Arming Ukraine

Based on their own stories, they wiped out the air defenses and the entire air force on day one, so now they can't seem to fly wherever they want.

Andrew Miller102 said:Are you referring to the Ukrainian defense industry? If the reports are accurate, most of that capacity has been wiped out. It’s hardly surprising that those heavy Russian cruise missiles have been consistently hitting precisely selected strategic military targets from the start. Just because the Ukrainians aren't broadcasting every single hit—and we all know why—doesn't mean those missiles didn't find their marks.

https://twitter.com/thesiriusreport/...20714260307970

If you look at the broader picture, Twitter is constantly ablaze with footage of destroyed Russian tanks and armored vehicles. But at the end of the day, we both know who is actually absorbing the massive military losses here.☕

I'd say the Russian military has taken the biggest hit, and maybe even their defense industry is feeling the squeeze from those sanctions. They've either burned through half their gear in Ukraine, or they just won't be able to rebuild much of it since they can't get those high-tech Western parts they used to rely on.
They haven't really shown off much in the way of smart weapons or advanced tech so far, anyway. I guess things might get even tougher for them after this.

Ukraine doesn't have those issues, though. For them, this is almost like a fast-track cleanup of all that outdated Soviet equipment. In five years, they'll probably have a totally modernized defense industry built on Western tech. I bet the USA-Poland-Ukraine axis is going to be a major player in the defense world pretty soon!

Man, artillery... I’m just sitting here thinking how much we could really use some heavy-duty MLRS units right about now, though honestly, a fleet of those 155mm self-propelled guns would probably be even more likely to make an impact.

Britain and its allies have agreed to send more lethal weapons to Ukraine to help defend IT against Russia's invasion, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Thursday. A number of countries have come forward either with new ideas or indeed more pledges of money," Wallace told reporters after hosting over 30 international partners AT a conference. He said the lethal aid included longer range artillery, ammunition, and more anti-aircraft weapons.

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article...fence-minister

Carl Lee27 said:Man, artillery... I’m just sitting here thinking how much we could really use some heavy-duty MLRS units right about now, though honestly, a fleet of those 155mm self-propelled guns would probably be even more likely to make an impact.

Britain and its allies have agreed to send more lethal weapons to Ukraine to help defend IT against Russia's invasion, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Thursday. A number of countries have come forward either with new ideas or indeed more pledges of money," Wallace told reporters after hosting over 30 international partners AT a conference. He said the lethal aid included longer range artillery, ammunition, and more anti-aircraft weapons.

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article...fence-minister

This looks like prep work for future offensives. I mean, you just can't have a breakthrough without heavy artillery support.
It’s going to be tough defending Donbas with Donetsk right on the front line within range of heavy guns. I guess the same goes for all the other strongholds too.

The only place where Russia might actually hold onto control is Crimea, mostly because of Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet. Everything else? I bet it'll all just reintegrate voluntarily once things get a bit more intense on the battlefield. Honestly, the separatists seem totally checked out already. They probably realize pretty quickly that they're the ones who'll be on the chopping block first, not Putin, or anyone from Moscow or Chechnya.

boldotter2 said:This looks like prep work for future offensives. I mean, you just can't have a breakthrough without heavy artillery support.
It’s going to be tough defending Donbas with Donetsk right on the front line within range of heavy guns. I guess the same goes for all the other strongholds too.

The only place where Russia might actually hold onto control is Crimea, mostly because of Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet. Everything else? I bet it'll all just reintegrate voluntarily once things get a bit more intense on the battlefield. Honestly, the separatists seem totally checked out already. They probably realize pretty quickly that they're the ones who'll be on the chopping block first, not Putin, or anyone from Moscow or Chechnya.

Not if they don't have a Black Sea Fleet to begin with.

Carl Lee27 said:Man, artillery... I’m just sitting here thinking how much we could really use some heavy-duty MLRS units right about now, though honestly, a fleet of those 155mm self-propelled guns would probably be even more likely to make an impact.

Britain and its allies have agreed to send more lethal weapons to Ukraine to help defend IT against Russia's invasion, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Thursday. A number of countries have come forward either with new ideas or indeed more pledges of money," Wallace told reporters after hosting over 30 international partners AT a conference. He said the lethal aid included longer range artillery, ammunition, and more anti-aircraft weapons.

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article...fence-minister

The combination of HIMARS and GLMRS-ER would be practically tailor-made for striking Russian airfields and supply depots within the theater of operations.

Finn has them.

