Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Good point, and as IIRC, Ukraine's biggest supporter after the US, I don't mean to pick on the Germans. But there may be greater political risk by tying your defence manufacturing to whomever is in power in Berlin than, for example South Korea.I wouldn't hold my breath waiting/hoping for Sth Korea to do anything. They haven't exactly been forthcoming with support for Ukraine so far.
Anybody else see an opportunity for Guillows here?Russia uses wooden drones to deceive Ukrainian air defense systems
Russia is reportedly using wooden drones to distract Ukraine’s air defense radars, analysts have said. According to experts from BLITZ Aircraft Unmanned, the decoy versions of drones are partly made of wood, extruded polystyrene foam and held together with maskingdefence-blog.com
Would not surprise me. Could very well have been the plan all along.Ukrainian troops aiming to encircle Bakhmut as Russia claims the ruined city
Ukraine says its forces are still advancing around the edges of Bakhmut, aiming to encircle the ruined city, after Moscow congratulated the Wagner private army and Russian troops for capturing it.www.abc.net.au
Now that there seems to be a green light for F-16. What about some F-18 too. Not instead of F-16 but in addition to F-16.
Australia's Mothballed F/A-18 Hornets Should Be Given To Ukraine
Dozens of upgraded F/A-18s in storage in Australia after years waiting to be sent to the U.S. should be donated immediately to Ukraine.www.thedrive.com
I've read that there are issues of series consistency with the F-16, with potential donor aircraft from different countries each having different systems and displays, resulting in challenges for training. For example, Belgium, Denmark, and Norway are reportedly willing to supply Ukraine with F-16s, but all three operate different versions and/or upgrades of an otherwise externally identical aircraft. Introducing Hornets or another type may make the issues worse.Now that there seems to be a green light for F-16. What about some F-18 too.
I got a lot of free time on my hands. I have an old tube of Testors and a rattle can of flat aluminum. Ready to go.We have not shut down the assembly line yet. Anybody want to build some for Ukraine?
Looks that way.Would not surprise me. Could very well have been the plan all along.
Originally the orders for Belgium/Netherlands/Norway and Denmark were for various blocks of A/B models (A-1 through to A-15 OCU, unsure of the B models), but I thought those remaining in service went through the MLU early/mid 2000's and were all updated to similar standard as F-16AM/BM's?I've read that there are issues of series consistency with the F-16, with potential donor aircraft from different countries each having different systems and displays, resulting in challenges for training. For example, Belgium, Denmark, and Norway are reportedly willing to supply Ukraine with F-16s, but all three operate different versions and/or upgrades of an otherwise externally identical aircraft. Introducing Hornets or another type may make the issues worse.
Yes it was designed to fight in that enviornment. The difference though is it was dedigned a half century ago. The threats it will face now are far more deadly.
My take is that Russia has much more military equipment than what it actually can man. A side issue is if such equipment is in working condition or just junk. E.g. Russia was estimated to have almost 20.000 tanks. We now know that most are just junk, and they don't have the crews to man them anyway.An interesting observation from the UK MOD Today
Russia is creating an 'Elite' attack aviation group called 'Shtorm' to operate over Ukraine. It should contain at least one squadron of Su24, one squadron of Su35 fighter bombers and one squadron of attack helicopters.
Credible Russian media sources suggest that the Russian MOD aims to attract the best pilots by offering large incentives and opening the recruitment to retired aviators.
It says so little but equally says so much.
a) The Russian airforce has had some losses but is in many ways untouched. In the hundreds of operational aircraft and many dozens of units, they cannot find three squadrons capable of fighting on the front line?
b) Is their training so poor they have to rely on retired aircrew to man these aircraft, What have they been doing for the last 12 months, making daisy chains?
c) What makes them think that retired aircrew are current on the aircraft?
d) Its highly unlikely that they will be physically fit enough for the front line, let alone up to date on front line tactics.
e) Maybe now we know why Putin is so worried about the Ukraine forces getting the F16. Over Ukraine which is where this unit is supposed to operate the Ukraine AF with F16's would tear them apart
More on that "green little men" issue.This might get spicy (Source: BBC):
The governor of Russian Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, says a group of Ukrainian soldiers has crossed the border into his region, which lies just north of Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv.
"A reconnaissance and subversive group of the Ukrainian armed forces has entered Gayvoron district. The Russian armed forces together with the border force, National Guard and FSB are taking steps necessary to liquidate the enemy," he said on Telegram.
Videos circulating online appear to show military vehicles - including a US-made Humvee of the type used by Ukraine - entering Russia's Gayvoron checkpoint on the border with Ukraine.
The BBC has confirmed the location shown in the videos by comparing the distinctive buildings shown in them to those in publicly available satellite imagery showing the checkpoint. We have also confirmed they were uploaded earlier today by using software which checks them against existing videos on the internet - it found nothing posted before today matched them.
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has confirmed that an operation was under way in Belgorod region, and said that it only involved units comprised of Russian nationals fighting for Ukraine.
"The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion, which comprise Russian citizens, have today started an operation to liberate these parts of Belgorod region from the so-called Putin regime and push the enemy back to create a certain security strip to protect Ukrainian civilians," GUR spokesman Andriy Yusov told Suspilne TV.
In the past, Ukraine has generally neither confirmed or denied operations that appeared to target Russian territory.
Yes you have - the Classic Hornet was last produced in 2000We have not shut down the assembly line yet. Anybody want to build some for Ukraine?
South Korea is way down the list of supporters and from what I understand their support has been mainly in the form of some uniforms and non-lethal military and medical supplies such as bulletproof vests, helmets, medical supplies and MREs back in March 2022.Good point, and as IIRC, Ukraine's biggest supporter after the US, I don't mean to pick on the Germans. But there may be greater political risk by tying your defence manufacturing to whomever is in power in Berlin than, for example South Korea.