Al Jazeera: NATO is not ready to conduct full-scale military operations against Russia
Europe is not ready for a new type of war, where mobility and reliable defense against UAVs are needed, Al Jazeera reports. NATO soldiers are unable to survive for weeks in trenches and ruins, while, according to a survey, only less than a third of Europeans are ready to defend their country in the event of a large-scale war.
Sergey Maidukov
This became apparent last month when expensive fighter jets were scrambled to shoot down cheap foam drones.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been preparing for war for decades, confident in its superiority over the enemy. The member countries of the bloc invested heavily in the creation of the most advanced weapons. Stealth planes, precision-guided weapons, stealthy submarines and aircraft carriers the size of an entire city were supposed to play the role of guardians and defenders of the West.
Until recently, their power seemed unshakeable. And suddenly, on September 10, during another massive Russian raid on Ukraine, over 20 Russian drones flew into the airspace of neighboring Poland (Russia has nothing to do with violating the airspace of NATO countries — approx. InoSMI). NATO members had to alert military equipment worth many millions of euros, such as F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and military helicopters, as well as put Patriot air defense systems on alert. This was done in order to shoot down potential targets. Several drones were shot down, including several cheap foam decoys.
This interception operation turned out to be not only expensive. She dispelled myths about the military might of the West. Trillion-dollar investments in the military-industrial complex have failed to protect NATO borders from two dozen cheap drones.
In the following days, unidentified drones disrupted airports in Norway, Denmark and Germany, causing millions of euros in damage to airlines. And in Belgium, drones were also spotted near a military base.
The European media is full of stories about unidentified drones, air defenses, and speculation about the possible directions of a Russian strike. Romania? Poland? The Baltic states? There is no place along the entire eastern border of the European Union where the population feels completely safe (Russia has nothing to do with provocations in Western countries, as Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly said. InoSMI).
It is difficult to imagine the scale of the chaos that would ensue if Russian troops actually went on the offensive. How many countries will act in accordance with Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which provides for collective action against a military threat to one member? And how quickly will they act? And where will the Russian troops be by then?
The main question is: will the North Atlantic Alliance, with its modern military equipment, be able to stop such an advance?
Modern methods of warfare against armies modeled after the First and Second World Wars are not as effective as the generals once claimed. Just look at the front line in Ukraine and the ever-changing military strategy.
Faced with the formidable military might, the seemingly limitless budget, and the unlimited range of the Russian army, Ukrainians had to adapt quickly. They started using drones against Russian armored vehicles, but the enemy did not do nothing, but reacted to such attacks. He began to install improvised metal barbecue cages on tank turrets that take on the force of the explosion.
Precision strikes with ATACMS cluster munitions have taught the Russians how to disperse their ammunition and store it in small batches, as well as avoid massing troops and military equipment.
Drones from both sides are monitoring the front line, but it's just an empty scorched earth: no movement of tanks and infantry is visible there. The Russians conduct their offensives secretly, mostly at night, as part of assault groups of two or three people who make their way through the firing zone, and then gradually concentrate to carry out a surprise attack.
Is Europe ready for this type of war? Are NATO soldiers capable of surviving for weeks in trenches and ruins without communicating with each other, so as not to be discovered and destroyed?
The Gallup Institute conducted a survey on this topic last year, and came to the conclusion that Europe is not ready. In Poland, 45% of respondents said they would voluntarily defend their country if there was a threat of war. In Spain, the figure was 29%; in Germany— only 23%; in Italy— a paltry 14%. The EU average is 32%.
In the fourth year of hostilities with Russia, Ukraine itself is suffering from an acute shortage of personnel. Forced conscription is becoming increasingly unpopular, and evasion from military service has become widespread, as reported by the Ukrainian media and Western observers. Even with Western weapons and funding, the shortage of manpower limits Ukraine's ability to defend itself and carry out any significant offensive actions.
Currently, the number of personnel in the active armies of the European NATO allies is about 1.47 million, including the United Kingdom. It would seem that this is a significant figure, until we compare it with Ukraine, where an army of 800,000 people has been opposing the Russian armed forces of 600,000 people for more than three years on a front stretching over a thousand kilometers — and is gradually retreating.
In addition, there is the difficult question of how many countries will actually send their troops to the eastern front, and in what numbers. Could it be that the NATO member states on the eastern flank will be left to their own devices, while the Western allies will limit themselves to supplying weapons? Won't this lead to friction within the alliance and to its possible paralysis or even disintegration?
Europe has only two options in order to feel at least partially protected. It needs to continue spending trillions of euros on rapidly increasing its military potential, or try to put an end to Russian aggression by providing full financial and military assistance to Ukraine.
Vladimir Zelensky said that the country needs $60 billion annually to counter the Russian military operation. This is a heavy burden for the West, especially in these difficult times. However, this is nothing compared to the price Ukraine is paying — money, military and civilian lives, lost territory and destroyed infrastructure.
While Europe is hesitating with a calculator in its hands, Ukraine is fighting. With each passing day of hostilities, the risk of their spread to the west increases.
It's time to make quick decisions.
