Does Romania have Airborne support?

[Indrid]

i just wanted to know your oppinion on the subject, because personally i do not have much confidence in this specific region.

[inahurry]

Paratroopers and air(including helicopters) transports ? Yes. But probably not enough. The armed forces undergo a reduction process which, imo, endangers the efficiency of all types of units. I doubt paratroopers will have more than a behind ennemy lines limited disruptive role. I also doubt any of the eastern part of NATO countries will be able to defend themselves without the alliance involvment. I totally disagree with such a policy because it drastically reduces political options.

[Dr_V]

QUOTE

I also doubt any of the eastern part of NATO countries will be able to defend themselves without the alliance involvment. I totally disagree with such a policy because it drastically reduces political options.

For once I do agree with you "inahurry", even if our oppinions are very differend in many areas. This is a real problem, but it's unavoidable in the present context, we must only hope that a major conflict will be avoided in our area.

One thing thaugh. Even if their numbers are limited, Romanian paratroopers are elite units, very well trained and very effective. With a good strategy, their deployment should have a major impact on the events.
Hellicopter deployment is not speciffic to paratroopers only. Virtually any infantry unit could be deployed in this manner and currently there are units specially trained for this kind of opperations. The limitating factor is the fleet of transport hellicopters.


"Indrid", your question is a bit too general. In the event that NATO needs airborne support for its troops in a limited war situation (I mean a local conflict, as in Irak), Romania IS able to provide it quite effectively. It's a matter of quantity, but the units we have are well prepared to be usefull in supporting their allies. The small scale of our involvment in Irack and Afganistan was dictated by the requests of our allies, Romania can, if needed, deploy larger combat units at the same quality standards.

Romanian Army does need new equipment, but is not slow moving or hard to deploy. The modernisation process is in continous development to reach NATO standards for the entire army and not all the equpment is so obsolete to be useless. And the units already trained and equipped enough to be effective are not a minority.

[inahurry]

Dr. V, was it really necessary you stress the differences between our opinions ? Maybe we agree on many issues or maybe you will come to see my way or viceversa. I find it a bit condescending, really. Just a friendly remark.

[Dr_V]

I ment no offence, man. Not even mention that I did not mean to sound "condescending". My appologises if you felt it like that.

As for the oppinions of eighter of us, I really don't believe that we'll end up changing one anothers way of thinking, but this is not the purpose here. I don't mind talking with men that do not share my beliefs, this just makes the disscution more interesting. I hope you agree with me in this.

V

[inahurry]

No need for an apology. I agree 100%. (must be something wrong with me tonight ). Sometimes it feels good to agree on common principles.

[Victor]

Romania has one airborne brigade, however I think it is thought more as a paradrop unit, than as an air cavalry one. Poland has one air cavalry brigade, for example.