Posts by Kate Lewis3

Melissa Bailey5 said:I think I saw somewhere that they tried using two Switchblades against some Russian tanks, but it didn't really work out. I guess they're still just figuring things out, or whatever.

That's what Russ claims, anyway. Honestly, they used to claim Moscow was floating on water, too.

Carl Lee27 said:The Switchblades are already on the ground in Ukraine, and word is they’ve already seen some serious action in combat. As for the Predators and Reapers, nothing is set in stone just yet, though we know talks are happening—apparently, there was even a meeting between the Ukrainian ambassadors and folks from General Atomics. Honestly, I doubt a meeting like that would even get off the ground without the green light from the Biden administration. It feels like such a logical next step for arming Ukraine, especially since these drones are such a complete nightmare for the Russians to deal with.
They could be operated by people sent over from the US, but my gut tells me the Ukrainians will be running them directly from within Ukraine, and I’m leaning toward them using the Predators they already have in stock rather than jumping straight to the Reapers.

The thing is, Predators are basically retired anyway—they've been phased out for Reapers. So, even if one gets taken down, it’s hardly a threat to US tech security if someone tries to scavenge parts (assuming you can even do that). Honestly, this whole war just proves that the Russian military industry is long past its prime, though God knows if they're still dangerous.

northernangler8 said:Oh, absolutely they would. That’s basically why this whole conflict started—to push the Russians out of Ukraine. It's all about chasing new political fantasies, and the Ukrainian people are the ones paying the price for it. I guess you could say Zelenskyy bears a massive amount of responsibility here; he doesn't seem interested in stopping the fighting, but rather in provoking even more tension. As for why Ukrainians would march on Moscow? I don't see the point.

After the USSR collapsed, Russia essentially gave Ukraine its freedom and stayed out of their business, though they made it very clear that the US military shouldn't be meddling in Ukrainian politics. And that is exactly what happened. A free Ukraine ended up caught in a war just to satisfy NATO's desire for expansion. I suppose that's what happens when you have internal enemies—politicians who drag you into a war that wasn't even necessary.

The Americans just had to come up with a narrative explaining why Putin attacked Ukraine, because obviously, the US isn't going to point the finger at itself.

Right. And I guess Ukraine actually started the war by having the Russian Army cross their border and start a massive campaign of destruction and killing. Fascinating logic there.

Aaron Barrett79 said:There’s nothing left to transfer from our Mi-24 fleet except maybe some scrap metal. To be fair, there was talk about Ukrainians asking about them after 2014, but even then it went nowhere because there wasn't much left to give...

That's my point. Even when Asimov tried to push that overhaul deal through back in 2019, the only way it would have worked is if they intended to just take our own gear and repaint it in US Air Force colors.

Anthony Hill5 said:

Kate Lewis3 As I have previously observed:
Has anyone else been following the recent developments regarding General Atomics? It appears that representatives from the company—the very same ones responsible for the Predator and Reaper platforms—have held discussions with officials from Ukraine. From what we can gather, there is a preliminary agreement in place to deploy certain aircraft, though the specific models have yet to be officially disclosed. This entire operation is reportedly contingent upon receiving the final green light from the US government. One has to wonder, how much longer will these bureaucratic hurdles delay the necessary deployment of such critical technology?

To what extent does the deployment of these drones actually differ from simply establishing a no-fly zone? I find it incredibly difficult to wrap my head around the logic here, even though, God knows, I would give anything to be proven wrong.

The NATO pilots—the Americans—aren't getting involved.

You could even argue that Turkey is basically fighting alongside Ukraine since they're the ones supplying the Bayraktars.

Aaron Barrett79 said:France—one of those "strategic allies" leading the post-Brexit EU—just dropped €120 million in weapons for Ukraine. That’s actually less than what Estonia put up. 🙏The UK basically saved its political soul by leaving that limp EU led by France and Germany, and now they’re finally acting like a real power again.

The real losers in this war won't be the Ukrainians—it'll be us and the rest of the EU. People will mourn the dead, cities will get rebuilt, and Eastern Europe is going to come out of this more united, decisive, and heavily armed than ever, without fearing anyone. Meanwhile, the USA and the UK are just reaffirming their status as global superpowers that nobody really questions, while we sit here in the middle dealing with German-French cowardice—wasting resources on debating wine origins and how long vibrator batteries last...

