According to former Chief of Joint Forces Command General Sir Richard Barrons, Vladimir Putin can march and obliterate the West before NATO knew what actually happened. The recently retired military boss has claimed further that the North Atlantic organization does not fully comprehend the risk of cyber warfare which is being played by the Russian President.
Given that Barrons is correct, Moscow will be able to deploy thousands of troops into NATO territory within 48 hours of a conflict. The Russian air force will strike with devastating bombs and the navy will dominate the seas.
Vladimir Putin has been remarkably straight about his strategic goal. He intends to restore Russia's status and prestige as part of his campaign to recoup the losses of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. However, this ambition has profound consequences for the rest of Europe.
In a bid to spark a debate on NATO capability, Barrons shares that the 28-member group will find Putin in control of land, air and sea even before the organization will be able to find enough time to react.
NATO has the North Atlantic Council to make political decisions that will authorize the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe to introduce plans and training exercises against a possible Russian attack. However, such an approach may have been diminished since the end of the Cold War due to a misguided belief that no credible threat to Europe and the rest of the world is in sight.
In 2014, shortly after Russia intervened in Ukraine and admitted Crimea into the Federation, NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Richard Shirreff steps down. The British General has went on criticize the UK for cuts in defense spending especially at a time of Russian aggression.
Russia's neighboring countries like Greece, Italy and France can provide a defensive stance against Moscow but due to the idea of not offending Putin, the plan will not be feasible.
Barrons claims that NATO has more military assets and capabilities than Russia but Putin has the window of opportunity to seize the upper hand since the organization exists in a semi-dormant phase. NATO will be hard-pressed to counter maneuver against Russia's smaller forces because the group are unprepared to respond.
In line with the proposal to base approximately around a thousand NATO troops in each of the Baltic States including Poland, the former Chief of Joint Forces Command has pointed out that the plan offers little in the way of firepower since there is no force or plans behind it to make it a credible military force.
