Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1467328
environment globally, due to the actions undertaken by the adversaries - this was interpreted as a reference to Russia. The presence of IADS and land-based cruise and ballistic missiles, enemy combat aircraft, and naval assets translates into limited operational freedom, as opposed to what the Western forces have been enjoying over the past 3 decades - the US military in particular. This does not refer to the mythologized, impenetrable A2AD bubbles. It concerns a return to well-known threats and modern ways to counter those threats. For instance, airborne delivery and extraction of SOF in the AoR is now an obvious method. The presence of air defense means that high altitude drop or use of aircraft to penetrate the perimeter at a low level may be detected and prevented. Thus it is required to carry out reconnaissance in advance, to identify the possible gaps in ra- dar coverage, detect the air defense assets, and designate the areas of responsibility assigned to the enemy air assets. Alternatively, a local and temporary advantage may be gained through neutralization of the aforesaid assets (air defenses, radars, combat aviation). The above means that fighter and strike aircraft need to be involved, along- side electronic warfare assets and several other resources, such as aerial refueling platforms, or cruise missiles. Another option is to employ submarines to covertly penetrate the area of operations. The divers may covertly leave a submerged submarine, while the submarine itself may also be a carrier of other submersible craft. However, here limitations are imposed by the availability of the vessels and well-trained troops, as well as by the area of opera- tions that needs to be located in the vicinity of the coast. Potentially, assets could also be deployed in the enemy territory before the conflict. In contemporary reality, this is complicated, risky, but doable. Still, the approach as such requires a good orchestration of intelligence operations, with a particular emphasis placed on the agents working in the area. The stay-behind method offers a greater chance of success. Then, all of the prepara- tions done to covertly deploy special forces take place on the own territory, and the re- sistance infrastructure can be prepared a long time ahead. However, it is possible only where it shall be assumed that the given area is certain to be taken over by the enemy. ANALYSIS