Winning a hot war

Sukhoi Su-22M4, Czech Republic - Air Force (cropped) — The Su-22M4 was a reasonable fighter of it's time.

Usaf.Boeing B-52 — A B-52H could rip a place to shreds with it's bomb load.

F-105 Thunderchiefs Mt Fuji — Two U.S. Air Force Republic F-105 Thunderchiefs could both take out a small target and provide cover from hostile aircraft in a counter attack.

Niger, Niamey, Pont Kennedy (1) — Should we capture or destroy the bridge?

Melbourne+military+railway+trent+lane+depot+2010 — Kings Newton Storage Depot 2010. Always your reconnaissance before attacking if you have the time to do so. The depot could have snipers, booby-traps, ambushes in it, dropped secret material, mines or toxins in it.

Atakora Benin Batia — Atakora mountains, North Benin, close to Batia, Pendjari Nationalpark. Dose the village have enemy insurgents in it?

Togo-benin 1985-079 hg — An urban image from Togo or Benin, Africa in 1985; locality details unknown. If a conflict occurs here, there will be a collateral blood bath.

Strategy

Define a battle-plan and ultimate mission goal.
Gather intelligence.
Prepare for war.
Justify the war.
Boost domestic moral and demoralise the opponent.
Destabilise, hack and\or sabotage the opponent.
Invade and set up a small, initial aria of control.
Bring in more forces.
Hold ground\sea\air\cyber.
Win over the locals loyalties.
Press home the advantage.
Achieve the goal.
Maintain the goal.
Leave or occupy with more forces.
Prepare for future resistance or retaliation by the victim nation.
Endgame.
Organise the peace.
Maintain the peace.

Qualifying factors

The technology

The best technology counts in most wars.

Microchips are more powerful than valves.
Valves are immune to EMP radiation.
Hacking computers may give on an advantage over the enemy.
Light and durable equipment is easy to use.
Smart weapons will mostly hi there targets.
Chose the right vehicles for the terrain being conquered.

The communications network

Controlling and destroying communications is an essential part of conquering a nation.

Protect one own communications network
Capture all phone\radio\TV\internet masts
Capture all internet datacenters.
Capture all TV and radio stations.
Capture all telephone exchanges.
Capture all printing presses.
Take note of all communications frequencies. For example:-
- India
  - The Indian Navy has an ELF communication facility at the INS Kattabomman naval base to communicate with its Arihant class and Akula class submarines.
- America
  - 50–54 MHz: Amateur Radio 6-meter band.
  - 108–118 MHz: Air navigation beacons VOR and Instrument Landing System localizer.
  - 118–137 MHz: Airband for air traffic control, AM, 121.5 MHz is emergency frequency
  - 144–146 MHz: Amateur Radio 2-meter band (Extends up to 148 MHz in some Regions).
  - 156–174 MHz: VHF maritime mobile band for maritime two-way radio on ships.
  - The AN/SPS-46(V)9 radar antenna on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier ha a NATO X-band frequency setting. This is an X-band (8-12 GHz) marine navigational radar similar to types on civilian ships, used to detect other ships in the vicinity. It has a peak power of 7 kW, a range of somewhere around 35 nautical miles. This type of antenna is called a slot antenna and radiates a narrow vertical fan-shaped beam of microwaves, about 15° high and 2.2° wide. A motor in the housing below rotates the bar-shaped antenna to scan the beam around the horizon.
- Australia
  - UHF citizens band (Land mobile service): 476–477 MHz
  - Television broadcasting uses UHF channels between 503 and 694 MHz
  - Fixed point-to-point Link 450.4875 - 451.5125 MHz
  - Land mobile service 457.50625 - 459.9875 MHz
  - Mobile satellite service: 406.0000 - 406.1000 MHz. Segment and Service examples: Land mobile for private, Australian, State and Territory Government, Rail industry and Mobile-Satellite.
- The World
  - Wi-Fi operates at 2412 MHz-2484 MHz. LTE also operates on UHF frequencies
  - There are institutional broadcast stations in the range that transmit coded time signals to radio clocks. For example:
    - WWVB in Colorado, United States, on 60 kHz, 70 kW ERP
    - DCF77 in Frankfurt, Germany, on 77.5 kHz, 50 kW
    - JJY in Japan, on 40 & 60 kHz, 50 kW
    - RBU 66.66 kHz in Taldom transmitter, Russia, 10 kW
    - BPC in Lintong, China, 68.5 kHz, 90 kW
    - MSF time and 60 kHz frequency standard transmitted from Anthorn in the UK, 17 kW ERP.
    - TDF from Allouis, France, on 162 kHz, 800 kW
    - Transmitters in the 22 Hz range are also used in pipeline maintenance or pigging. The signal is generated as an alternating magnetic field, and the transmitter is mounted to, or to part of, the "pig", the cleaning device inserted into the pipe.
    - 27 MHz citizens' band using amplitude modulation (AM) only.
    - Toy walkie-talkies operated in the 49 MHz band, some with frequency modulation (FM), shared with cordless phones and baby monitors.
- EU
  - Hytera PNC550 smartphone- 850/950/1800/1900MHz
  - Hytera PD715Ex walkie talkie - VHF: 136-174MHz UHF1: 400-470MHz
  - Hytera PD365LF walkie talkie - 446MHz
- UK
  - Kenwood TK-3501 446 walkie talkie - 446.1 MHz

