directly below the paragraph?