"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (32 Viewers)

[GTX]

Rare Russian combat vehicle spotted in Ukraine

An ultra-rare Russian combat vehicle was spotted in the Donbas region, Ukraine. The 50-ton class armored mine clearance combat vehicle was reportedly spotted in the easternmost part of Ukraine. A mysterious new vehicle called BMR-3MA Vepr was developed by the Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) corporation (a...

defence-blog.com

 

[GTX]

Russians reuse captured Turkish-made armored vehicle

Russian airborne troops are reusing captured a Turkish-supplied BMC Kirpi mine-protected wheeled armored vehicle on the battlefield in Ukraine. The white V symbol has been seen on the captured vehicle. It has become a symbol of support for the invasion among some Russians and others. The Kirpi...

defence-blog.com

 

[GTX]

Russian BTR-82 uses junk metal to protect from small arms fire

Russian engineers created a new add armor kit from junk metal to protect its BTR-82 armored personnel carriers from small arms fire and artillery share. Bizarre-looking armored vehicles are equipped with metal channels to protect their most vulnerable frontal and side areas. The hastily prepared...

defence-blog.com

 

[GTX]

Russia lost its most advanced operational air defense system

The Russian Armed Forces reportedly have lost its S-400 surface-to-air missile system. According to the Militarnyi, Russia’s most advanced operational air defense system was blown up on the road near the village of Ilyine, in the part of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region. It is the first...

defence-blog.com

 

[GTX]

Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group receives deadly T-90S tanks

The Russian Wagner Group mercenary organization has received a batch of modified T-90S tanks. Images appeared on the social media platform Telegram on Monday, showing what appears to be the T-90S main battle tanks, also known as 'Bhishma', which were used by Wagner Group mercenaries in Ukraine...

defence-blog.com

 

[RogerdeLluria]

Russia Is Refitting Old T-72 Tanks For The War In Ukraine. But It’s Running Out Of Optics.

The down-rated T-72 has an outdated 1PN96MT-02 analog thermal sight that’s comparable to the sights NATO armies installed on their own tanks back in the 1970s. This emergency T-72B1 Obr. 2022 is ... not a great tank.

www.forbes.com

Maybe Leopard 1 would be enough.

 

[RogerdeLluria]

Israel is not sending weapons to Ukraine. However ......

WSJ News Exclusive | Israel Strikes Iran Amid International Push to Contain Tehran

Israel carried out a drone strike targeting a defense compound in Iran, as the U.S. and Israel look for ways to contain Tehran’s nuclear and military ambitions.

www.wsj.com

I guess this also helps

 

[Admiral Beez]

Pentagon to ship Stryker combat vehicles to Ukraine

The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed the country will supply its Stryker armored combat vehicles to Ukraine in an upcoming aid package. The U.S. announced on 19 January a new aid package yet, worth $2.5 billion, which includes 90 Stryker

defence-blog.com

Is the Stryker made by GDLS in Canada? Is it armed, our unarmed like the LAVs Canada donated?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Russia Is Refitting Old T-72 Tanks For The War In Ukraine. But It’s Running Out Of Optics.

The down-rated T-72 has an outdated 1PN96MT-02 analog thermal sight that’s comparable to the sights NATO armies installed on their own tanks back in the 1970s. This emergency T-72B1 Obr. 2022 is ... not a great tank.

www.forbes.com

Maybe Leopard 1 would be enough.

Paywall free here https://archive.is/p5pdO

 

[GrauGeist]

Is the Stryker made by GDLS in Canada? Is it armed, our unarmed like the LAVs Canada donated?

They are made in Canada and most variants are armed with the exception of the medic variant (not 100% sure, though - it may have .50 MG defenses).

 

[RogerdeLluria]

View: https://twitter.com/avia_pro/status/1618995737903370241

Here is a close-up of a BMPT firing (probably for a show-off). Notice the extreme vibration of those guns. I wonder if they can actually hit anything.


View: https://twitter.com/TankDiary/status/1619389428350468096

 

[tomo pauk]

Here is a close-up of a BMPT firing (probably for a show-off). Notice the extreme vibration of those guns. I wonder if they can actually hit anything.

One does not want to be at the receiving end of that amount of 30mm fire.

Not a long time ago, we've saw the Su-35 with the R-37 LR AAM, here is the MiG-31 with 4 of these uder the fuselage: picture.

 

[ThomasP]

"
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1619070269712396288"

 

[fubar57]

Another critical target hit by Russian missile.... https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/missile-hits-kharkiv-apartment-building-1.6730224

 

[WAFU]

Do you know this for a fact? Not sure any military is in the habit of stockpiling weapons they can't use. The weapons have to be maintained, and that's a drain on resources for a resource-constrained military (and the US military absolutely is resource constrained).

Speaking of law, the US cannot legally export cluster munitions unless (a) the weapon has at least a 99% successful detonation rate, and (b) the receiving country can guarantee that they won't be used in areas where there are civilians. The US would have to change its own laws to export cluster munitions to Ukraine.

And all of that ignores international law on the use of cluster weapons. Ukraine use of them would be a propaganda gift to Putin. Also, let's remember that these weapons would be used where Ukrainian civilians still survive and where, hopefully, some degree of normal life may return once the invading orcs are repulsed. Sowing cluster munitions is a recipe for killing a large number of your own population long after the war is over.

Yes, it is fact, its in open source Pentagon paperwork.

Both Ukraine and Russia use cluster munitions in many varieties.
Russian developed cluster munitions have a 30-50% failure rate vs 2% for typical western systems

 

[Admiral Beez]

Tech support for the UAF.

How to fix a howitzer: US offers help line to Ukraine troops

A rapidly expanding group of U.S. and allied troops and contractors is using phones and tablets to communicate in encrypted chatrooms to provide real-time maintenance advice to Ukrainian troops on the battlefield.

apnews.com

Hopefully you're not on hold for an hour listening to polkas and every thirty seconds, "Vash dzvinok vazhlyvyy dlya nas, budʹ laska, zalyshaytesya na liniyi…"

(your call is important to us, please remain on the line…)

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yes, it is fact, its in open source Pentagon paperwork.

And this is where?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Speaking of law, the US cannot legally export cluster munitions unless (a) the weapon has at least a 99% successful detonation rate, and (b) the receiving country can guarantee that they won't be used in areas where there are civilians. The US would have to change its own laws to export cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Does that count if Ukraine is using the weapons within its own country?

 

[Snautzer01]

Does that count if Ukraine is using the weapons within its own country?

That is very sharp. And right.

 

[buffnut453]

Does that count if Ukraine is using the weapons within its own country?

Here's a snippet from the actual convention on cluster munitions (which has 110 signatories):

1. Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to:
(a) Use cluster munitions;
(b) Develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to anyone, directly or indirectly, cluster munitions;
(c) Assist, encourage or induce anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention.

2. Paragraph 1 of this Article applies, mutatis mutandis, to explosive bomblets that are specifically designed to be dispersed or released from dispensers affixed to aircraft.

The inclusion of "under any circumstances" suggests that the actual location of use is irrelevant to the convention. Now, that doesn't mean signatories won't use cluster munitions. Like all things UN-related, enforcement is hugely problematic.

To add to the complications, the US, Russia and the Ukraine were not signatories so, theoretically, they can do as they please. However, the export of cluster munitions to one of the belligerents may create antibodies across the international community.