Mista
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Before I explain in detail, let me tell you a true story I had when I was in Iraq.
I was part of the first spearhead to the "Race to Baghdad" with the 3d Infantry Division in Iraq, that's back in 2003. What we essentially doing is to roll thru the enemy and let the mech infantry (that's us) to capture the area so the armor and spearhead can keep the momentum.
So basically, the armor punch thru a line and we dismount from our transport and fight the routing Iraqi. The only thing is, it kind of depends on the Iraqi unit, sometimes they melted, sometimes they surrender, but sometimes they decided to fight on. I remember a village outside of Al-Najaf, the tank of 1st Brigade rolled thru and we are dismounted and try to take that village. We are about a company size, maybe minus a Platoon, anyway, the Iraqi that got rolled melted back into Najaf (which is around 5 click away IIRC) but then they come back with Reinforcement from Najaf, we got basically F'ked and got pinned down because the tanks and IFV had drove off, we are kind of naked. So I talked to my JTAC team (A lawyer and A pilot) and ask for Fast Mover. I know from Mission Briefing there are at least a pair of strike eagle above us. The JTAC team goes to works, come back and tell me that's a no go. Because the F-15 are needed elsewhere, the forward element were hitting stone in Karbala Gap, they diverted all available asset to help them punch thru, all I have is a pair of expanded F-16 coming back from an airstrike or RTBing, they ask me if I wanted them to do a fly-by instead. And quote "Maybe they can scare'em"
Long story short, we were picked up by the trailing 101st Airborne Unit and together we push the Iraqi out, No Airstrike, No fly by and nothing. I think I have 3 wounded because of that.
Now, as for why no Su-30 and Su-34 flying CAS for ground troop? I don't know. I am not familiar with Russian Air Force, but from my own experience, It's not like you can just drag unit off the shelve and use it that way, to call an airstrike you will need to have aircraft loitering in the area first, you know what unit you have when you are being brief on before the mission. But then, that's not a guarantee, because it also depends on whether or not they are in the area you are in, and then whether or not they are armed, and then whether or not they can get to you and drop the bomb. And finally at least for us, we have a very strict restriction or envelope before I can call in an Air Strike, that's why there are 2 officer in the JTAC team, a Pilot, who clear the route and direct the aircraft for the incoming, and a Lawyer, who then preside on the decision on whether or not that is a legitimate target, if you have 1 single civilian within Danger Close (2 km for fast mover) the lawyer will nullify the strike, afterall they are Air Force and it's their asset, we are just using them.
Maybe they like egg carton so much, they made helmet out of it too, I mean, you just can't put them all inside the reactive armor, right??
Thanks, that's quite informative.
