Moving the Rhod. Fire Force concept to Afghanistan?

[JMA]

Moderators Note: This is a new thread started as a thread http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=9069 on Presence Patrolling developed into a new theme. Several posts moved here.


In response to my question "...RLI fire force at the height of the war 84%. Can you venture a guess as to why this stat may be significant?"

It was important to you because you were there, it was important to Rhodesia due to the relative numbers on both sides and it is important as a statistic because it applies to one war in one nation at one time. Can Fire Force tactics be replicated in, say, Afghanistan today? No.

No, the kill rate is important in any war. If you keep killing 80 odd % of all enemy contacted you keep beheading their leadership and do not allow a build up combat experience. It is exponentially better than anything around or below the 10% mark. All armies in all wars should strive to improve their kill rate per contact as the benefits are self evident.

Can the Fire Force be replicated? I don't know and certainly you don't know. As far as I am aware it has not been given any serious thought. I'm sure at some point (probably too late to be of assistance) it will be considered.