"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (19 Viewers)

[Thumpalumpacus]

Found this article very interesting.

The Russian Military’s People Problem

It’s hard for Moscow to win while mistreating its soldiers.

www.foreignaffairs.com

Tried to read this article, but it's stuck in the loading cycle.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Tried to read this article, but it's stuck in the loading cycle.

Here you go.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Here you go.

Thanks, brotha.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

From that article:

Rather, they are linked by a core underlying theme: the military's lack of concern for the lives and well-being of its personnel.In Ukraine, the Russian military struggles to retrieve the bodies of its dead, obscures casualties, and is indifferent to its worried military families.It may spend billions of dollars on new equipment, but it does not properly treat soldiers' injuries, and it generally does not appear to care tremendously whether troops are traumatized.

[...]

The Russian military's disregard for its soldiers has done more than undermine their combat performance.It has also tanked their morale and will to fight. Officers steal the contents of care packages so routinely that some soldiers have called their mothers and told them not to bother sending anything. Officials forget to pay soldiers their entitled combat pay, and units abandon the bodies of the fallen.It is little wonder, then, that some Russian troops simply melted away from the conflict, deserting fully functional modernized equipment in Ukrainian fields. Other soldiers have called their mothers to tell them they were considering shooting themselves in the leg so they could leave.


This is a basic violation of the agreement any nation makes with its fighting men, that they will be taken care of in the case of maiming or death. Cases of desertion, or the reports we hear of lackluster execution of orders -- or stark refusal of orders -- are probably a direct result of this abrogation of the tacit agreement.

 

[Crimea_River]

Driving nations against it was probably not Putin's goal.

Certainly not a goal but, as a former intelligence chief, he must have seen this as a risk, if not a probability. It would seem logical to me that risk scenarios would be part of the planning cycle and that responses to the occurrence of such scenarios would have been prepared beforehand. That's why I find the apparent mixed messages about Finland and Sweden joining NATO puzzling. One day it was met with threats of severe consequences and the next day it was downplayed with a metaphoric shoulder-shrug.

The whole war has been a major Russian cluster-f*ck from the start.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Certainly not a goal but, as a former intelligence chief, he must have seen this as a risk, if not a probability.

IDK, I think the global response to this invasion is almost unprecedented. Putin couldn't have anticipated that nations as disparate as New Zealand, China, Brazil and India would be sending aid to Ukraine. It truly is a case of the World (less Africa and some other grey bits below) vs. Russia.

Aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

On that score, I'd like to see South Africa contribute. Their ZT3 Ingwe ATGM would be useful against IFVs and the G6 Rhino self-propelled howitzer looks competitive.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Certainly not a goal but, as a former intelligence chief, he must have seen this as a risk, if not a probability. It would seem logical to me that risk scenarios would be part of the planning cycle and that responses to the occurrence of such scenarios would have been prepared beforehand.

It baffles me that a career spook wouldn't see the obvious risk of blowback of this invasion. As I wrote far, far upthread, this is Putin's greatest blunder. He completely misread the willingness of Ukraine to fight, the ability of NATO to set aside squabbles and coalesce around the common cause, and the ability of the Russian military to function effectively. Three key elements he got completely and totally wrong.

 

[Crimea_River]

I agree 100%. It concerns me that it opens the possibility of other blunders, some whose response would previously have been "he wouldn't be that stupid".

 

[Crimea_River]

IDK, I think the global response to this invasion is almost unprecedented. Putin couldn't have anticipated that nations as disparate as New Zealand, China, Brazil and India would be sending aid to Ukraine. It truly is a case of the World (less Africa and some other grey bits below) vs. Russia.

View attachment 669459

Aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

On that score, I'd like to see South Africa contribute. Their ZT3 Ingwe ATGM would be useful against IFVs and the G6 Rhino self-propelled howitzer looks competitive.

The comments are about NATO expansion, not support for Ukraine.

 

[Dimlee]

So, Boris just announced "shore-to-ship" missiles.
What would they be, I wonder. Hopefully, something heavier and longer-ranged than Brimstone and faster than Neptune...

 

[Admiral Beez]

So, Boris just announced "shore-to-ship" missiles.
What would they be, I wonder. Hopefully, something heavier and longer-ranged than Brimstone and faster than Neptune...

