"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again."

[Jabberwocky]

Gosh, I hope this is true.

Multiple Ukrainian sources have claimed that the nation's armed forces have hit the Russian cruiser Moskva in a guided-missile attack in the Black Sea.

Reuters has a statement (via Interfax, a Russian state owned news agency) from Russia's MoD that the Moskva had a fire at sea and suffered an "ammunition detonation" and was "seriously damaged" although all crew had been evacuated. No word on the cause of the ammunition detonation though....

Ukraine claims two hits with Neptunes on Moskva. The same day, Russia says the ship suffered an ammunition detonation. It doesn't take a genius here to draw some conclusions, even though full confirmation on what actually happened will probably remain in the realm of intelligence professionals.

Either way, a fire and ammunition explosion on a 12,500 tonne ship is bad news. If it survived, it looks like it will be out of the fight for a while.

Another expensive embarrassment for Russia.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Also, Wikipedia is funny sometimes (check the 'Status' box)

 

[gumbyk]

Gosh, I hope this is true.

Multiple Ukrainian sources have claimed that the nation's armed forces have hit the Russian cruiser Moskva in a guided-missile attack in the Black Sea.

"It has been confirmed that the missile cruiser Moskva today went exactly where it was sent by our border guards on Snake Island!" claimed governor of Odesa Maksym Marchenko, referring to the cruiser's involvement in an attack on a Ukrainian border post. "Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian ship."

Independent confirmation may be difficult: weather in the region is poor, with heavy cloud cover, rain and winds of about 18 knots. Moskva was last observed departing Sevastopol on April 10.

If true, the attack might be the most audacious strike yet attempted by Ukraine's coastal-defense forces. A previous Ukrainian strike at the port of Berdyansk damaged one Russian tank landing ship and sank another, resulting in an apparent loss of a shipment of munitions. But Moskva is an entirely different kind of warship: she is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, a Slava-class guided missile cruiser.

If the strike is confirmed, it would suggest that Ukraine's anti-ship missile inventory is capable of penetrating heavy air defenses. Among Soviet-era vessels, Moskva is the hardest of targets, possessing three fire-control radars, two search radars, two heavy antiaircraft cannons, six 30mm CIWS cannons, 20 short-range surface-to-air missiles and 64 long-range air defense missiles.

Ukraine Claims to Have Struck the Flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet

[Updated: Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti confirmsan explosion aboard the Moskva resulting in...

www.maritime-executive.com

[Updated: Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti confirms an explosion aboard the Moskva resulting in "serious damage," but asserts that the cause was a shipboard fire and the detonation of ammunition, not a missile strike.]

I like the late edit - "You didn't blow us up, we blew ourselves up!"
I don't know which is worse, admitting you got hit by an enemy missile, or admitting your equipment is so bad it's doing the enemy's job for them.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Reuters has a statement (via Interfax, a Russian state owned news agency) from Russia's MoD that the Moskva had a fire at sea and suffered an "ammunition detonation" and was "seriously damaged" although all crew had been evacuated. No word on the cause of the ammunition detonation though....

Ukraine claims two hits with Neptunes on Moskva. The same day, Russia says the suffered an ammunition detonation. It doesn't take a genius here to draw some conclusions, even though full confirmation on what actually happened will probably remain in the realm of intelligence professionals.

Either way, a fire and ammunition explosion on a 12,500 tonne ship is bad news. If it survived, it looks like it will be out of the fight for a while.

Another expensive embarrassment for Russia.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I read something that the US turned around and pulled the Mi-17 copters from the aid package, but really did not say why.

 

[GrauGeist]

I read something that the US turned around and pulled the Mi-17 copters from the aid package, but really did not say why.

According to the Pentagon, they still have the green light.

Oddly enough, the only news source headline (that I've seen so far) that claims the U.S. declined the MI-17s, is Fox...

Howitzers, Helicopters, Humvees Headed to Ukraine

An additional $800 million drawdown package of security assistance is on its way to Ukraine, and the efforts to get the newly authorized equipment and supplies to the Ukrainian military will begin

www.defense.gov

 

[nuuumannn]

I don't know which is worse, admitting you got hit by an enemy missile, or admitting your equipment is so bad it's doing the enemy's job for them.

If the Admiral Kuznetsov is anything to go by, the latter is definitely the case of what happens in the Russian navy.

It does appear that the Russian government is painting the picture it wants the world and crucially its own people to see. The Russian people will come to realise the truth when the body bags start piling up at home, although there is evidence that in some cases Russian military units are leaving their war dead behind. The ordinary Russian people are not stupid and many see the war for what it is, but are powerless to speak out against it because the government has banned dissent. Conversely, Putin has a lot of support in Russia. Time will tell.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

My son just sent me this video of a T-64 (125mm main gun) with support elements shooting up a column of BTR APCs. Flags denote nationality, the Ukrainian tank is in the lower left.

 

[nuuumannn]

Oddly enough, the inly news source headline that claims the U.S. declined the MI-17s, is Fox...

I read something that the US turned around and pulled the Mi-17 copters from the aid package, but really did not say why.

Well, now we know what channel Viking watches...

Sorry dude, couldn't resist! A slackarse attempt at humour at your expense!

I'll go sit in the naughty corner...

 

[SaparotRob]

Further to the above:

The Pentagon said more specifically that the aid package includes 11 Mi-17 helicopters, 300 Switchblade drones, 200 M113 armored personnel carriers, 18 Howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds, 10 counter-artillery radars, 500 Javelin missiles, unmanned coastal defense vessels and protective equipment in the event of a chemical or biological weapons attack.