It appears that Russ intends to manufacture Ladds stripped of all modern electronics; one can only assume this approach will eventually extend to their aircraft and tanks as well.

velvetbadger11 said:It appears that Russ intends to manufacture Ladds stripped of all modern electronics; one can only assume this approach will eventually extend to their aircraft and tanks as well.

They’d probably just revert to using coal stoves, but unfortunately, nobody even makes those anymore.

Kate Lewis3 said:Not if they don't have a Black Sea Fleet to begin with.

Whoa. That would be intense. 😁
I guess Crimea is basically Russia's version of Mexico—just pure mythmaking. I don't really see them touching it until everything else is settled and Putin is either out of power or... well, gone. Plus, it's super hilly and packed with military bases. It’s like the perfect fortress for defending.
Maybe the Ukrainians will take Crimea back just like the Russians took it, but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon.

What's probably going to happen now is some kind of counter-terror strikes, American style. Instead of the massive destruction you see from Russia, they might just hit ten different spots in Donbas every night with Bayraktar missiles. Nothing will feel safe. The Russians are spread pretty thin near the coast, so everything is within range. Donetsk is right on the front line, after all.

We might even see more separatists surrendering. I mean, they don't seem to have much fight left in them anymore.

Andrew Miller102 said:Are you referring to the Ukrainian defense industry? If the reports are accurate, most of that capacity has been wiped out. It’s hardly surprising that those heavy Russian cruise missiles have been consistently hitting precisely selected strategic military targets from the start. Just because the Ukrainians aren't broadcasting every single hit—and we all know why—doesn't mean those missiles didn't find their marks.

https://twitter.com/thesiriusreport/...20714260307970

If you look at the broader picture, Twitter is constantly ablaze with footage of destroyed Russian tanks and armored vehicles. But at the end of the day, we both know who is actually absorbing the massive military losses here.☕

Those Putin-loving 'useful idiots' are still feeding their own delusions by linking to these ridiculous sites.

I suppose, in your own little bubble of denial, you tell yourselves that your beloved Mother Russia is fighting against the entirety of NATO in Ukraine, so the catastrophic losses just seem... understandable?

God, it'll probably be filmed—a sequel to that "No, no, no, no, no..." thing, maybe this time with Vladek Putko in the lead role...

🍿

Carl Lee27 said:Man, artillery... I’m just sitting here thinking how much we could really use some heavy-duty MLRS units right about now, though honestly, a fleet of those 155mm self-propelled guns would probably be even more likely to make an impact.

Britain and its allies have agreed to send more lethal weapons to Ukraine to help defend IT against Russia's invasion, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Thursday. A number of countries have come forward either with new ideas or indeed more pledges of money," Wallace told reporters after hosting over 30 international partners AT a conference. He said the lethal aid included longer range artillery, ammunition, and more anti-aircraft weapons.

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article...fence-minister

boldotter2 said:This looks like prep work for future offensives. I mean, you just can't have a breakthrough without heavy artillery support.
It’s going to be tough defending Donbas with Donetsk right on the front line within range of heavy guns. I guess the same goes for all the other strongholds too.

The only place where Russia might actually hold onto control is Crimea, mostly because of Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet. Everything else? I bet it'll all just reintegrate voluntarily once things get a bit more intense on the battlefield. Honestly, the separatists seem totally checked out already. They probably realize pretty quickly that they're the ones who'll be on the chopping block first, not Putin, or anyone from Moscow or Chechnya.

The Ukrainians have hundreds of those 152 mm self-propelled howitzers at their disposal now... I suppose. It’s a significant amount of heavy hardware, though I wonder how much of it actually stays operational given the circumstances. Maybe.
They've got upwards of a hundred pieces of other artillery sitting there. I guess... maybe it's significant, though I can't be entirely sure how much that actually shifts the needle on the ground. It's just more hardware in the mix, I suppose.
They've got hundreds of those VBR-ov units out there. I guess... maybe they actually have the numbers to back it up this time. Or perhaps not. It’s hard to say for sure, really.
They've got those Tochka ballistic missiles. I suppose they really do. It’s one of those things you just have to account for, though, I guess. Just another variable in an already messy equation.

I mean, honestly... a few batteries of 155mm howitzers—maybe with a slightly better range, if we're being optimistic—or even some MLRS units probably wouldn't shift the needle much right now. It’s hard to say. I guess what would actually matter more... more significant, maybe... would be just sending them enough ammunition and those old Soviet-era supplies they're already using. Just getting them the shells they need seems more vital than adding more heavy hardware to the mix.