The natural resources

Natural resources are important since owning them can both help ruin the enemy and ease invasion.

Long term economic gaine.
Shorter supplied chains.
Weakening the invaded nation.
Economically blackmailing world industry in the long term.

The weapons

Have the right stuff for the mission requirements.
Have the right stuff for the mobility constraints.
Have the right stuff for the climate.

Logistics

Logistics and supply chains are critical in a war.

Chose the right vehicles for the terrain being conquered.
Short supply chains are easier to manage.
Always have large tactical reserves.
Remember what Napoléon Bonaparte said:- "An army marches on it's stomach!", that is it needs a constant supply of good food all the time to keep on going.

The terrain

Attacking a country with rugged and difficult to navigate terrain or a dramatically deferent climate will impede conquest.

Tanks are good in open fields, but useless in high mountains.
Urban warfare is a bloody hell.
Forests, urban locations, canyons and mountains are ideal for conducting ambushes in .
Fine silica based sand destroys carburettors quickly.

The infrastructure

Capture or destroy all the factories.
Capture or destroy all the communications hubs.
Capture or destroy all the transport hubs.
Capture or destroy all the utility operating facilities.
Capture or destroy all the military bases.
Capture or destroy all the food supply depots.

The gear

Good, appropriate and new equipment will always make a war easier.

Light and durable equipment is easy to use.
Chose the right vehicle for the terrain being conquered.
Wear khaki in a desert.
Were gloves in the cold.

The people

The more people have in common the more they will co-operate in most cases. The more familiar invaders are with the locals' culture the easier conquest is in most cases.

Vietnamese culture is similar to Chinese culture.
Muong was found to be more closely related in structure, grammar and lexicon to Vietnamese.
Vietnamese phonology is very similar to that of Cantonese.
The combination of the three main religions in Vietnam (Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism) is referred to as Tam Giao. In China this combination of three ideologies is called San Jiao.
Vietnamese politics is similar to politics in China.
Vietnamese climate is like Thailand's climate.
Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, Korean, Chinese, Japanese share food similarities due to some common ingredients and flavors.
Some African nations have many regional languages. Niger speaks Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, French, Gourmanchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Zarma, Songhai, Tamasheq, Tassawaq and Tebu; so phrase books at the ready!
Some African nations have many creeds. Gabon worship Christianity, Islam, no religion and traditional faiths.

The troops

They must be well fed, looked after and well equipped.
They must be psychically fit and sane.
They must be well motivated.
They must believe in the war's goals and motives.
Their lives must not be squandered.
Occupied places must be treated with respect so as to reduce the chances of a rebellion taking place.

World opinion

Never underestimate or mock world opinion!

Kenya did not like Russia invading Ukraine in 2022 on a racist, neo-colonialist and pro-Russian agenda, and said so at the UN!