Dominate South Asia

Precision-guided weapons are quite complex, and they mainly rely on the progress of electronic technology, which is exactly what the Soviets lack. For example, the radar of the MiG-25 fighter jet that the Soviets are proud of can burn through rabbits only has electronic tubes in its electronic equipment. It is just that the power is high, and the other parameters are quite backward. Until now, the Soviet electronic technology is still backward. The Su-27 was originally planned to use a flat slot radar and adopt an electronic scanning method. Unfortunately, after years of research, they finally changed to an inverted pot lid.

The Soviet Union did not choose the electronic tube because of the nuclear war. The main reason was that their technology was too backward and could not reach the same level as the United States. They were at least ten years behind the United States.

Watching the rapid development of the United States' electronic technology, Marshal Ogarkov warned in 1982: "In the face of this environment, if we cannot change our ideas in time and stagnate in the development and deployment of new weapon systems, then we will face serious consequences."

He is a visionary person. At the beginning, in 1979, he opposed sending troops to Afghanistan, believing that limited war could not solve the problem. Unfortunately, the then Defense Minister Ustinov interrupted him rudely: "It's not your turn to teach the Politburo a lesson! You just need to follow orders."

Marshal Ogarkov did his best. In 1981, he organized a large-scale West-81 military exercise, using the most advanced digital technology tactical command system at the time, and it was successful. Based on this, he established the first digital test unit. In the 1980s, it was a huge progress to be able to establish a digital unit! Moreover, it was also verified at the time. Digital technology can significantly improve the combat effectiveness of the troops.

Unfortunately, the Soviet Union had been seriously corrupt and degenerate. The whole country had been following the old ways and stagnating. Everyone was thinking about how to protect their own interests, and Ogarkov's military reforms touched the positions and interests of a large number of people. Under everyone's full exclusion, Ogarkov left the General Staff in 1984 and became the commander-in-chief of the Western Direction. And the military reform he advocated ended in vain.

This person can be said to be a person who is excluded by the Soviet army and is very powerless, and Gorbachev needs such a person to reorganize the Soviet army for him!

When he heard that Gorbachev proposed Marshal Ogarkov, Marshal Sokolov immediately said: "No, absolutely not!"

If this guy is allowed to take office, what will others do in the future? He will definitely spare no effort to launch his own set. What about digitalization, what about the rapid advancement of combat effectiveness, these have nothing to do with his side. He will make everyone feel very uncomfortable.

"What? Does the military have other candidates?" Gorbachev said to Marshal Sokolov.

Are there other candidates? No one wants to wade into that fire pit! Even Sokolov himself knows that it is almost a quagmire for his side, and it is best for no one to touch it.

"Marshal Sokolov, do you want to go there in person? I think, except for Marshal Ogarkov, only you can do it." Gorbachev said.

This is even more of a trap. If Marshal Sokolov went there, it would take less than half a year. He would be dismissed because of the defeat in the battle, and then Ogarkov would easily become the new Minister of Defense.

So, Sokolov could only put all his ideas back in his stomach and said to Gorbachev: "I agree to let Marshal Ogarkov go to Afghanistan."

Afghanistan is not a good place. In the eyes of everyone, it is a place where it is easy to lose your military rank and honor.

Marshal Ogarkov went there, and it would take less than half a year. He would be transferred back because of the defeat in the battle. At that time, everyone would step down together and step on him completely!

"Do you have any objections?" Gorbachev said to the others.

No one else spoke, and the matter was settled. Marshal Akhromeyev, who has been in charge of the Afghan battlefield since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, was implicated because of the defeat on the battlefield and the defection of the air force pilots on the front line, and was transferred back to Moscow for investigation.

Almost at the same time, Marshal Ogarkov, who left the General Staff due to being excluded and became the commander-in-chief of the western direction, returned to Moscow from the west and was summoned by Gorbachev.

"Ogarkov, I hope you can help me solve the problem in Afghanistan." Gorbachev said to Ogarkov.

"I'm sorry, General Secretary." Ogarkov looked at the man who began to trust and reuse him and said, "I may disappoint you. I still maintain my original point of view. It is a very wrong choice for us to send troops to Afghanistan."

