Defense strategy for small nations - force design, friends, and deterrence on a budget

[dexter]

Much of the defence content online focuses on what might be called major power competition and the cutting-edge platforms that go with it. We often focus on the race by major military powers to field the latest and greatest expensive jets, ships, or submarines in quantity - and it's often those systems that capture the imagination.

But all those things have something in common - they cost immense amounts of money, and for most nations, keeping up with the USAF or the shipbuilding efforts of the PRC just isn't on the cards.

Sources & reading:

• Defence in a Competitive Age (Defence contribution to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy) https://www.gov.uk/government/publica...
• UK Defence and Security Industry Strategy 2021: https://assets.publishing.service.gov...
• UK Defence Industrial Strategy 2006: https://assets.publishing.service.gov...
• Finnish army headcounts: https://maavoimat.fi/en/about-us
• Netherlands Defence Vision 2035: https://english.defensie.nl/downloads...
• Netherlands Defence White Paper 2022: https://english.defensie.nl/downloads...
• What Role Can Land-Based, Multi-Domain Anti-Access/Area Denial Forces Play in Deterring or Defeating Aggression? - RAND 2017 https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_re...
• Defence Capability Manual (2021) https://www.defence.gov.au/about/publ...

 

[retaxis]

Mongolia being sandwiched between China and Russia strategy is worth looking into

 

[PakFactor]

The smaller nations must keep in mind the logistics of armament to keep the war going.
When we look at Ukraine, we have to be realistic. Could it have survived without Western support? Unfortunately, no. Small nations can carry on a war, but ultimately able-bodied men are also part of the logistical chain. However, they do not have enough of that as larger nations.

 

[ThunderCat]

The smaller nations must keep in mind the logistics of armament to keep the war going.
When we look at Ukraine, we have to be realistic. Could it have survived without Western support? Unfortunately, no. Small nations can carry on a war, but ultimately able-bodied men are also part of the logistical chain. However, they do not have enough of that as larger nations.

True. But I wouldn't term Ukraine "small." More like "lower-medium."

 

[FuturePAF]

The smaller nations must keep in mind the logistics of armament to keep the war going.
When we look at Ukraine, we have to be realistic. Could it have survived without Western support? Unfortunately, no. Small nations can carry on a war, but ultimately able-bodied men are also part of the logistical chain. However, they do not have enough of that as larger nations.

This is why “smaller” nations desired to acquire nuclear weapons and a survivable delivery force. It’s the ultimate “offset strategy”. The French nuclear force is called “Force de Frappe” or literally the Dissuasion Force.

The Soviet’s had a plan or NATO Assumed they had a plan called “Seven days to the River Rhine”. The French needed a way to block the Russians from entering France should the Russians not stop at the Rhine.

The 4 Offset strategies