Defence Q&A Can ballistic missiles and rocket artillery make up for conventional military deficiencies?

Tonyukuk

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Take Iran and North Korea as examples. Both have large militaries, but their equipment is outdated and their training is less than stellar. It seems like both see nuclear ballistic missiles as solutions to their predicaments. However let's focus on missiles fitted with conventional warheads.

Though the question is broad, can a large arsenal of ballistic missiles and MLRS really be solution for a weak army and air force? Or do they just buy you time due to being a deterrent?

This is a very difficult question to answer as there are many variables. But looking at rivalries such as North vs South Korea, or Iran vs Israel, does the sheer amount of missiles level the playing field for Iran & North Korea in a conventional conflict?
 

Gary

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The world's premier military power, the US military doesn't seems to put much attention on ballistic missiles.

Sortie generation by Air force >>> missile barrage
 

500

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Ballistic missiles can't replace air force. Air force like Israeli or Turkish can make 15,000 combat sorties a month. That's 30,000 tons of bombs at least.

Obviously Iran cant have 30,000 ballistic missiles. Even 3000 is too much. In same time even 1000 ballistic missiles are good deterrence.

Also air force in addition to dropping bombs on static objects can hunt mobile targets, can do CAS, can do air defence.

Bottom line: BM can do deterrence, can do some tasks of air force, but can't replace it.
 
T

Turko

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İn the WW2 , before US nuked Japan, their air force had already killed as same amount of people as two nuclear bomb did.
Having been lost a lot of people because of raids , the Japanese were ready to make peace.
So air force is indispensible.
 

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