The problem with the scenario is that 500+ terrorists are not a battalion. They will not have the training and discipline, nor the truly first-class equipment (night vision, satellite communications, etc) we associate with a fully modern military. Heck, a lot of national armies don’t have this stuff.
The OP says
We could throw in a few M-60s and some AT weaponry, and they still would be limited by logistics. Can someone more knowledgeable with weaponry than I speculate on how long “all the ammo they can carry” would last in heavy combat. Not very, I’d reckon.
Yeah they will be limited. Once the ammo is gone they are toast,obviously. Remember, these guys wouldn’t care if they die. They don’t really have any particular objective other than to stay organised and wreak havoc until they run out of ammo or are killed. What if after the initial assault, they holed themselves up in some buildings with the idea of forcing the army to fight a small urban battle in an american city. Say once the army is brought in, they have extra ammo & supplies stashed around the city and plans for an organised retreat and defense.
Can armed citizens be recruited in the defense of their own city? Seems like this could add an overwhelming advantage. Millions of weapons aimed at the “terrorists”, street soldiers familiar w/ their own territory. If not a real advantage then maybe a deterrent?
Military vehicles in general don’t require keys, passwords, or any other sort of authority verification. They do, however, require that they be maintained, prepared, fueled and armed (none of which are trivial for military hardware of any sort), and obviously you have to know at least the basics of how to operate one. The last bit is actually the easiest part IMO, you’d be surprised what you can find online.
As for the idea of foreign nationals infiltrating and capturing a military base, and then hijacking a force of tanks, fighters, whatever, out of it…patently ludicrous. Even if they could manage to take the base, which I would doubt very much except perhaps for a very minor Air Force post, there is no way they’d be able to operate anything on it (assuming they even knew how), either due to sheer unreadiness of the equipment, or to deliberate action to stand down or sabotage the equipment by the base personnel.
The only chance of success of such a plan IMO would be by rogue elements of the same service, perhaps with sympathizers already working in the base. A Dr. Strangelove scenario if you will
Personally I find the whole idea of a large group of concentrated “terrorists” performing a pseudomilitary operation to be rather beyond belief, anyway, very Chicken Little. “Terrorists” don’t DO that sort of thing - there is nothing you could achieve with it, against a nation of any size, that a much smaller, easier operation couldn’t do just as well. If your organization was of such size and resources that they could mount any type of actual armed resistance, then you’re not talking about foreign terrorists, you’re talking about guerilla revolutionaries (aka “freedom fighters”)
How much of a base is on alert 24/7 anyway? How long would it take personal to scramble for armarments? but yea they wouldn’t be able to use it anyway unless they had intel of a training exercise or something.
I think it’s a good point, about the local citizenry joining in the fight. Most would not be willing to expose themselves to much fire, but in an average American city, there are a heck of a lot of deer rifles and such. Being sniped at from all directions, even with light ammo is not my idea of a fun time.
I’ve thought for a long time that the States would be particularly hard to hold in a hostile takeover for this reason.
I used to hunt, I’m a damned good shot. I know most of the men and a lot of the women around here can say the same. Practically everyone owns weapons, of some sort. There are literally thousands of “good ol’ boys” in this part of the country that I guarantee would take action if needed.
Most know the area extensively and have had years of practice stalking the woods quietly and know how to camoflauge out. Damned bow-hunters will put the fear into your ass. You can’t see them and they don’t make any noise.
I know several that employ traps…damn, I hate to even think what some of these guys could do if pushed.
A buddy of mine reloads…gave me a couple of thousand rounds (steel-core) for my SKS.
I no longer hunt, but that doesn’t mean I forgot how. Plus, I have had some active duty in which fire was exchanged. Have actually taken a couple of rounds. So, don’t say…“well, it’s different when the targets are shooting back”
Considering all the former veterans, reservists, former EOD/explosive troops, engineers, etc. . . I’m sure we’d be a force to be reckoned with, a la the French Resistance in Vichy France.
Tripler
Even against a full sized Army Group, I think the citizenry would rally against 'em.
YT are you kidding me? The only gangs that well hooked up anymore I believe are the chinese triad and the japanese yakuza. They’re not much represented here in l.a anymore I believe. I must admit tho , I haven’t been around compton, inglewood and dominguez in a while now…
I think that a crack assault team or even a larger group could easily pull off a strategic strike before the local pork stopped choking on the powdered sugar from their donuts. However, any kind of sustained assault would ultimately fail once the reinforcements came. But if anybody just wants to inflict some damage/casualties, the door’s wide open. My local cops can’t shoot anything but a radar gun whilst lurking, or maybe an unarmed, handcuffed prisoner.
In reference to Y.T. and Harmonix, I oft wonder about certain alliances with underground empires.
Who or what, if any would be responsible for organizing and directing the Crips, Bloods, or Mafia? Who would actually inform those crime cartels how to direct their “turf-protecting militias” into the overall effort? Would they be able to? Hell, would they even sympathize (I assume so, since a change in government would mean a costly overhaul in organization).
yea, I would think like the mafia, yakuza or the triad would be able to actually mount some sort of counter offensive, but the gangs in say… inglewood? I doubt that.
yeesh, you’re so stereotyping my home city. although I gotta admit firing an ar-15(I was told it was a civillian issue m-16, single shot only.) I was able to hit a 300 yard target the first day I ever went shooting.
and yea, maybe not a counter offensive, but maybe they would be able to adequately defend themselves and the neighborhood they’re based in. That is until grenades start being tossed into the building they’re hiding out in.
