Questions tagged [military]
Questions related to the military. This may include questions about the actions or inaction of the military, the armed forces themselves or government action related to the military.
269
questions
-8
votes
0answers
107 views
Why does Bangladesh operate only eight Mig-29s? [closed]
In 1999, Bangladesh purchased eight Mig-29s at the cost of $124 million.
In my view, that was a total waste of money. Because, with that amount of money, Bangladesh could have either bought 24 Chengdu ...
-6
votes
1answer
112 views
Is the size and capability of Bangladesh's military consistent with its security requirement? [closed]
Bangladesh has a population of 164 million as of 2020. Its GDP size is $302.6 billion, and its defense budget is only $3.8 billion as of 2019.
Bangladesh has a hostile relationship with Myanmar and ...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
Which kingdoms/autonomous areas were using first world weapons at the time of the second world war in particular armored vehicles? [migrated]
Which kingdoms, little dictatorships and all sorts of fiefdom had World War 1 armor (and nothing more modern) at the time of the second war? I bet there was a lot because after the First World War all ...
1
vote
2answers
537 views
How credible is the Afghanistan's ghost soldiers claim?
According to Afghanistan's ex-finance minister most of the 300,000 troops and police on the government's books did not exist.
However the salary of the soldiers were paid by the US army and they are ...
-2
votes
2answers
208 views
How close is supposed "Russian build-up" to Ukrainian border?
Politico published and many other mass-media reposted an article Satellite images show new Russian military buildup near Ukraine. It is illustrated with two satellite photos of Yelnya and also ...
13
votes
2answers
3k views
How did United Kingdom responsibility for the defence of the British Channel Islands originate?
The government of the United Kingdom is responsible for the defence of, and foreign relations of, the Channel Islands - i.e. the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey. How did this arrangement come about?
...
0
votes
5answers
386 views
Why does the US care so much about China's hypersonic weapons?
Example: Gen. Mark Milley calls China's hypersonic weapon test 'very concerning'
If we currently have mutually assured destruction (MAD) where nobody can fire nuclear weapons because the other side ...
1
vote
1answer
133 views
Did the US government profit from any of the military hardware they gave to the Afghan government?
The US government gave a lot of military aid to the Afghan government and even helped them maintain many of the equipment through western contractors. Did they ever get the full or partial price for ...
-5
votes
2answers
235 views
Has the US military ever admitted a strategic mistake for an entire war?
Lloyd Austin, the US Defense Secretary in a hearing before Congress said:
The fact that the Afghan army, that we and our partners trained, simply melted away, in many cases without firing a shot, ...
0
votes
2answers
403 views
How were US progressives able to deny Israel a billion dollars of funding for their Iron Dome, and is this the first time?
Recently, a cohort of US progressives - all Democrats and including the Squad - were able to deny a billion dollars of funding for Israel's Iron Dome. Even if, as The Washington Times claims, a ...
28
votes
4answers
10k views
Why was Australia willing to pay $3.0 B/unit for the French diesel-electric submarines?
Note: All dollar values are USD.
One of the great advantages of diesel-electric attack submarines over nuclear-powered versions is that the former typically cost far less, so countries can purchase ...
3
votes
0answers
128 views
Has the US transferred any more naval nuclear reactor technology to the UK besides that S5W reactor piece that powered HMS Dreadnaught (S101)?
I've read that the first UK nuclear powered submarine HMS Dreadnaught (S101) was powered by a US made reactor, but that subsequent UK ships of that kind used UK-made ones. Wikipedia claims:
During ...
38
votes
7answers
10k views
Why are other countries reacting negatively to Australia's decision to deploy nuclear submarines?
Recently Australia decided to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, attracting several negative comments, such as:
Malaysia said on Saturday that Canberra's decision to build atomic-powered submarines ...
17
votes
4answers
8k views
Why are German local authorities taxing DoD employees, despite the protests of the US and of the German federal government?
There's a pretty long military.com (Stars and Stripes) article on the matter of taxes on some DoD employees in Germany:
The U.S. contends the situation amounts to a treaty violation, but so far ...
-4
votes
3answers
282 views
Why are there more American soldiers and bases in the UK and Germany than in Iraq? [closed]
I've just learned from this article that the US has soldiers and bases in the UK and Germany. This is somehow the violation of the sovereignty of those countries.
The US attacked Iraq, so it's not ...
0
votes
0answers
44 views
Has the Saudi purchase of Pantsir S1M (technology) from Russia made any progress?
