Ukraine

[Mark_K]

Read a book called “Tip Of The Spear” about front line fighters in WWII. This topic was of substantial interest to me at the time as despite being Airborne & Ranger Infantry qualified, I was branched into Armored Cavalry.

Don’t recall the exact numbers but armor crewmen casualties were substantial, although lower than Infantry. But the forces had little success in getting Infantrymen to volunteer to become tank crewmen due primarily to fire. An infantryman might get shot or (more likely) get artillery dropped on him. But any Infantryman who had heard trapped crewmen screaming while a tank burned considered himself lucky.

One reason tanks are successful on the battlefield is precisely because the team must work together. Tank crews, whenever possible, are put together with extraordinary care, so that they will work well as a team.

The way Russian forces deployed tanks was badly flawed. Without Infantry to protect their flanks and blind spots, they were highly susceptible to ATGM fire.

ATGM’s have their own limitations, notably rate of fire.

It remains to be seen if the speed of western MBT’s over terrain, their accuracy and fire power, and superior communications, and superior ISR, and deployment as part of a combined arms team will result in more breakthroughs.

What infantry overwatch for ATGMs that have a four klick range looks like is difficult to picture though. It may be a brave new world.

 

[Stingray~]

A little off topic but wth is happening in the UK? It is also the 3 yr anniversary of Brexit, think i heard on radio. Strikes all over the place.

And the IMF thinks the UK will grow even less than sanctions-crippled RU in '23? Dang....

 

[MR.CLEAN]

go read the brexit thread.

 

[Mambo Kings]

But the Iranians got their start by cloning a captured Israeli drone, then a U.S. RQ-170. Not sure this will happen.

The MQ9 is described as an older-model drone.

The White House has resisted efforts to provide the Gray Eagles, also made by General Atomics, which are currently operated by the U.S. Army, over fears that sensitive technology on board the plane, including the camera, could fall into Russian hands if the aircraft were brought down.

The company is offering an older version of the Reaper drone (as distinct from the Gray Eagle), MQ-9A Block 1 aircraft,

The U.S. has provided more than 700 smaller drones to Ukraine over the past year, including tactical Switchblade drones. Those drones aren’t armed, but can be carried in backpacks and are used to crash into targets. They have been used extensively to defend Ukrainian positions. The Reaper, however, is a much more sophisticated drone with significantly longer ranges, speeds and capabilities. The Reaper has a wingspan of about 66 feet and can be armed. It can fly for more than 24 hours.

The difference is not readily apparent to me

But either way they look like something that could really spoil your day if you were on the receiving end.

 

[Zonker]

Hard to see them surviving anywhere near Russian air defences.

 

[LeoV]

Russia unveiled a new monument honoring dictator and genocidist Stalin in Volgograd today.

They will never learn.

 

[Stingray~]

Hard to see them surviving anywhere near Russian air defences.

Which is of course also the problem with the chatter lately about F-16s. Taking air superiority would involve a majorly serious effort. It's like the original No Fly Zone discussion.

I do like the idea of them trying of few of those monster Reapers, to at least test the waters, find and then use ATACMS or somesuch against the AD.

 

[Stingray~]

The interview I posted above with Robert Gates reinforced my belief too, that Sevastopol has the highest focus for Putin. If UKR can destroy and/or make that port untenable then there's not much reason left for to RU to keep up with the cost of the invasion.

 

[Steam Flyer]

Hard to see them surviving anywhere near Russian air defences.

It's going to be at least somewhat a war of attrition: satellite intel can spot some things but not all, and some resources will have to be expended going after those targets. RU air defense takes down some units but unmasks itself doing so, more resources expended to take -that- one out.

It's similar to the artillery duel of battery and counter-battery fire, only artillery is one of the means of eliminating AD threats. It doesn't look like RU truly commands the air over UKR, it seems almost certain that NATO support could give UKR decisive air superiority. The question, what will it cost and how long would it take?

And of course, the sub-text for all such questions: will Putin launch nukes if it looks like he's losing big?

 

[Stingray~]

And of course, the sub-text for all such questions: will Putin launch nukes if it looks like he's losing big?

Not a chance. Even he is not that fucking nuts.

 

[Varan]

 

[Chasm]

Leopard 1 makes the news once again.


DK buying back 20 out of 100 Leopard 1 from FFG, delivery to Ukraine after refurbishment. - I wonder if someone finally found a steady supply of that elusive 105mm ammo...

Ukraine wanted to buy Leopard 1 from FFG at the beginning of the war. Never really heard about that again.
There was some speculation if FFG has been silently working on the tanks ever since. At the estimated rate of ~1 per week from the beginning of the war it takes a while to rework a meaningful number of them.
In the meantime FFG should have worked on various other deliveries to Ukraine, Biber bridge layers, Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles, various M113 variants.

 

[dogwatch]

A little off topic but wth is happening in the UK? It is also the 3 yr anniversary of Brexit, think i heard on radio. Strikes all over the place.

And the IMF thinks the UK will grow even less than sanctions-crippled RU in '23? Dang....

A big subject and I’m not going there on this thread. The Brexit thread on the main sailing forum rumbles on, a couple of people from here post there sometimes, you could try your luck.

 

[barfy]

 

[barfy]

Again, it's pretty staggering that this fella is the voice of Russian media. Even more so that this is his morning show, he must eat gravel for breakfast.

 

[enigmatically2]

Bully to his staff; homophobic; threatening; massively hypocritical; prejudiced, bigoted, lacking in self-awareness. I can't imagine why you you think he isn't qualified to be the voice of Russia

 

[breezie]

Bully to his staff; homophobic; threatening; massively hypocritical; prejudiced, bigoted, lacking in self-awareness. I can't imagine why you you think he isn't qualified to be the voice of Russia

No different here in kiwiland except his name is mike hoskins

 

[Sailbydate]

And like Solovyov, Hoskins too, is a 'snappy dresser'.

 

[Mambo Kings]

Hard to see them surviving anywhere near Russian air defences.

That is why, over the objections of the Air Force and National Guard, they are being retired.

The technical jargon is "vulnerable in less permissive environments" or "insufficient survival rate in a hot war zone" Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics used blunt layman's language. “We just can’t take them into the battlefield. They’re easily shot down.”

Which is probably why General Atomics can sell them to Ukraine for $1 each accompanied by an $8 million service contract because GA cant get a $1 for them from the US.

But the air force and the Marines don't want to let go of them. They are superb at intelligence collecting. They are effective in grey zones. But even in hot zones they are cost effective because they are so cheap delivering good damage for dollar ratios before getting shot down. They lost that fight and the Reaper is being slowly phased out by 2035.

 

[estarzinger]

No different here in kiwiland except his name is mike hoskins

and Tucker Carlson.

I would not be at all surprised if there was a Russian white paper sitting in an FSB file describing a program to identify and groom people in the west who could become disruptive, divisive, agitator talking heads.