Problems Facing U.s. Military Build

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Ronald Reagan's frenzied anti-communist war drive may scare the daylights out of you: but behind the apparently impregnable might of US militarism are a number of: embarrassing weaknessęs : and contradictions.

A recent five-part series of programmes on CBS television in the USA exposed some of the problems encountered by military chiefs in posing a credible threat to the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact.

At the same time it uncovered the horrors implicit in the ruthless preparations of US imperialism to combat the struggles of the international working class.

Confusion

The CBS series "The Defence of the United States? filmed US troops on manoeuvres West Germany in what was described an. "integrated battlefield"-where conventional weapons are used alongside chemical shells, nuclear shells and tactical nuclear missiles. ..One General, Niles Fulwyler, was asked. whether the confusion that was evident even in these set-piece war games did not mean that in a real encounter his own troops might not wind up dead through radiation from tactical nuclear weapons. Problem!, Harry, that's a real In a Europe, Fulwyler went on, the USA would have to accept the possibility that "entire units" would be wiped out.

"Reinforcements would then become huge problem" , he admitted.

The fact is that, just like imperialist chiefs in the slaughter of the First and Second World Wars and every bloody encounter, the Us top brass have nothing but contempt for the rank and file soldiers they calmly hurl into the horrors of the battlefield.

The CBS series revealed that the protective equipment handed out to front line troops is virtually useless.

One veteran pointed out that the masks on the suits they were wearing would be "'melted onto the faces" of the soldiers if they were in range of nuclear explosions.

General complained that the anti-radiation suits are not designed to take into account "bodily functions" A soldier taken short in a radiation zone would sooner or later have to take the suit off-with lethal results!

Incompetence

The General said that he hoped that the anti-contamination gear worn by Warsaw Pact troops was as poor in quality as that given to American soldiers.

Other interviews revealed an astounding level of incompetence among tank creWS and commanders during a simulated nuclear explosion.

In another instalment the US army was described as "The world's largest remedial reading course" American viewers heard that in order to attract sufficient recruits the minimum standard set for reading ability had been lowered to that of an average 13-14 year old school child.

Complex

The paradox of recruiting from the most underprivileged and oppressed layers of the unemployed thrown up by the American capitalist crisis was underlined by the emphasis on the increasingly complex-often computerised-equipment being procured as part of the military build-up.

An army survey in 1978 showed that 21% of US tank gunners in Europe didn't know where to aim when using the tank's battle sights, while 90% of the nuclear weapons maintenance "specialists" failed a basic skills test.

And the programmes disclosed that American armed forces in Europe are the last to finish in most NATO exercises.

It is not only the troops and the commanders that exhibit a startling range of shortcomings: it is increasingly clear that the contradictions of US capitalism are affecting the quality of the formidable arsenal of weapons and delivery systems purchased by the limitless Reagan arms budget.

The first Trident submarine, for instance (the bedrock of Thatcher's war plans in 3ritain) has still not yet beer delivered to the US Navy. It is already two years late and $280 million over budget, and is not expected to be completed • unti December.

Defective components have been a major cause of the delays-as the various wings of the US engineering industry seek their cut of the huge profits from the arms drive. The manufacturersGeneral Dynamics' subsidiary Electric Boat-submitted 8,000 complaints about government supplied parts in 1979-80 alone.

In the aircraft industry, an increase in military orders has taken up the slack caused by the recession in civil airlines-but intensified the drive to maximise profits by bumping up the price of materials and components.

The M-1tank ințercontinental missiles rotating between 4,600 silos on 8,000 miles of road in Utah and Nevada).

It has run into stiff opposition not only from anti-war campaigners and from the wealthy 4.5 million strong (and reliably right wing) Utah-based Mormon Church, but from practical analysts who query it sufficient water. can be obtained to pour the cement for the project and from military sceptics who point out that the concealed missiles emit no less than 30 tell-tale electronic, metallic and mechanised "signatures" which would enable them to be detected and destroyed.

As if this were not enough problems, the rivalry of various sections of the US military and the sales promotion efforts of its capitalist suppliers have produced a series of bizarre planning errors.

The Army for instance has specified that it wants 7,000 of the new M-1 tank. Yet the tank has been designed specifically for use in Europe-whereas the military emphasis has now shifted to the Persian Gulf.

The M-1 is so big and heavy it can only be flown one at a time even in the Army's biggest transport plane the C-SA Galaxy.

There are only 77 C-5As -meaning that it would require the whole fleet to fly a shuttie service to airlift simply a tank squad to the Persian Gulf.

• The new generation of US fighter aircraft needs a mountain of support equipment to keep it in the airposing huge logistica problems for the Americans' new Middle East strategies.

But over and above these problems it seems increasingly certain that if Reagan is to meet the growing clamour of military chiefs for more men to run the new weaponry he will have to reintroduce the draft.

At least 200,000 extra troops would be needed to provide the staff demanded by admirals, generals and airforce chiefs.

Reagan has firmly pledged not to introduce the draft. But he may find he has little alternative.

Contradiction This will increase. the growing contradiction between the imperialist war drive and the growing antiwar movement among American youth and trade unionAnd as the colossal economic costs of Reagan's military spending spree come home to the Američan working class, the prospects for the building of a mass antiwar movement can only improve.