It's been mentioned in an article last year that the Saudis were negotiating buying a short-range anti-aircraft system from Russia, supposedly to bolster their anti-drone defense, after the Houthi ...
13
votes
3answers
5k views
Why would the PLAAF buy additional Su-35 fighters from Russia?
In November 2015, China became the Su-35's first export customer when
the Russian and Chinese governments signed a contract worth $2 billion
to buy 24 aircraft for the People's Liberation Army Air
...
-10
votes
2answers
276 views
Was President Biden been Misled by the Generals in Afghanistan or Was the Fall-out His Own Misjudgment? [closed]
Prior to and during the troop withdrawal, President Biden has said repeatedly that he was adequately informed on the situations, has received daily briefings, and constantly discussed and listened to ...
16
votes
4answers
838 views
Military Equipment left in Afghanistan - US or ANA property?
Lots of the media (news sites and social) is talking about all of the equipment left in Afghanistan. Lots of the discussion (and confusion) is about generally how "The USA just left billions of ...
53
votes
5answers
13k views
Why did the US military leave Afghanistan in such a rush that they left so much equipment behind?
One would think that if the US military were to leave Afghanistan, they would surely take any equipment that might fall into the wrong hands, especially since there were reports that the "wrong ...
14
votes
2answers
470 views
What did the Western Governments expect to happen in Afghanistan?
A number of western leaders, particularly in the US, have said they were surprised by the rapidity of the Taliban's success over the last 2 weeks. For example, the Pentagon's top military officer, ...
5
votes
2answers
123 views
When the US government activates a Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), can it activate the civilian crew as well, or are they always volunteers?
CNN's Pentagon activates US airlines to assist with evacuation efforts from Afghanistan
says:
The Pentagon announced Sunday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the commander of US ...
4
votes
1answer
145 views
Is there an overview of battles between the Afghan Army and Taliban forces during the Resolute Support Mission (2015-2021)?
According to the Wikipedia page on the Resolute Support Mission (RSM):
Resolute Support Mission or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led train, advise and assist mission consisting of about 7,772 ...
2
votes
1answer
278 views
What was the average pay of an Afghan soldier (before the Taliban took over)?
The BBC reported that
The Sigar report also notes that these figures include “ghost” security personnel.
This, it says, means that “more than $300 million a year was spent paying salaries to non-...
3
votes
0answers
167 views
In the wake of the 2014 Iraqi army disintegration in front of ISIS, did the US make changes to how it trained such forces, esp. in Afghanistan?
Although some are shocked by the disintegration of Afghan army in front of the Taliban, I for one wasn't too surprised given the 2014 precedent provided by the US-trained Iraqi army, which ...
88
votes
9answers
20k views
Why are the Taliban winning against the Afghan army?
According to the Wikipedia page on the current Taliban offensive, the combined Afghan army outnumbers the Taliban by roughly 3:1. The Taliban have less or worse equipment and vehicles, and the Afghan ...
2
votes
1answer
266 views
Why doesn't the USA use drones and bombardment to support the Afghan government troops? [closed]
Since 2001, it was the usual practice. Various warlords and the government army fight on the field, and they get air support from the USA military.
Sometimes Taliban leaders were also killed by USA ...
1
vote
1answer
130 views
Could there be any action taken against the contributors of Climate Change and Global Warming? [closed]
With the rising concern over Climate Change and Global Warming especially due to the IPCC report, could there be any sanctions or some kind of action taken by the UN or NATO against countries (and ...
0
votes
1answer
143 views
Does the U.S. military have the means to spend a lot more than the allotted budget for the military?
Does the U.S. military have the means to spend a lot more than the allotted budget for the military?
A black budget or covert appropriation is a government budget that is
allocated for classified or ...
24
votes
5answers
5k views
Is the U.S. military bound by the same environmental laws as the country being occupied?
Is the U.S. military bound by the same environmental laws as the country being occupied? Let's say that the United States is still occupying Afghanistan, to what extent does the U.S. military have to ...
10
votes
5answers
13k views
Why won't China or Russia modernize North Korea's army by selling them modern military equipment?
North Korea's uses many outdated tanks, mostly T-62s, or based on T-62s, many of which would be expected to be ineffective against the more modern Abrams tank. The S-400 missile system is the best ...
3
votes
2answers
188 views
Does China intend to intervene in Afghan affairs after the US withdraws? [closed]
Recently, the US army is withdrawing from Afghanistan. Britain, the USSR and the US had all sent their army to Afghanistan before, but all failed. So, will China, a rising country that has great ...
