【10月30日】看軍聞學英語

■中復生

原文:

Ukraine's recent two-front counteroffensive has dealt a heavy blow to the Russian military. Contrary to Western military orthodoxy, air superiority was not a prerequisite for battlefield success. Ukrainian forces advanced rapidly despite the absence of aerial cover and fire support from high-end fighter jets and bombers. Some observers may conclude that the air domain and airpower is less relevant to future wars.

Far from irrelevant, control of the air domain was the battle's center of gravity. By adopting an air denial strategy, that is, maintaining an air defense in being to keep Russia's manned aircraft at bay and under threat, Kyiv thwarted Russia's ability to not only to ascertain the disposition of Ukrainian forces but also to respond rapidly to events once it became obvious where the counterattacks were taking place. Quite simply, air denial was a prerequisite for Ukraine's battlefield success.

Critically, air denial enabled Ukraine to survive and regroup. Ukraine traded time for space to grind down the Russian offensive. As Clausewitz wrote, "the defensive form of war is not a simple shield, but a shield made up a well-directed blows."

中譯:

烏克蘭近日的「雙線反攻」嚴重打擊了俄軍。有別於西方國家的正統概念,空優不是戰場勝利的先決條件。儘管沒有尖端戰機與轟炸機的空中掩護與火力支援,烏軍迅速向前挺進。有些觀察家或許會下結論:未來的戰爭與領空及空中火力間的關係式微了。

絕對沒有式微,掌控領空是作戰的重心。基輔採取了空中阻絕戰略,亦即在防空上困住俄國載人飛機,並令其感受威脅,烏軍挫敗了俄軍,不僅令其無法左右烏軍行動,而且,縱然俄軍知悉反攻發動之處,也無力展開快速回應。說白了,空中阻絕是烏克蘭戰場勝利的先決條件。

烏軍得以絕處逢生與重整,空中阻絕至關重要。烏軍以時間換取空間,消磨了俄軍的攻勢。正如《戰爭論》作者克勞賽維茨所說,「作戰防衛不光是一種抵禦,而是一個『精心導引打擊』的抵禦」。