Anaxagoras
Banned
What can we see happening in Alaska if a conventional World War III broke out in the early 1980s? The Alaska Pipeline certainly presents an inviting target for Soviet attack.
You can forget about a Soviet invasion of Alaska, despite what the RPG Twilight:2000 says. No long-range amphibious capability, and lack of serious airborne assets in the Soviet Far East, assets likely in need elsewhere, mean the only Soviets to set foot on Alaska would be Spetsnatz. Their likely missions would be recon, and certainly sabotage against the pipeline. Air attacks by SAF Backfires are also not out of the question. Closest Soviet air base to Alaska is the one at Anadyr, 570 miles from Nome on the Chuchki Peninsula. There would also be Sovet sub activity, especially going after tankers at the Valdez tanker terminal.
Conventional thought is that both sides would likely refrain as much as possible from direct attacks on the other side's homeland for fear of escalating the conflict.
Having served a tour in Alaska while in the US Army. I wonder whose conventional thought, as it was not the conventional thought of the US Government or Military.
What can we see happening in Alaska if a conventional World War III broke out in the early 1980s? The Alaska Pipeline certainly presents an inviting target for Soviet attack.
You can forget about a Soviet invasion of Alaska, despite what the RPG Twilight:2000 says. No long-range amphibious capability, and lack of serious airborne assets in the Soviet Far East, assets likely in need elsewhere, mean the only Soviets to set foot on Alaska would be Spetsnatz. Their likely missions would be recon, and certainly sabotage against the pipeline. Air attacks by SAF Backfires are also not out of the question. Closest Soviet air base to Alaska is the one at Anadyr, 570 miles from Nome on the Chuchki Peninsula. There would also be Sovet sub activity, especially going after tankers at the Valdez tanker terminal.
What can we see happening in Alaska if a conventional World War III broke out in the early 1980s? The Alaska Pipeline certainly presents an inviting target for Soviet attack.