I suppose if you look at the math... I mean, just consider this. For the price of maybe two decent batteries of AS-90s or PzH2000s—assuming they come fully rigged with all the gear and a healthy stockpile of ammo—the Ukrainian Armed Forces could probably score something like 1,000 Switchblade 600s and maybe 3,000 Switchblade 300 drones. It’s a strange thought, really. They could potentially deploy that kind of tech as a total game changer during an offensive... or maybe not. It depends on how things play out on the ground, I guess.

The US is rushing Bushmaster armored vehicles to the front lines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmaster_Protected_Mobility_Vehicle

coastalbison6 said:The US is rushing Bushmaster armored vehicles to the front lines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmaster_Protected_Mobility_Vehicle

The actual Australian report
https://www.9news.com.au/national/ru...b-902658516bcd

slyfox43 said:They’d probably just revert to using coal stoves, but unfortunately, nobody even makes those anymore.

Oh, they're being made, trust me, they're being made—just not in "Mother Russia" anymore.

boldotter2 said:Whoa. That would be intense. 😁
I guess Crimea is basically Russia's version of Mexico—just pure mythmaking. I don't really see them touching it until everything else is settled and Putin is either out of power or... well, gone. Plus, it's super hilly and packed with military bases. It’s like the perfect fortress for defending.
Maybe the Ukrainians will take Crimea back just like the Russians took it, but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon.

What's probably going to happen now is some kind of counter-terror strikes, American style. Instead of the massive destruction you see from Russia, they might just hit ten different spots in Donbas every night with Bayraktar missiles. Nothing will feel safe. The Russians are spread pretty thin near the coast, so everything is within range. Donetsk is right on the front line, after all.

We might even see more separatists surrendering. I mean, they don't seem to have much fight left in them anymore.

And then, just a few hours later, it turns out they didn't hit Donbas at all—they hit Russia! Oh boy, oh boy! 🤣

Timothy Nelson5 said:The Ukrainians have hundreds of those 152 mm self-propelled howitzers at their disposal now... I suppose. It’s a significant amount of heavy hardware, though I wonder how much of it actually stays operational given the circumstances. Maybe.
They've got upwards of a hundred pieces of other artillery sitting there. I guess... maybe it's significant, though I can't be entirely sure how much that actually shifts the needle on the ground. It's just more hardware in the mix, I suppose.
They've got hundreds of those VBR-ov units out there. I guess... maybe they actually have the numbers to back it up this time. Or perhaps not. It’s hard to say for sure, really.
They've got those Tochka ballistic missiles. I suppose they really do. It’s one of those things you just have to account for, though, I guess. Just another variable in an already messy equation.

I mean, honestly... a few batteries of 155mm howitzers—maybe with a slightly better range, if we're being optimistic—or even some MLRS units probably wouldn't shift the needle much right now. It’s hard to say. I guess what would actually matter more... more significant, maybe... would be just sending them enough ammunition and those old Soviet-era supplies they're already using. Just getting them the shells they need seems more vital than adding more heavy hardware to the mix.

I suppose if you look at the math... I mean, just consider this. For the price of maybe two decent batteries of AS-90s or PzH2000s—assuming they come fully rigged with all the gear and a healthy stockpile of ammo—the Ukrainian Armed Forces could probably score something like 1,000 Switchblade 600s and maybe 3,000 Switchblade 300 drones. It’s a strange thought, really. They could potentially deploy that kind of tech as a total game changer during an offensive... or maybe not. It depends on how things play out on the ground, I guess.

I guess there's logic to that. We haven't really seen their artillery getting wiped out yet. And since they managed to save their air force, the artillery just needs to find its voice...

As for the drones, I think the only real bottleneck is how fast they can make them. From what I gather, it's a small company that isn't quite used to massive wartime production levels yet.
They'll need some time to ramp up, but I mean, who will do it if the Americans won't? In a few months, it'll probably be raining Switchblade drones.

boldotter2 said:I guess there's logic to that. We haven't really seen their artillery getting wiped out yet. And since they managed to save their air force, the artillery just needs to find its voice...

As for the drones, I think the only real bottleneck is how fast they can make them. From what I gather, it's a small company that isn't quite used to massive wartime production levels yet.
They'll need some time to ramp up, but I mean, who will do it if the Americans won't? In a few months, it'll probably be raining Switchblade drones.

Even Wikipedia is already noting that Ukraine has 100 Switchblade drones in its arsenal...

