CENTCOM Viability

[kalos72]

So in my campaign, by April 2001 we have roughly 1% of total Texas per-war oil production started again. Thats about 5000 barrels per day / 170k gallons of diesel / 30k gallons of jet fuel.

Now as the Texas Military District, the entire eastern part of the state east of 35, improves, Mississippi and LA get pacified and California is cleared of hostiles, production numbers can only increase.

CENTCOM was viewed as being a requirement due to it being the only place the US can get oil from in 2000.

Would keeping an oil source from the Soviets or French perhaps, be important enough to keep CENTCOM active or would it make more sense to pull out and get the troops back to the US?

Thoughts?

[dragoon500ly]

I would have to say yes, CENTCOM would need to be maintained for as long as possible, if only to deny to the Soviets the working oil wells and refineries. It would also give give MILGOV an edge with the French.

[kalos72]

Thats true, I was almost more concerned about giving the French another leg up on the US then the Soviets honestly.

But then I thought it also might get the French involved against the Soviets in the Middle East, both fighting for the oil. Right now, CENTCOM is in the middle.

Would the French, who obviously are interested or they wouldn't have committed the forces there in the first place find enough reason to increase hostilities against the Soviets if the oil was in jeopardy?

[dragoon500ly]

Too true, but I believe that MILGOV's opinion would be that anything that got the French more involved against the Soviets, even if it was in the Middle East and not Europe...May not be such a bad thing.

Would they desire an escalation in WWIII?

Not really, but maybe something to counter balance the Soviets and get them to start thinking, enough is enough.

[kalos72]

WANT no? Prefer to increase hostilities rather then give it all to the Soviets? Perhaps.

Would the Soviets really want to keep fighting, no dealing with a French Army that still has the majority of its armor/aircraft/navy?


From the RDF Sourcebook:
SPECIAL NOTE: FRANCO-SOVIET RELATIONS

The relations between France and the Soviet Union are interesting. They are engaged in a low intensity proxy war with each other. The main battleground is, of course, the Middle East.

The French, however, are slowly gaining the upper hand. The
Soviet lines of communications and supply into the Transcaucasus Military District are virtually nonexistent. Only the strong presence of the KGB Border Guards give Moscow any say in events in Iran. The French are taking advantage of the increasing isolation of the Soviet Transcaucasus Front by
increasing logistical aid to CENTCOM.

[swaghauler]

This is another place where my timeline varies from the Cannon. In my world, Russia never received the economic stimulus that the West gave them in reality. This means that we had NO INFLUENCE on Russian policy.
As a result, a desperate Russia needed resources and money to stave off an imminent collapse and the US gave them someone who could help. Iraq needed to rearm after the 91' Gulf War. UN sanctions would have made this impossible but for Russia's desperation. Russia sold Iraq T-54Ms and T62Ms with both "bra armor" and Kontakt 1 reactive armor, laser range finders, laser guided munitions, Gen 2 passive NV, and automotive upgrades for their regular army. They gave the Republican Guard units T64BMs with upgraded Kontakt 1 reactive armor, Gen 2 passive NV, and automotive upgrades. they also upgraded Iraq's T72s to T72Ms as well as giving them "upgraded" T72Ms from Russia's own stock. This gave Iraq an new tank force of 5000 T54Ms, 1000 T62M "command tanks," 2000 T72Ms and 3000 T64BMs for the Republican Guard. They also sold Iraq huge quantities of towed artillery and Sprut B 125mm AT guns, older wire guided AT missiles and huge numbers of AA guns.

At the same time, Russia began supplying Iran with military technology in the face of ever hardening UN sanctions against BOTH powers. All of these military sales allowed Russia to not only stave off collapse but also to upgrade her own military to better T80M and T90M tanks, newer self-propelled artillery and AT Missiles, as well as other newer equipment for the troops.
This would force the US to have a large CENTCOM force to counter any moves by now "pro-Russian" Iraq or Iran. In my timeline, that occurs in 1998. As a result, there is just as big a war in The Gulf as there is in Europe.