• Cromalin [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Was the USSR the most feared military? I feel like that was always the US

    • dinklesplein [any, he/him]
      ·
      edit-2
      3 years ago

      the strongest part of the us armed forces has traditionally been the navy and air force post-war. i think u can make the case that the ussr had the scariest land army

    • ssjmarx [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Love the Red Army but it had a long, loooooong list of high profile defeats. But that's what happens when your "empire" isn't invading other countries every five years, combat experience becomes really scarce and the military gets a bit shitty at doing its job.

      • grant87231 [none/use name]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Depends what you think their job is. No one for example successfully invaded the USSR

      • dinklesplein [any, he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        unfortunately, the same kinda applies to the pla. i think people on this site actually underestimate the us army, because it has a tendency to play up its weaknesses to grift funding off the government.

        • vccx [they/them]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Yeah but also the USA also keeps losing to peasant farmers and also hasn't fought an advanced military since the 1940s.

          • Awoo [she/her]
            ·
            edit-2
            3 years ago

            When is the last time ANY of their navy had to worry about literally anything shooting back?

            Airforce too for that matter. Nothing effective anyway.

            When has a US tank had to worry about much other than RPGs and maaaaaybe wire guided in rare circumstances?

            The only people whose experience is somewhat useful is the ground troops.

            • dinklesplein [any, he/him]
              ·
              3 years ago

              lmao half of the hardware the us has is only useful given an already large force discrepancy, like its CVs and the A-10. i just don't think its productive to completely dismiss them, I guarantee no military around these days has any clue how to conduct a peer war.

              • Awoo [she/her]
                ·
                edit-2
                3 years ago

                I think a peer war is the only thing the PLA spends its time training for though because it's a real defensive army. Whereas the US army spends its time training for asymmetrical war because it is an imperialist military.

                You can't ignore the training time investments and what they prioritise.

                • dinklesplein [any, he/him]
                  ·
                  3 years ago

                  i agree, i think theyre probably better than the us army when push comes to shove, I just don't think the gulf is as big as its made out to be and there are still some exploitable weaknesses, rather than the usual df21s will wipe the usn in seconds take

                  • Awoo [she/her]
                    ·
                    3 years ago

                    They're going to need to be able to see the US navy to do that and this is why the US wants to advance space war. They want to tip the balance via eliminating the eyes that would do the targeting.

            • Vncredleader
              ·
              3 years ago

              Agreed, though armor does have to worry seriously about IEDs

        • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Yeah, but the PLA fighting a defensive war is a different beast. I don't think they're gonna be trying to invade America.