It'll be something from what the below article calls "the antique collection".

Can the UK supply anti-ship missiles to Ukraine? - Navy Lookout

The UK government says it will send further lethal aid to help defend Ukraine from invasion. Various media reports also say Britain will send anti-ship missiles, including the venerable Harpoon system. Here we consider how realistic that may be and other options to hold the Russian navy at risk...

www.navylookout.com

"Let us imagine the UK is able to supply a few working Harpoons to Ukraine. They would need to be flown in, mounted on sturdy trailers so they are mobile and concealable to avoid detection by Russian Satellites and drones. The launch computers would require integration and re-programming for land-based operation. Before any attack can be mounted, the missiles would have to be fed with targeting data from a coastal radar or other real-time intelligence sources and competent people assigned to operate the system."

On the plus side, this war is a great way for Britain to dispose of its older ordnance without having to follow all the bureaucratic and environmental regulations concerning their storage. Have a read through JSP 520 Safety and Environmental Management of Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives over the Equipment Acquisition Cycle if you fancy a snooze. Instead the Brits can dispose the old weapons at their intended Russian targets, get new weapons and support the munitions industry.

 

[fubar57]

The whole war has been a major Russian cluster-f*ck from the start.

 

[Dimlee]

IDK, I think the global response to this invasion is almost unprecedented. Putin couldn't have anticipated that nations as disparate as New Zealand, China, Brazil and India would be sending aid to Ukraine. It truly is a case of the World (less Africa and some other grey bits below) vs. Russia.

View attachment 669459

Aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

On that score, I'd like to see South Africa contribute. Their ZT3 Ingwe ATGM would be useful against IFVs and the G6 Rhino self-propelled howitzer looks competitive.

Probably, we'll see some blue on the African map when the hunger strikes.
Ukrainian ports will remain close indefinitely and tens of millions of tons of grain and sunflower oil will not be exported this year.

 

[Glider]

I have looked at the video a number of times and all I see are a couple of video's repeated a number of times, and bombs that seem to have missed their targets.

However he does point out that the Ukraine need jet's. The excuses made in the recent past no longer stand up. A drone that flies hundreds of miles is in my mind an offensive weapon. To say that we cannot supply a jet that is capable of flying hundreds of miles and dropping bombs because its an offensive weapon lacks any logic. This is now a long term conflict and the Ukraine need those aircraft.

 

[space dodo]

The 90's were the end of tastey fast-food fries for many chains.

There's still some good ones to be found, though.

This would a great discussion in the food thread:
"Who has the best fries" (or chips, as our friends across the big water call them).

I don't know if you get steers outside of SA but they make the best chips I have ever tasted.

 

[space dodo]

IDK, I think the global response to this invasion is almost unprecedented. Putin couldn't have anticipated that nations as disparate as New Zealand, China, Brazil and India would be sending aid to Ukraine. It truly is a case of the World (less Africa and some other grey bits below) vs. Russia.



On that score, I'd like to see South Africa contribute. Their ZT3 Ingwe ATGM would be useful against IFVs and the G6 Rhino self-propelled howitzer looks competitive.

Not a chance, SANDF is one of the most incompetent militaries on the planet.

 

[GTX]

More Australian support:

M113s and more Bushmasters for Ukraine - Australian Defence Magazine

The government is sending 14 M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers and a further 20 Bushmasters to Ukraine as it defends against a faltering Russian offensive.

www.australiandefence.com.au

 

[Admiral Beez]

More Australian support:

M113s and more Bushmasters for Ukraine - Australian Defence Magazine

The government is sending 14 M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers and a further 20 Bushmasters to Ukraine as it defends against a faltering Russian offensive.

www.australiandefence.com.au

I wonder if the lack of standardization and spare parts will render much of the donated kit unusable after a few months use. Of course most of it is to US and/or NATO spec.

 

[GTX]

Personally i will not be surprised if they will be supplied with surplus JAS-39C/D.

I very highly doubt it. Mind you seeing something like below would be wonderful:

 

[GTX]

I wonder if the lack of standardization and spare parts will render much of the donated kit unusable after a few months use. Of course most of it is to US and/or NATO spec.

I think right now they will take whatever they can get. Once the war is over there will be a need for a massive clean up and rationalisation.