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Schadenfreude.Putin is staring at defeat in his gas war with Europe
Mild weather this winter is set to help Europe shrug off Russia’s energy threats next year, too.www.politico.eu
Indeed. The paper tiger is still a paper tiger. I think this aspect of the war has exposed one of the fundamental emerging problems with modern airpower, be it western or Russian."The fact of the matter is they have a big powerful air force,"
Russian Air Force 'Has Lot of Capability Left' One Year On From Ukraine Invasion | Air & Space Forces Magazine
The Russian air force remains largely intact despite its grinding war in Ukraine, according to independent analysis and official comments.www.airandspaceforces.com
Aha; a big powerful... yet almost useless air force.
Indeed. The paper tiger is still a paper tiger. I think this aspect of the war has exposed one of the fundamental emerging problems with modern airpower, be it western or Russian.
Aircraft that are too few, too expensive, and too time consuming to replace according to the likely attrition rates of being used in anger, are too valuable an asset to be hazarded in the roles for which they were actually designed, aren't they?
Airpower in anything other than an environment of total air supremacy is starting to seem a little reminiscent of the fleets of WW1: Both sides are husbanding them as a resource and only using them sparingly and in the lowest threat environments. It more important for both sides to have an air-force 'in being' as a strategic check to the other's.
Whilst aipower remains capable of crushing much weaker opponents over the skies of places like Iraq, in the same way as the big gun fleets of before, are they now too vulnerable to comparatively inexpensive MANPADs and SAMs over the battlefield - or drone, missile attacks on fixed bases? Have the gen 4 fighters and beyond become the dreadnaughts of the 21st century? Humbled in the same they were by mine and torpedo?
The Allies had anticipated the Iraqi military to be an aggressive foe and were prepared for a long, hard battle.Whilst aipower remains capable of crushing much weaker opponents over the skies of places like Iraq
Interesting thread (with sources) about uniforms and corruption.
Thread by @ChrisO_wiki on Thread Reader App
@ChrisO_wiki: 1/ Three Russian generals are reported to have been sacked over the provision of poor-quality uniforms, which has left troops fighting in Ukraine without adequate protection against the cold. A further...…threadreaderapp.com
One by one, again and again, the same old story:
Top Russian Military Official Dead After Fall From 16th Floor
Marina Yankina handled cash flows for the Western Military District.www.thedailybeast.com
1) It's funny that Russians are having issues about winter-issue clothing, given that that was a big reason they stopped and drove back the drive on Moscow in 1941; and
1) It's funny that Russians are having issues about winter-issue clothing, given that that was a big reason they stopped and drove back the drive on Moscow in 1941; and
2) Prigozhin is trying to plump his own balloon here. We know that he doesn't equip his own troops to this standard himself, because they're expendable. This is him trying to slur the Russian MoD for the same oversights Wagner has itself committed. It follows that this is not legitimate critique, but rather bureaucratic infighting and political positioning, even as both are guilty of the same lack of concern for their fighting troops.
As far as uniform suppliers themselves, if you have a corrupt system you're going to get grifters. When you lay down with dogs you're bound to get fleas.
Blinken: Crimea a ‘red line’ for Putin as Ukraine weighs plans to retake it
The secretary of state, in a private call with experts, expressed his hesitation about a possible Ukrainian offensive for the peninsula.www.politico.com
"The fact of the matter is they have a big powerful air force,"
Russian Air Force 'Has Lot of Capability Left' One Year On From Ukraine Invasion | Air & Space Forces Magazine
The Russian air force remains largely intact despite its grinding war in Ukraine, according to independent analysis and official comments.www.airandspaceforces.com
Aha; a big powerful... yet almost useless air force.
That is insulting to Ladies, the rest I totally agree with.I think Blinken and/or Biden is reading this wrong. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has already reached culmination, militarily, and they cannot go further without additional call-ups of civilians. Their military is already stretched such that the vast majority of their armed forces are already committed to this battle, and the only reserves they can call upon are untrained conscripts. Their industry is unable to even repair all the damaged tanks, much less replace the 1000+ lost. They are primed for defeat.
In that context, "red lines" don't mean anything unless Russia is willing to launch nukes, and that's not going to happen due to reprisal threats.
This American pattern of slow-going assistance, waiting for leadership from others, and continued hand-wringing in DC, is enervating. It seems to me that the real red lines are inside the Beltway, not in Crimea. Pull your heads out, ladies.