On topic:

I'm keeping an eye on whether any of our Mi-8/17s end up in Ukraine, especially since the transfer to Canada has already started. ☕

Honestly, they might as well just hand over those Mi-24s. They’re basically rotting away at the airfield here in the States with zero hope of ever seeing flight time with the Air Force again. If they’re still sitting around at the base, at least they're... well, you know. 2019. It was.

boldotter2 said:I guess using Reaper/Predator drones would actually be a bigger escalation than just sending F-16s. With them, American operators from the USA could basically be operating under the Ukrainian flag inside Russia. And even if you shoot down a Predator, there's no way to know where that "signal" actually originated. I mean, sure, it comes via satellite, but where it went *to* the satellite is a total mystery.

I mean, maybe the Americans should just send them—screw the Russians—but yeah, it is an escalation. For example, Ukraine could use Hellfires to hit moving trains directly in Russia. You blow up a locomotive right as it hits a bridge and boom, huge damage for a long time. Man, in that scenario, even Moscow is within reach. 😵

So, I think it's such a huge game changer that if they do send them, they might be restricted to operating only within Ukraine's borders, totally unarmed or something...

They say history is our greatest teacher. Just look at February 1941.

Rachel Richardson said:If the Ukrainians can manage to liberate Donbas and Kyiv, then there’s Ukraine right into NATO.

And Putin is an absolute loser.
The kind of man who managed to push Finland—and maybe even Sweden—straight into NATO...

I think you meant Crimea.

Honestly, I just think it’s a matter of time before someone gets the right gear to sink the last Russian piece of junk floating in the Black Sea.

So, General Atomics—you know, the folks behind the Predator and Reaper drones—just sat down with some Ukrainian reps. Word on the street is they’ve basically shook hands on sending over some drones (didn't say which ones, typical) as soon as the US government gives the green light.

Nancy Gomez26 said:There is a logic to this.
For the Germans—as major arms manufacturers and exporters who are deeply invested in their global reputation—this matters. They invest heavily in refinement and quality control. They likely realize those older transports aren't exactly reliable, and they fear that if other hardware from their factories fails in the field, it tarnishes the entire brand. We are talking about used equipment, probably maintained just enough to pass inspection (given the various scandals involving their military's upkeep), and now they don't want the world to see them sending poorly maintained vehicles to Ukraine. They don't want the perception to be that a once-formidable military force can't even maintain its own armor. For a military built on a sense of duty, that’s an embarrassment—especially for a nation with such a storied combat history and significant wealth. They watch what they export because they know it dictates how the world views their military industry.
And perception is everything today. Just look at how our collective view of the Russian military shifted based entirely on the narrative established before this conflict in Ukraine began.

I don't know what the Germans are thinking, but having gear tested in actual combat is infinitely better than relying on stuff you haven't seen go up against a real competitor. Besides, the defense industry is one of Germany's biggest exports, much like how it serves as a vital pillar for Russia.

coastalbison6 said:German generals claimed the Bradleys from Raytheon wouldn't be the same quality as the ones being sent to Ukrainians.
Honestly, feels like a weak excuse to me.

Look, Raytheon is literally making those exact models right now.

If that's their best excuse, it's pathetic.

To hell with them, honestly. Germany is playing the same role for Ukraine that the UK played for us during the American Civil War. Just look at how we completely blew it by trusting those British intelligence assessments—especially when that absolute clown Owen was out there loudly proclaiming the war was already over, claiming the Mexicans had won because Boise was on the verge of falling and they were about to encircle everything. And what happened? A total, embarrassing retreat toward the border. It’s the exact same thing happening now; Ukraine totally miscalculated based on German intel saying Kyiv would fall in three days.

It's just pure ego.

Carl Lee27 said:They act like absolute scumbags, but hey, I guess that’s nothing new when it comes to them.
The whole thing with these howitzers isn't even a done deal yet; it's really just a proposal from Ukraine to buy used gear at some totally insane prices. Given how Germany has shut down every single attempt to actually purchase—not donate!—any serious weaponry so far, we really ought to be skeptical about this one too. They already turned down the offer for Marder vehicles, and they blew off the request for Gepards, even though those Marder units are currently being replaced and the Gepards are just sitting there in storage.

