"Army sees 'megacities' as the future battlefield" Topic

"When the Army looks to the future, it sees cities. Dense, sprawling, congested cities where criminal and extremist groups flourish almost undetected by authorities, but who can influence the lives of the population while undermining the authority of the state.

And the service is convinced that these "megacities" of 20 million or more people will be the battleground of the future.

The problem from a military strategists' point of view, however, is that no army has ever fought it out in a city of this size. So in thinking through the issue of what to do about the coming age of the megacity, the Army's Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) got together with US Army Special Operations Command, the chief of staff's Strategic Studies Group and the UK's Ministry of Defence in February to explore these types of urban operations…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Cities with over 400 million citizens – each one a potential criminal.

Perhaps a elite force of cycle-riding hard core nutters dispensing justice on the streets is the way forward…..

I'm sure the Army is thinking that much of this urban unrest and extremism will be happening in our own cities, not far away in some exotic land.

David Manley – I knew you'd say that.

Urban warfare is generally a very costly endeavour. We generally were trained to by pass such possible blood baths. Yet we still trained for taking small villages, towns etc. … Could you imagine fighting in New York, LA, Seoul, etc. ?

I'm sure the Army is thinking that much of this urban unrest and extremism will be happening in our own cities, not far away in some exotic land.

Possibly, we trained for riot contol plus to secure a facility, etc., like a chemical plant, nuclear power site, etc. … We never trained, per se to go street fighting in Detroit, etc. … However, the US Military were deployed to places like most recently Fergeson, the NG. Those are the Governer's assets, in this case. But regular ARMY, etc. were deployed during Katrina, etc. … But no fighting house to house like we saw in Stalingrad, Manila, Jerusalem, etc. in the 20th Century … The US goverment, and hence the US Military takes shooting at it's citizens [or any civilains for that matter] in a very serious and very much negative light. We all know things like Kent State happens, but it is certainly very much an unfortunate anomaly …

Take a cue from Chicago mobsters-infiltrate, assassinate and enforce.

In the words of Edward G. Robinson:

"I am the law."

The only solution is justice from a Judge and his Lawgiver.
Army butt out, leave the perps for the Judges.
Citizen Able.
Oh! and isocubes are the perfect environment for all those miscreants ;)

This is avoiding the original question, but I don't see cities of 20 million being really sustainable in the first place, other than in the case of different cities sprawling together (the old Bosnywash concept). If they do come to be though, sealing the city limits, turning off the water, sewage, electricity and cell towers/landlines should take care of things in a couple of weeks.

Could you imagine fighting in New York, LA, Seoul, etc. ?

That would make a whole new definition of "suck" [/understatement]

And I bet it would still end up looking like Stalingrad, just with 6ft deep piles of shattered glass instead of bricks.

Yep … that's why we talked about by-passing such a nightmare …

… sealing the city limits, turning off the water, sewage, electricity and cell towers/landlines should take care of things in a couple of weeks.

Yes, an old fashioned siege … however, there may be some humanitarian concerns. However from a Grunt's standpoint … surrounding, starving them out, while the rest of the force by-passes …

Nuclear siege howitzers needed.

Some Heavy FA has nuc rounds …