Arming Ukraine

Germany just gave the green light to send 56 PbV-501s over to Ukraine—these are basically those Swedish-upgraded versions of the old BMP-1s that some company out in the Czech Republic is holding onto right now.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ne-2022-04-01/

Carl Lee27 said:Germany just gave the green light to send 56 PbV-501s over to Ukraine—these are basically those Swedish-upgraded versions of the old BMP-1s that some company out in the Czech Republic is holding onto right now.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ne-2022-04-01/

Those are leftover DDR stock—standard Warsaw Pact gear. Two units were sold and they're currently over in Germany getting overhauled. Word is the delivery should happen in a few weeks, all paid for by the Ukrainians. I caught the report this morning in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Chris Thomas94 said: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

Actually, I don't think we're talking about 100 individual drones here. It’s more like 100 separate systems, and each one probably comes with 10 drones:

On 16 March, the White House announced that "100 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems" would be provided to Ukraine ...
Each of these systems constitutes "a complete package of ground launch and control systems, and potentially multiple drones." According to one journalist, citing a US military source, each of these systems carries ten Switchblade drones, making for a total of 1,000. The breakdown of the 1,000 units - between Switchblade 300s, Switchblade 600s, and Blackwings - has not been publicized.

So, I guess we're looking at roughly 1,000 drones in total. The source doesn't specify how many are the smaller ones, how many are the larger versions—the ones carrying a warhead similar to a Javelin—or how many are just unarmed reconnaissance models. Maybe.

The Pentagon details $ 300 million in security assistance for Ukraine.

Pentagon details $ 300 million in security assistance for Ukraine.

The inventory provided encompasses laser-guided rockets, tactical drones capable of both reconnaissance and kamikaze strikes, along with certain “non-standard” weaponry and munitions—a phrase the Department of Defense frequently employs when discussing Soviet-designed weapons such as those used by Ukrainian troops.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/04...ce-for-ukraine

As an American taxpayer, there’s a certain quiet satisfaction in knowing my money is finally being funneled toward a cause that actually holds some moral weight.

It’s probably a stretch to imagine some Russian officer picking up a captured NLAW and deciding to test it out during a meeting of the Russian Security Council—they aren't exactly known for their passion for liberty—but man, wouldn't that be a sight to see?

slyfox43 said:As an American taxpayer, there’s a certain quiet satisfaction in knowing my money is finally being funneled toward a cause that actually holds some moral weight.

It’s probably a stretch to imagine some Russian officer picking up a captured NLAW and deciding to test it out during a meeting of the Russian Security Council—they aren't exactly known for their passion for liberty—but man, wouldn't that be a sight to see?

They're handing over gear that's already seen about 75% of its useful life... take Stingers, for instance. They're basically leftovers from the end of the Cold War that have just been kept on life support; they'll probably be totally obsolete by 2026 or 2027 anyway.

Meanwhile, the government will just blow through this cash to refresh their own inventory.

Adam Lee13 said:They're handing over gear that's already seen about 75% of its useful life... take Stingers, for instance. They're basically leftovers from the end of the Cold War that have just been kept on life support; they'll probably be totally obsolete by 2026 or 2027 anyway.

Meanwhile, the government will just blow through this cash to refresh their own inventory.

A weapon either works or it doesn't, and I haven't heard a single complaint about quality from the Ukrainians. The Air Force is actually loving the Stingers, especially the crews flying the Su-34s.

Christian Torres3 said:A weapon either works or it doesn't, and I haven't heard a single complaint about quality from the Ukrainians. The Air Force is actually loving the Stingers, especially the crews flying the Su-34s.

Look, I never said the stuff wasn't broken... quite the opposite, actually... I'm just saying they aren't really "spending" money on Ukraine so much as they're upgrading themselves. They’re shipping out older gear that’s still perfectly lethal and functional—stuff they were going to retire in a few years anyway.

So, the US only really eats the cost for those few extra years they managed to squeeze out of equipment that was already slated for disposal.

In reality, there isn't even a real cost here; this is basically just one massive commercial for these weapon systems. Once the whole world sees what Western advanced weaponry can actually do, the order books are going to be absolutely flooded.