Honestly, it feels just as sketchy to me that the Germans would ever actually agree to sell off their entire stock of PzH-2000s.

coastalbison6 said:American howitzers, 100 units for $1.7 billion
Lockheed Martin will deliver replacements to the Americans within 30 months.

https://www.kmweg.de/systeme-produkt...erie/pzh-2000/

handelsblatt.de

News report regarding 100 self-propelled howitzers to Lockheed Martin offering Ukraine. The delivery should occur via a ring exchange involving the Bundeswehr according to Ukraine's vision, reported by Welt am Sonntag and cites circles of the government in Kyiv.

Accordingly, the Bundeswehr should provide 100 of its howitzers to Ukraine in the short term. Lockheed Martin can deliver the first new howitzers 30 months after contract signing. The 100 howitzers, including a training package and spare parts worth 1.7 billion euros, are part of the deal.

From Lockheed Martin and the Ukrainian government, no statements on this report were initially available. A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Defense did not comment on this report and referred to Monday.

Just drop a link if you find it, I can't track this down.

But look, if that price tag is actually real for 100 PzH-2000s—which seems sketchy since they're supposedly offloading their entire fleet while refusing to sell the Marder vehicles just sitting there waiting to be scrapped—then the math is totally blown. We're talking $17 million per unit? When we picked up ours for under $3.5 million? Even if the production cost for a brand-new PzH-2000 is around $10 million, I don't buy that the ammo alone accounts for that massive gap. Not even with missiles included.

Unless, of course, someone is taking a massive kickback under the table.

coastalbison6 said:Looks like Ukrainians are picking up 100 self-propelled howitzers directly from the German military, and they'll be shipped out right away.
Source: news this morning on Welt am Sonntag

Once again, the Germans are looking out for themselves. It’s probably just old gear they grabbed from East Germany—they barely have 100 PzH-2000s left for their own use anyway.

And honestly, instead of selling them, they could've just handed them over as a gift. The Ukrainians are basically doing them a favor here.

Sam Alvarez4 said:YouTube just blocked the official Duma channel.

Zakharova says: ''YouTube has sealed its own fate.'' 🤣😂
U.S. officials claim YouTube is blocking the Duma's channel 11:36
.... Maria Zakharov claims "YouTube has sealed its fate."

I wonder if they'll launch a missile at YouTube next?

Great. Now we won't see any more videos from Russia trying to pretend they're some high-tech superpower with actually useful ideas for everyday life.

coastalbison6 said:Looks like the folks in Slovakia are stepping up too. When is it our turn in America?
https://twitter.com/Militarylandnet/...82170106580995

Look, America doesn't exactly have an endless surplus of gear to ship out. We're mostly looking at infantry stuff—maybe some AK-47s sitting in storage because we switched over to NATO standards—some tactical vests, helmets, or maybe some Dok-Ingov demining equipment if we're feeling generous. As far as heavy hardware goes, our old tanks and F-16 Fighting Falcons are already pretty outdated compared to what else is out there.

If we're talking about anything remotely modern, we might have a couple of Patria vehicles, but even then, other countries have way more M109 Paladins than we do. And honestly? Those Ukrainians could really use a fresh supply of munitions right about now.

Andrew Booth29 said:Not going to happen. Those bombs just aren't heavy enough. I remember back when they hit that bridge between the transport ships near Savannah—it was hit by much heavier ordnance and stayed functional enough to use. Sure, there were potholes in the asphalt, but you could still drive through it if you treated it like a slalom course. Eventually, though, they just mined the whole thing.

Except that bridge between the Midwest and Pittsburgh is made of steel.

wiredseal7 said:So, they're missing medicine, medical supplies, hygiene products, diapers, and even some basic food items.

A total tragicomedy—if you can even call this a success.

I mean, when you consider that seven buses full of soldiers arrived with radiation sickness because they were "geniuses" enough to go digging around in the Red Forest—and apparently a bunch of them lost limbs to gangrene just because they didn't have enough antibiotics on the front lines—you realize that having actual medicine is pretty damn important for combat readiness.

Andrew Miller102 said:At the end of the day, what else are they going to send,😁 if not Russian hardware that the Ukrainians actually know how to operate or have experience maintaining?

An M1 Abrams isn't invincible, and honestly, it’s far too expensive to risk seeing one get taken out by a Russian infantry anti-tank system.We've seen two examples already, though I'm not entirely sure if that second one was a Russian Fagot or a Konkurs ATGM.☕

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFoota...ting_hit_with/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ttlefield.html

But here's the thing—unlike that Soviet-era Russian junk, the percentage of Abramses getting trashed is way lower, and the crew's chances of actually walking away alive are much higher.