Biden announces $800M in Ukraine aid, including artillery, helicopters

President Biden announced Wednesday that his administration would authorize $800 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine, including artillery, helicopters and armored personnel carrier…

thehill.com

Any more info on the unmanned coastal defense vessels? Le Jeune Ecole meets Skynet?

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Any more info on the unmanned coastal defense vessels? Le Jeune Ecole meets Skynet?

Sailors not sent is what I inferred.

 

[JDCAVE]

Another interesting analysis. This by "one of America's premier teachers of grand strategy, John Arquilla, who recently retired as a distinguished professor of defense analysis at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School." and referenced by this article in the NYT.

Opinion | Free Advice for Putin: 'Make Peace, You Fool'

jim

 

[SaparotRob]

Sailors not sent is what I inferred.

What I inferred would have been cooler.

 

[vikingBerserker]

The greatest postage stamp ever!

Ukraine issued a postage stamp commemorating the heroes of Snake Island.

"Russian warship … go f**k yourself!"

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

What I inferred would have been cooler.

Sharks with lasers vs dolphins with Ma Deuces. Who wins?

 

[XBe02Drvr]

I'm not familiar with "hot pad".

Hot pad was quick reaction alert status. Two birds airborne within five minutes and two more within ten if needed. Radar horizon was at best five minutes in MiG21 time. Fidel's boys weren't shy about making roostertails in the ocean, nor about probing the defenses. Willie Victor, our resident EC121 SIGINT snooper wasn't shy either, flying just outside SA2 trajectory and illuminating various targets with simulated ASM guidance radars. All cold war relics now.
Hot Pad was a monthly detachment commitment rotated between USN/USMC east coast F4 squadrons. The "hot" birds sat plugged in to start carts with open canopies and umbrellas for shade, while the crews sat nearby in a (weakly) air conditioned shack in full flight gear playing acey-ducey. When the scramble bell rang, the plane captains would energize the start manifolds and the ordies would hop in their trucks and dash down to the arming pad. Whenever Willie Victor took off, the plane captains would fire up their start carts and the flight crews would man up and sit in the shade of their umbrellas, as a scramble would often ensue. From that posture they could be wheels up in under three minutes. Occaisonally they would come home missing an item or two of ordnance.
Typical load out: two tanks, two Zuni pods, two AIM7s, and four AIM9s, though often they would skip the Sparrows. With that drag index they were solidly subsonic, and takeoffs were lengthy.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Iconic Key West, FL Bar With Live Music | Sloppy Joe's Bar

Join us for the ultimate party experience! We're Still the Best Party in Town, bringing you non-stop fun and excitement. Don't miss out!

sloppyjoes.com

Back in the day SJ's was open 24/7/365, and there was no way to close it because the arches had no doors, barriers, or grills. You could get a burger and beer at 3AM on Sunday if you wanted it.

 

[special ed]

A USAF detachment sat near the Air Guard hangar at the New Orleans joint reserve base, Belle Chasse. This program began shortly after a twin passenger acft flew in from Cuba to New Orleans International (MSY) long ago and was only discovered as he entered the pattern and called the tower. There was a big sugar producers convention/meeting that week in New Orleans and the Cubans, not being invited, decided to come anyway. Amongst my photos I have a shot of the bad ol' Cuban plane hidden in a hangar. As I recall, the Cubans were not allowed in the meetings, but held until the meetings were over, and then escorted on the flight back out of US airspace.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Couple of open source intelligence types reporting the Moskva has stopped all transmissions. This could be because all crew has left the ship, or because its sunk to the bottom of the Black Sea.

At least one report claims to have intercepted Russian radio transmissions from rescue craft a few hours ago, stating the ship had rolled onto its port side and was still on fire.

 

[BiffF15]

Hot pad was quick reaction alert status. Two birds airborne within five minutes and two more within ten if needed. Radar horizon was at best five minutes in MiG21 time. Fidel's boys weren't shy about making roostertails in the ocean, nor about probing the defenses. Willie Victor, our resident EC121 SIGINT snooper wasn't shy either, flying just outside SA2 trajectory and illuminating various targets with simulated ASM guidance radars. All cold war relics now.
Hot Pad was a monthly detachment commitment rotated between USN/USMC east coast F4 squadrons. The "hot" birds sat plugged in to start carts with open canopies and umbrellas for shade, while the crews sat nearby in a (weakly) air conditioned shack in full flight gear playing acey-ducey. When the scramble bell rang, the plane captains would energize the start manifolds and the ordies would hop in their trucks and dash down to the arming pad. Whenever Willie Victor took off, the plane captains would fire up their start carts and the flight crews would man up and sit in the shade of their umbrellacs, as a scramble would often ensue. From that posture they could be wheels up in under three minutes. Occaisonally they would come home missing an item or two of ordnance.
Typical load out: two tanks, two Zuni pods, two AIM7s, and four AIM9s, though often they would skip the Sparrows. With that drag index they were solidly subsonic, and takeoffs were lengthy.

My Guard unit sits alert at Homestead. We have sat down at Key West (when HST had runway repairs going on), and the alert shack was at the right end of the ramp when viewed from the Hanger offices.

We could get airborne usually in about 5 minutes. Prior to 9-11 our alert site at HST would scramble almost as much as the other 15 alert sites combined. If I sat alert, I usually got one scramble out of it. The majority were guys coming in from the Bahamas, not talking or squawking at the right place. Usually you had just about five minutes from the Horn until they got it figured out and canceled you. If one guy was rolling when the cancel came in, both went. We wanted to get airborne as it was a free sortie (no brief).