Not to mention, this is a total disaster for Russia's reputation—it's a giant anti-advertisement for their air defense, their aviation, and their entire line of armor. They’re going to lose most of their customers, who will naturally pivot toward the competition, and wouldn't you know it, the competition is the West.😁

I honestly have no clue why the US isn't just handing over the ATACMS, especially since they’re basically being phased out for PrSM anyway... if my math is right, they've probably got something like 2,000 or 2,500 just sitting around in storage somewhere. If they actually let them loose, the Ukrainians could really start making life miserable for the Russians deep behind the lines, given that those things have a 300-kilometer reach.

Adam Lee13 said:I honestly have no clue why the US isn't just handing over the ATACMS, especially since they’re basically being phased out for PrSM anyway... if my math is right, they've probably got something like 2,000 or 2,500 just sitting around in storage somewhere. If they actually let them loose, the Ukrainians could really start making life miserable for the Russians deep behind the lines, given that those things have a 300-kilometer reach.

Maybe that'll finally happen once they start pushing into Donetsk and Luhansk to kick that filth out of Crimea.

Adam Lee13 said:I honestly have no clue why the US isn't just handing over the ATACMS, especially since they’re basically being phased out for PrSM anyway... if my math is right, they've probably got something like 2,000 or 2,500 just sitting around in storage somewhere. If they actually let them loose, the Ukrainians could really start making life miserable for the Russians deep behind the lines, given that those things have a 300-kilometer reach.

Man, that would be absolutely perfect. 😁

The Russian ambassador over in the UK is out here making all these big threats, saying they’re going to intercept and destroy those precision weapon shipments coming from the UK into Ukraine. Honestly, it feels like a massive bluff to me—I mean, do they even have the actual capability to pull something like that off? Unless they’re planning on sending their own planes and helicopters straight into a death trap, I just don't see how they could make it happen without losing everything.

https://twitter.com/SamRamani2/statu...qfHMm517g&s=19

The Starstreak could honestly be a total gamechanger on the Eastern Front.

Carl Lee27 said:The Russian ambassador over in the UK is out here making all these big threats, saying they’re going to intercept and destroy those precision weapon shipments coming from the UK into Ukraine. Honestly, it feels like a massive bluff to me—I mean, do they even have the actual capability to pull something like that off? Unless they’re planning on sending their own planes and helicopters straight into a death trap, I just don't see how they could make it happen without losing everything.

https://twitter.com/SamRamani2/statu...qfHMm517g&s=19

I honestly have no clue how they'd even try. Maybe they think they can just randomly intercept civilian cars and trucks on the road and blow them up 24/7? Since this gear is constantly moving in individual vehicles, that seems impossible.

A totally different question is what they'd even use to do it. Even if they had air superiority—which they don't—planes and helicopters wouldn't be enough because they can't cover all of western Ukraine all the time. They'd basically need occupation troops and control over every single highway checkpoint. Good luck with that, I guess! 😁

Or to put it simply: Russia is bluffing. They'll probably just stick to those semi-random terrorist missile strikes.

Dennis Price said:The Starstreak could honestly be a total gamechanger on the Eastern Front.

Skysabre is already in Poland, so I wouldn't be shocked if the Ukrainians are getting trained on that system too.

Carl Lee27 said:The Russian ambassador over in the UK is out here making all these big threats, saying they’re going to intercept and destroy those precision weapon shipments coming from the UK into Ukraine. Honestly, it feels like a massive bluff to me—I mean, do they even have the actual capability to pull something like that off? Unless they’re planning on sending their own planes and helicopters straight into a death trap, I just don't see how they could make it happen without losing everything.

https://twitter.com/SamRamani2/statu...qfHMm517g&s=19

So far, they've mostly just shown they can hit warehouses and other stationary targets, which are located so far from the actual front lines. Hitting moving vehicles... that seems much harder. Especially when they don't even know what's being transported or where it's going.
And I guess the defenders have learned a few things from those initial strikes, too.

One more thing.
That recent strike in Belgorod—couldn't that be seen as a message to Putin? Maybe a response to the refinery attack right on the border, occurring right around the time of Biden's conference near that area in Poland?

" Stop bombing western Ukraine if you don't want us giving Ukrainians the tools to hit back hard at Russia!"

Carl Lee27 said:Germany just gave the green light to send 56 PbV-501s over to Ukraine—these are basically those Swedish-upgraded versions of the old BMP-1s that some company out in the Czech Republic is holding onto right now.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ne-2022-04-01/

We’re seeing some old relics being cleared out, specifically those outdated BMP-1s or various tracked chassis that have seen better days. This kind of infantry fighting vehicle was used extensively during the Syrian Civil War. To be more precise, we saw hundreds of BMP-1 units get wiped out—mostly during urban combat—by all sides involved in that conflict.