Current operators
United Kingdom

British Armed Forces
United States
U.S. Armed Forces
Ukraine
Ukrainian Armed Forces: 100 Switchblade drones

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroVironment_Switchblade

boldotter2 said:I guess there's logic to that. We haven't really seen their artillery getting wiped out yet. And since they managed to save their air force, the artillery just needs to find its voice...

As for the drones, I think the only real bottleneck is how fast they can make them. From what I gather, it's a small company that isn't quite used to massive wartime production levels yet.
They'll need some time to ramp up, but I mean, who will do it if the Americans won't? In a few months, it'll probably be raining Switchblade drones.

You might not have noticed,😁 but that’s mainly because Ukrainians don't broadcast their losses, and the Russians generally couldn't care less about showing off every single piece of enemy hardware they take out. The Russians disabled that unit down there a month ago, but the Ukrainians only just decided to show the world this expensive piece of air defense gear they lost.

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status...91605432741888

I'm not blind, but from everything I can see and everything that's public knowledge, the Ukrainian air force practically doesn't exist right now. You really only have two possibilities: either they are hiding, or most of them have been wiped out. Realistically, they can't hide for long, given that all the airbases and aircraft locations are well-documented.

Take today's Ukrainian strike using two AH-64 Apaches against a fuel depot in Russia. It’s textbook tactics—flying extremely low and praying you don't run into a MANPAD. If there aren't any MANPADS nearby, you end up with a situation like in Syria where the AH-64 Apaches can just fly in and get the job done without much trouble.



People are still fighting, so you would think a fuel depot—especially one sitting so close to the Ukrainian border—would be somewhat protected.The Russians completely slept on this one; instead of being proactive, they should have at least stationed a couple of soldiers with shoulder-fired MANPADS around the perimeter.A fool learns from his mistakes, but if that's how they want to play it, then there isn't much else to say.☕

Andrew Miller102 said:You might not have noticed,😁 but that’s mainly because Ukrainians don't broadcast their losses, and the Russians generally couldn't care less about showing off every single piece of enemy hardware they take out. The Russians disabled that unit down there a month ago, but the Ukrainians only just decided to show the world this expensive piece of air defense gear they lost.

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status...91605432741888

I'm not blind, but from everything I can see and everything that's public knowledge, the Ukrainian air force practically doesn't exist right now. You really only have two possibilities: either they are hiding, or most of them have been wiped out. Realistically, they can't hide for long, given that all the airbases and aircraft locations are well-documented.

Take today's Ukrainian strike using two AH-64 Apaches against a fuel depot in Russia. It’s textbook tactics—flying extremely low and praying you don't run into a MANPAD. If there aren't any MANPADS nearby, you end up with a situation like in Syria where the AH-64 Apaches can just fly in and get the job done without much trouble.

People are still fighting, so you would think a fuel depot—especially one sitting so close to the Ukrainian border—would be somewhat protected.The Russians completely slept on this one; instead of being proactive, they should have at least stationed a couple of soldiers with shoulder-fired MANPADS around the perimeter.A fool learns from his mistakes, but if that's how they want to play it, then there isn't much else to say.☕

What's the deal with these MANPADS? And where on earth are the Pantsir and Buk systems? I guess they just don't exist in the Russian military anymore? Or maybe they drove them through too much mud and lost their tires and tracks! 🤣

Fuel supplies right next to the front lines? Totally unprotected. Man, I guess you have to wonder how someone could be that reckless to order and approve that! 🤦

Man, it’s a tough call now. I guess you can try to frame this whole disaster as some massive blunder, or maybe act like it was some genius 4D chess move... geez, what a mess!🙂

boldotter2 said:What's the deal with these MANPADS? And where on earth are the Pantsir and Buk systems? I guess they just don't exist in the Russian military anymore? Or maybe they drove them through too much mud and lost their tires and tracks! 🤣

Fuel supplies right next to the front lines? Totally unprotected. Man, I guess you have to wonder how someone could be that reckless to order and approve that! 🤦

Man, it’s a tough call now. I guess you can try to frame this whole disaster as some massive blunder, or maybe act like it was some genius 4D chess move... geez, what a mess!🙂

It’s been common knowledge for a long time what an AH-64 Apache—or its latest variant—is capable of. If there aren't any MANPADS nearby, or if the crew handling them is inexperienced, you're essentially walking into a trap. To take down a helicopter, you don't need a Pantsir or a Buk; a standard MANPAD does the job just fine, provided you actually know how to use it. There's a very well-known example from the US that speaks for itself, so there isn't much else to say. ☕