"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (4 Viewers)

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Was US objection originally a barrier?


This seems like a strange headline, so now the US doesn't object, did they before? Is this what was holding Scholz back from sending Germany's or anyone else's Leopards to Ukraine?


"The German newspaper notes that Germany will not supply Ukraine with tanks until the United States does so."
 
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What these Russian airplanes really need is some cluster bomblets.
I'm surprised they haven't done that to be honest. I remember reading about the war in Afghanistan how the USSR deployed cluster munitions designed to look like toys so they would kill and maim children with the idea that it'd demoralize and tie-up the population having to take care of all the wounded children.

Got to love this. Putin says the risk of nuclear war is rising but that Russia won't attack first.
Do you think he'll create a false-flag to justify a nuclear "retaliation"?

As long as Ukraine doesn't attack civilian targets, such a campaign could go a ways to ending Putin's regime, if they indeed can manufacture whatever platform they used in numbers.
I agree, the war in Russia is extremely unpopular and factories seem to be periodically going up in smoke now and then. If the Ukrainians targeted civilians the Russian population would rally around their government to protect them and escalate retaliation.

While this is going to go very bleak: What do you think the odds are of CBRN being used if the Russians start taking significant losses to their own military bases?
 
While this is going to go very bleak: What do you think the odds are of CBRN being used if the Russians start taking significant losses to their own military bases?

My own opinion -- and it's worth every penny you've paid for it, lol -- is that chemical and biological weapons are more likely than any resort to nuclear weaponry, because they're perhaps in Putin's mind more deniable. I don't think there's a big chance of any resort to WMDs, though; Putin knows that will pull NATO into the fray -- and that's his ass.
 
While this is going to go very bleak: What do you think the odds are of CBRN being used if the Russians start taking significant losses to their own military bases?
I think there's no chance of any WMD being used, I do wonder what is Putin's next move? His troops are clearly unable to take any more land, and the Ukrainians are clearly preparing their big spring offensives.
 
I'm not sure they'll wait until spring, if the weather cooperates by freezing the ground. I know I wouldn't.
True, good point. Assuming the AFU can obtain sufficient arms and ammunition. I've read that their M777 howitzers are, for example being shipped to Poland for desperately needed barrel replacements. Considering the Ukrainians are using these howitzers at a rate seemingly never considered by its designers and NATO owners, I wonder if replacement barrels are readily available. There's also a shortage of artillery shells and projectiles for the various MRLS.

When the AFU launches their winter/spring offensive presumably toward Melitopol, it needs to be well prepared, big and fast, a blyskavka bula that rolls over the enemy enmass.
 
True, good point. Assuming the AFU can obtain sufficient arms and ammunition. I've read that their M777 howitzers are, for example being shipped to Poland for desperately needed barrel replacements. Considering the Ukrainians are using these howitzers at a rate seemingly never considered by its designers and NATO owners, I wonder if replacement barrels are readily available. There's also a shortage of artillery shells and projectiles for the various MRLS.

When the AFU launches their winter/spring offensive presumably toward Melitopol, it needs to be well prepared, big and fast, a blyskavka bula that rolls over the enemy enmass.

Barrel-wear is definitely an issue. In another shadow from WWI, this war is largely an artillery war. American ammo production is ramping up as we write, with the goal of tripling ammo production in the next three years. I'm not sure, but I'd imagine that production of barrel-liners as well is being pushed. There's a lot of money going into this, already approved by the Congress, and it doesn't seem wise to build a buttload of shells when the tubes are worn out.
 
M777 barrels are rated at around 2,500 rounds before barrel wear is too great. Fatigue life is longer but replacing barrels
before the fatigue life is reached is what is aimed for since fatigue can have catastrophic results.

Many barrels are chrome plated to help with wear but with the higher pressures being used in modern artillery the limits
can be reached in a relatively short time.

Russian artillery has a lower barrel life (have seen figures of 1,500 rounds) and is prone to 'accidents' due to higher velocity
charges being used so the M777 is pretty good as far as barrel life goes.

At 5 rounds per minute that gives the M777 barrel life at 8 hours 20 minutes. Doesn't seem much but that's a lot of firing.
 

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