10
votes
1answer
365 views
Will any state or federal laws be broken by a rich individual funding the movement and support of South Dakota National Guard troops?
Politico's Billionaire GOP donor is funding South Dakota National Guard border deployment says:
Willis Johnson doesn’t live in the state but says he backs Gov. Kristi Noem, a potential presidential ...
1
vote
1answer
270 views
Is there any data about partisanship inside US police departments or armed forces?
Is there any open data about the extent of partisan division among the police or armed forces in the United States?
If such data does not exist, why might that be? For example, is there some law which ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
Do military company have to talk to the U.S. government before they apply for a patent?
Do military company have to talk to the U.S. government before they apply for a patent? Sometimes, it makes more sense to keep a technology secret instead of applying the technology in a patent office....
1
vote
2answers
441 views
How is Russia responding to non-military maritime traffic in the legally recognized shipping lane passing within its territorial waters?
From the video BBC journalist reports from British warship as Russia “fires warning shots” - BBC News here are some screenshots and transcribed audio (mine but based on BBC's closed captions).
...
5
votes
1answer
422 views
In what situation can the U.S. military use nukes without the consent of the President?
In what situation can the U.S. military use nukes without the consent of the President, if any situation like this exists?
10
votes
2answers
527 views
Is the current (Biden) admin making provisions for 'collaborators' after the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan?
background...
I was on TDY at an NAS when I 'saw' this happen during the Vietnam Conflict; there was a huge surge of applications for exit visas at the embassy (consulate) in March/April 1975. There ...
3
votes
1answer
129 views
To what extent is the Pentagon able to influence or pressure POTUS? [closed]
Some countries are routinely criticized for their military having considerable influence over politics and foreign policy. E.g. Pakistan.
How does the situation in the USA compare to those countries?
...
0
votes
1answer
168 views
What is the military power of the Belarus, compared to the neighbor states?
What is the military power of the Belarus, compared to the neighbor states, in particular, Poland?
The reports like those from GlobalFirePower seems to be based on sheer numbers, but one thing is ...
5
votes
1answer
124 views
Has the Biden administration detailed what violations of the Open Skies treaties it accuses Russia of?
A somewhat difficult to parse news piece:
"The United States regrets that the Treaty on Open Skies has been undermined by Russia's violations," the state department said on Thursday.
"...
-3
votes
2answers
290 views
Why doesn't the world help Israel fight against Hamas? [closed]
in the last two days Israel has been in "Operation Wall Guard". In the crisis that caused this "operation", Hamas has launched more than a thousand rockets towards Israeli cities.
...
10
votes
1answer
116 views
What is the official position of the Collective Security Treaty Organization over the Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan border conflict?
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are both members of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO, Rus: ОДКБ), a military alliance supposed to defend their borders and provide with military framework if one ...
-6
votes
1answer
577 views
Why was the USA planning on attacking Japan *before* Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour? [closed]
According to Wikipedia, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour to prevent the US Pacific Fleet from interfering with its actions in South-East Asia.
However, Noam Chomsky, referring to Michael Sherry's The ...
-3
votes
4answers
398 views
Why doesn't the UK rescue Nazanin Zaghari? [closed]
Nazanin Zaghari is a dual British-Iranian citizen who has been detained for years because of allegations over plotting to topple the Iranian government. These claims are clearly fictitious, and it's ...
5
votes
1answer
308 views
Which countries want to weaponize space?
I'd like to know which countries want to weaponize space and are against making a "peaceful space treaty".
To make myself clear:
I know more than 100 countries are parties to the Outer Space ...
4
votes
1answer
223 views
S-400 technology transfer to Turkey
As far as I know, the Turkish proposal to purchase Patriot PAC-3 was refused because Turkey wanted a technology transfer, but the USA didn't want to.
Am I correct?
If I am correct, then what is going ...
0
votes
1answer
289 views
Why does Bangladesh have a smaller military per capita than its neighbors?
Kindly, refer to the following answer:
https://politics.stackexchange.com/a/62759/32479
This answer essentially says that the size of the military is related to the population size and the GDP.
The ...
0
votes
1answer
355 views
Why does Sri Lanka have so small a military?
Sri Lanka suffered almost 33 years of LTTE menace because of not paying proper attention to its defense capability. India manipulated Sri Lanka's LTTE situation by using muscle power. During the ...
3
votes
2answers
482 views
Do users of F-16s need the USA's permission to use them in attack roles?
Document reveals official US position on F-16s
Are users of F-16 fighter planes obliged to take the USA's permission to use them in attack roles?
I am especially curious about Turkey and Pakistan.
P....