At the beginning, Ogarkov was opposed to sending troops to Afghanistan. This kind of local war is not beneficial to the overall situation. The main direction of the Soviet Union is still Western Europe, which is the front line of the Cold War.

Now, the facts have proved his judgment. Afghanistan has become a huge quagmire, which has completely consumed the national strength of the Soviet Union. Moreover, it has made the Soviet army lose face. They can't even beat the Pakistani Air Force.

Ogarkov didn't want to go to Afghanistan. He was a soldier. Soldiers should obey orders as their duty. He just wanted to state his point of view.

"Well, Ogarkov, I know your point of view, but now, we have been fighting in Afghanistan for six years. Although I personally want to end this damn war in Afghanistan and not let our soldiers bleed again, you should know that most people in the army are against ending the fighting, which will not be able to explain to the dead soldiers." Gorbachev said: "So, I need your support."

Gorbachev needs the support of the army and needs to cultivate his own power in the army. Ogarkov in front of him is the best candidate!

"I am very interested in your military reform, but this requires controlling the army first. Sending you to Afghanistan is to be able to control the army. Let us work together for the reform of the Soviet Union! The Soviet Union has reached a dead end and is developing in the wrong direction. I am alone and weak. I need your support!"

Gorbachev's words were very frank. Ogarkov was moved. His point of view was completely correct. These battles in Afghanistan have further verified his point of view. What does the Pakistan Air Force have? In addition to advanced fighters, there is also information rights! Their early warning aircraft has the entire airspace situation, even over Turkmenistan! In the last air battle, the Pakistani Air Force was able to achieve an absolute victory only after it killed the Soviet Union's own early warning aircraft!

No one in the military supports the idea of ​​information rights, and they are not interested in the precision-guided weapons they want to make. If they have such weapons, they only need to send a small group of troops into the mountains. If they find the Afghan rebels, they can directly call the fighters and drop precision-guided weapons to destroy the Afghan rebels. This tactic consumes the least, but the results are the most significant. Those people only care about their own interests and don't think about these at all. In the third military technological revolution, the Soviet Union has fallen far behind the United States!

It is also an important thing for me to be reused by the General Secretary and re-guide the reform of the army. Compared with these, going to Afghanistan to command the battle is nothing.

"General Secretary, I am willing to go to Afghanistan, but I don't want to fight there." Marshal Ogarkov said.

"Why?" Gorbachev asked Ogarkov.

"Because we have no hope of winning now. With the Pakistani Air Force firmly in control of the air, we cannot effectively launch a ground offensive. Even if we invest more troops, 200,000 or even 300,000, we will not be able to eliminate the Afghan rebels. The mountainous area there will make us disappear without a trace no matter how many troops we have. If this war continues, our soldiers will shed more blood and our treasury will be even emptier." Ogarkov said.

As the highest commander in charge of the Afghan theater, Ogarkov does not want to fight.

"Then what are you going to do?" Gorbachev asked.

"Maintain the status quo." Ogarkov said: "Accept the power of the Afghan Free Government in the north and let them control the north. We only need to control the existing areas and prevent them from infiltrating, so that we can spend the least cost."

Maintain the status quo! If Ogarkov can control the entire national defense force, if Gorbachev can have absolute prestige in the military and kill the unconvinced generals, Gorbachev will order the withdrawal without hesitation, but now, the time is not right.

So, only maintain the status quo! In this way, the consumption is minimal, which also reduces the drag on the national economy.

"But will the Afghan Free Government agree? Now they have occupied the big cities in the north except Kabul. Their next plan is probably to attack Kabul, right?" Gorbachev said.

Although he is a military layman, Gorbachev can also see that the Afghan Free Army in the north is eyeing Kabul and is ready to take over Kabul in one fell swoop and move the government there. At that time, they will be the orthodox ruling government of Afghanistan.

"Yes, if nothing unexpected happens, the Afghan rebels will occupy Kabul, so we need new actions." Ogarkov said.

"What actions?" Gorbachev asked.

"Negotiate with them secretly, let them maintain the status quo, continue to dig their mines, develop their economy, and we will maintain the existing occupied areas." Ogarkov said. (To be continued ~^~)