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Old 03-27-2016, 02:10 PM
CDAT CDAT is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Louied View Post
mpipes
I am very interested in those unclassified war plans you mentioned, can you PM me.

I think we may all be missing something here.......
While I agree that the size of the Army in the first post is completely unrealistic based upon my research (check Library Thing under my user name Louied, I have tagged all the books "Australian Army" or "New Zealand Army". Plus I urge anyone interested in the manpower subject to read this book, The Commonwealth Armies: Manpower and Organisation in Two World Wars (War, Armed Forces and Society).
It's a bit pricey but well worth it !

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0719...es+and+Society

Getting back, we have a Major Theatre War starting in August 1995 (practically in Australia's backyard). Besides the Soviet Union, I would bet that Mongolia (practically an SSR at the time), Vietnam (China's nemesis), and possibly India (free Tibet anyone) would be actively supporting the Soviets. On the other hand we have the U.S. supplying arms to keep China in the war (with ramped up production, ditto most of NATO looking to get a hold of Chinese cash/credit). Add that Indonesian (even tacit) support for the Soviets is making everyone (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, PNG, etc.....i.e. All countries with mutual Defence treaties with Australia) very concerned.
Now given all that I took a gamble that Australia would start peacetime National Service in this climate (strictly into the Reserves and limited to a specific geographic area). I agree with Leg, universal conscription would probably be a non starter, but maybe just maybe if it was presented as a "Defence of Australia Act", I believe there is a chance.

As for equipment, I believe Australia flogged away all its Centurions by the late 1980's, however we are looking at convoys from the U.S. Bringing war material (tanks, trucks, munitions, etc) to China from late 1995 to late 1996. I believe there is no reason why some of this equipment couldn't go to Australia, even just enough to establish a training base.

And yes I know the controversies involved in the sending of the 2nd AIF to the ME in WW2 and then the mad scramble to bring them back after Japan enters the war. But history has a strange way of repeating itself...... IIRC Indonesia didn't make a move until 1997. I structured the 3rd AIF/10th Div going to the ME late 1996/early 1997, well before Indonesia enters the conflict. Could a U.S. Promise to "bomb Jakarta back to the Stone Age" if they make a move influenced Australian policy ?!?

So having Australia having four Divs/twelve Bdes (with one Div & one Bde equipped with U.S. Material. While the others make do with Leo 1, M113s, etc)
IMHO is very doable.
Not sure what happened to my post, but I have to echo Legbreaker. How is the US going to outfit an entire Australian division when they can not outfit there own troops? They may want to help out one of their allies, but if you can not make enough you can not send what you do not have.
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