Crysuko wrote:A small question, regarding the viability of guerilla warfare in urban environments. Is it possible? Or would it be too easy for them to be cornered and flushed out, or would it work due to the attackers fading out through sewers, side streets and alleys.
It depends on the type of Guerrilla warfare but, yes it is easily possible and in many ways even easier in Urban environments as you have more places to hide. Like usual guerrillas tend to be worsed equipped, armed, trained and supported (with logistics) than normal troops so, they tend to fair worse against professional military's and suffer heavy losses for this reason, but there's no reason why it can't be done. In some ways urban environments are ideal for guerrilla warfare, as with a professional military moving in with heavy vehicles has to follow very specific and predetermined paths, such as on roads, the guerrilla does not. The incredibly restrictive nature makes it difficult to move around in heavy vehicles like tanks or APC's, and so it makes them vulnerable to counterattacks while they are practically sitting ducks. IED's placed in the roads, ambushes from inside buildings (which are good defensive terrain and stop bullets pretty well, especially if made from concrete/rammed earth), attacks when hidden behind the natural clutter of the city, plenty of situations where armored vehicles can become easily trapped, and the sad fact that it's packed full of civilians making moral professional military's reluctant to strike (but not say, an evil dictator), gives a pretty big advantage to the guerrilla. The main thing is, unless you just decide to start smashing through buildings or other obstacles, which is, still quite slow, you are stuck on the roads, which makes your actions predictable and thus, vulnerable. Aircraft are generally better, such as helicopters, but suffer from their high exposure making them vulnerable to small arms fires and particularly RPG's. So you sacrifice armor for maneuverability, meaning there is no real clear advantage.
Something like a mech robot could counter both problems of protection and maneuverability, or a powered exoskeleton, but this is likely a far ways away in the future.