"peter" wrote in message ...
I think almost everyone is missing the point about assymetric warfare. All
the comments are based on US/NATO type equipment standards, and military
objectives. The whole point of assymetric warfare is that you don't follow
the standards, you go for what you can achieve where you can achieve it with
what you can get. 9/11 was a classic example.

If some one out there is planning on using cruise missiles for example, he
wont build them to Tomahawk standards, he wont select tomahawk like targets
and so on.

Assymetric warfare is about doing the unexpected, with the unexpected by
surprise, that negates the defences and allows success.

If you haven't got the budget of the US, you dont try to emulate them and
expect to win, you have to think out of 'our' box.



Brings to mind the VC etc. use of 122mm and 240mm rockets as short
range boosters for oil drums, etc. filled with explosives. The new
variant is the Improvised Explosive Device, in this case the delivery
system comes to you in the form of patrols. Just saw a refernce to
600,000 tons of explosives in Iraq:
"There is approximately 600,000 tons of ordnance out on the ground
throughout the country," said Army Maj. Adam Boyd, of the 1138th Mine,
Explosive and Ordnance Information Coordination Center, "and the enemy
is getting smarter every single day on how to use it."