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A couple of things to consider re the 'slow' rate at which the US/NATO is providing complex systems like the tanks and aircraft.
To train the tank crew in the basics of daily maintenance, operations of the weapons system, safe/effective driving of the tank, loading the gun, laying and firing the gun, command of the tank, using terrain to hide, etc, is considered to require a minimum of 3 months. This is just the time to provide the required technical and hands-on knowledge. NOTE that this is normally done after basic training.
To turn the crew into a combat capable crew and integrated with other tank crews to form a combat capable unit, is considered to require a minimum of 9 months - working with one another and with other crews/units..
To train the rear area units in effective maintenance and repair of the M1 Abrams is considered to require a minimum of 6 months. The US can afford to treat the M1 like a one-shot use item - ie if it breaks down you leave it/destroy or disable it if necessary, otherwise recover it when convenient and send it to the rear for repair when convenient. Send in a new tank (including a new crew if necessary). The Ukraine cannot afford to do this - either in terms of numbers of tanks, or in terms of readily accessible/safe repair capability.
None of the above is a comment on the abilities of the Ukrainians - it is simply reality. The UAF will have to select/pull personnel from their cadre/regular/new recruit numbers and send them elsewhere for training. The personnel selected/pulled will (obviously) not be available for duties in Ukraine. How many veteran tankers can they afford to pull from the from line units? Maybe send personnel being rotated to R&R to training instead?
Note that the same considerations re personnel apply to fighter pilot training. It takes at least a year to train a new pilot to be semi-effective in an aircraft like the F-16. If they pull a large enough number of already skilled/veteran pilots to send for training and work-up of 1 or 2 F-16 squadrons (example only) - what will that leave them in terms of an effective Air Force if (when) the brown stuff hits the fan in Ukraine when they are absent?
The same considerations re maintenance also apply to any US/NATO aircraft.
And there are the logistics chain requirements.
Just saying.
May not be a bad idea to fall back to an iron line - besides, recent Russian activity has created a slight crescent line around Bahkmut that has the potential of an encirclement for Ukrainian elements.
Probably Russian deserters.
Probably Russian deserters.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) —'' ... Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukrainian "terrorists" for an incursion, claiming that they deliberately targeted civilians, including children in "yet another terror attack, another crime."
"They infiltrated the area near the border and opened fire on civilians..."
Interesting - Vlad just described what's been happening in Ukraine for the past twelve months...
Exactly like in the Russian manual.
The hypocrisy they show in their complaints is stunning. Civilian casualties in war are always deplorable, but the Z force has for the last year made a sadistic habit of putting civilians not only in harm's way, but into mass graves.
For Putin to now complain about civilian deaths shows how out of touch he is with the information space, where we all know what his troops, under orders, have done. There's more than a touch of hubris to his hypocrisy, insofar as he seems to think no one can see through his bullshit.
But Putin doesn't care if we see through his bullshit. He only cares that the Russian people swallow the bullshit he's peddling...which is why he's shut down any news media that doesn't peddle his crap. It's Game Over for him if the Russian people en masse stop believing him.
Indeed. "the Ukrainian army is fully intent on kicking off a major offensive by May, if not earlier."So, I wonder where they will really attack?
Correct, it's a classic false-flag.Sounds like Russia is using Hitler's pretense for attacking Poland as another excuse to run hogwild in Ukraine. Nothing new under the sun, of course.
That's only beneficial, by in large, to people outside of Russia. In Russia, the ability to determine which way's up is probably very difficult owing to propaganda techniques used.His problem is that information is like water, it will find leaks faster than you can plug them.