A standard, old-school, cheap RPG would be the end of this old lady. This video isn't intended to demonstrate the actual destruction of an elderly BMP-1 in combat; it’s just a quick look at the sheer hellscape of urban warfare we saw during the Syrian Civil War.☕

It all comes down to how you actually employ your hardware. But yeah—Russian armored vehicles have been an absolute joke so far. Their armor is paper-thin, which means everyone ends up suffering from those catastrophic ammunition cook-offs. That’s partly because the Russian military insisted on making these vehicles amphibious—which was a questionable call to begin with—and the other part? Well, I suppose they just don't seem to value their soldiers' lives much.
These vehicles might be okay for ferrying infantry toward the front lines or providing some long-range fire support, but they shouldn't be anywhere near a direct firefight. Yet, here we are, watching the Russians throw them into the meat grinder en masse, only to leave behind nothing but empty, burnt-out shells. Honestly, I can't wrap my head around their tactics.

So, American actor Sean Penn is out here playing philanthropist, basically begging some billionaire to cough up $300 million to buy two squadrons of F-15s or F-16s for Ukraine. He’s essentially saying—and I quote—that "someone with money should spend $300 million on 12 jets with better tech than the Russian Mig's." It’s funny how his little plea for high-tech hardware showed up just a few hours after the Ukrainian Air Force officially put out their request for American fighter jets.

The guy clearly forgets that having the gear isn't everything—it's not just about who has the biggest wallet. The real headache isn't just acquiring the fighters; it's actually learning how to fly them properly. We aren't talking about a weekend seminar here; we're talking about months upon months of intensive training for the very best Ukrainian pilots!
The USA (and everyone else involved) really needs to provide experienced pilots to lead the way. And honestly? That’s a much more complicated mess to untangle.

Carl Lee27 said:The Russian ambassador over in the UK is out here making all these big threats, saying they’re going to intercept and destroy those precision weapon shipments coming from the UK into Ukraine. Honestly, it feels like a massive bluff to me—I mean, do they even have the actual capability to pull something like that off? Unless they’re planning on sending their own planes and helicopters straight into a death trap, I just don't see how they could make it happen without losing everything.

https://twitter.com/SamRamani2/statu...qfHMm517g&s=19

Lol, right, because the Russians have always been such paragons of virtue, right? Like, "Oh, we wouldn't dream of touching those weapon shipments... unless the Ukrainians get armed too fairly and correctly, then we might consider a little destruction." Give me a break.

They’d probably try to blow up everything in sight before it even reaches the Ukrainians if they could, but reality is hitting them hard. It actually blows my mind how the Russians don't seem to have better intel; you'd think in a country where there are so many Russian assets infiltrated everywhere, information would be leaking to Moscow constantly, but clearly, nothing is happening.

These Russians are honestly a joke.

Do they seriously think they’re fighting some ragtag group of cave dwellers or amateurs? Those weapons are going to be moving in convoys miles 19 miles long, just like when the Russians were parading their way toward Kyiv. I really think the Russians need to wake up and realize they aren't fighting some easy target—they are stuck in a massive proxy war against the USA. They’re facing the absolute best of the best, the guys who have been fighting non-stop for decades and are hands down the strongest military, operational, and intelligence forces on the planet.

That whole supply route is definitely decentralized, probably broken down into tiny individual shipments right before they hit the border, so Russia doesn't stand a theoretical chance of destroying any significant amount of gear.

I mean, the Americans have set up bases right on the Belarusian border; they’re actually closer to the front lines near Kyiv than the Russians are, LOL.

Why do you think the Belarusians suddenly backed off? It’s because the Americans are deploying something like 100,000 troops along that border. And we aren't talking about some unprepared amateurs like these pathetic Russians; we're talking about highly trained, elite professional armies, fully geared up, who could march across the entire country in 20 days if anyone made even one wrong move.

The Americans are just waiting for an excuse. If they can't enforce order in Moscow, they can do it in Canada, the Middle East, Belarus—basically wherever an opportunity pops up to make their presence felt. 🙂 And the Russians are already whining that the Americans don't want this war to end. Well, duh! Of course they don't; the Americans want to fight this thing until the very last Russian tank is gone, and frankly, they couldn't care less what happens to them.

Putin is such a chess player!