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Playing with train tracks & F-16s

malada: Greenland flag (Default)
Saturday, April 13th, 2024 12:57 pm
Ukrainian railways are a wider grade matching the old Soviet sized tracks and trains.

They're starting to redo some of the lines to the narrower Europeans Union's standard. This will increase the speed at which supplies can be moved from the EU to Ukraine and deny the system to Russian trains.

This does mean that Ukraine will need new locomotives and train cars... but they probably need to be replaced anyways. Hey, more jobs for European workers. I am including Ukraine as European.

I've also heard that Norway will be donating 22 F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Only 12 are airworthy and the rest are parts machines. It's a start and long overdue.
  • Current Mood: pleased
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Meanwhile, in Ukraine....

malada: Greenland flag (Default)
Saturday, August 26th, 2023 09:55 am
When the counter-offensive started (no, I'm not going to pin a time when it started) I figured it would start very very slowly then pick up speed at a future date.

I think that future date may be coming closer.

After Putin's failed blitzkrieg the Ukrainian response has been to shape the battlefield. Using NATO/USA/Western weapons like the HiMARS - Ukraine has been starving the Russian army: destroying stocks of food, ammo, weapons and - when they can - officers. The Russian army may be bigger and not entirely stupid and corrupt but hungry, ill-lead soldiers are generally poor fighters. So Ukraine has been holding the line against more Russian gains while dropping bridges, torching tanks and generally playing Hob with supply lines. This takes time.

Unfortunately, this has given Russia times to build defenses especially minefields. Wading through them takes time.

Standard NATO/USA methods of breaking through heavily fortified defenses usually involves lots of specialized equipment to quickly blow up and bulldoze through the minefields to let the tanks and heavy infantry advance. This assumes air superiority which the Ukrainians don't have. It could be argued that the Russians don't either but still, this means standard NATO/USA methods aren't appropriate for Ukraine. Sneak attacks and missile barrages work, but again... take time.

With supply lines disrupted the Russian soldiers - many of them poorly equipped and trained to begin with - are wondering where their next box of ammo, or hot meal, is coming from. And when. Sure, they have rows of mines, trenches and tank obstacles but if you have no bullets or food... fighting becomes very difficult.

If we keep the supplies rolling into Ukraine the tide will turn in their favor. Give it time.

-m
  • Current Mood: thoughtful
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Unlease the Leopards! (tanks)

malada: Greenland flag (Default)
Sunday, January 22nd, 2023 09:36 am
I understand that the M1 Abrams is the biggest, baddest tank in the world and that Ukraine could *really* use them to push the Russian army off of their lands.

The Abrams is also a logistical nightmare needing constant upkeep, jet fuel (literally) to run and extensive training to crew and maintain. It needs an extensive 'tail' of parts and mechanics to keep the 'teeth' of the beast running. Most of the repair shops for the Abrams are located in the US.

The Leopard tank takes more standard fuel, is closer in operation to the Cold war Soviet tanks (which are the mainstay of the Ukrainian army right now) and the closest supply depots are in... Poland? Much closer to the front lines than the Abrams.

Almost everyone who has them (in Europe) is willing to give the Leopards to Ukraine... but *license agreements* with Germany is holding up the works.

Let me repeat that... licensing agreements.

Now I'm not sure how the licensing agreements work with "damaged" or "scraped" Leopard tanks but maybe the Poles would pull some spark plugs... declare the tanks to be "scrapped" and send the "hulks" to Ukraine for "recycling". With overseers (mechanics) to supervise the "recycling".

Don't tell me this hasn't been done before. I'm sure it has.

Or else just f*ck the licensing agreements and send the damn tanks. Don't tell me this hasn't happened before. I'm sure it has.

In the meantime, we should be building the infrastructure to send the Abrams overseas - including having Ukrainian "observers" studying the Abrams tanks *here* and *now* - hell, six months ago! We could have "observers" test drive a few. I would actually be surprised if that isn't happening now... just on the QT. I'm sure there are some American generals and military advisors who would *love* to see how the Abrams stacks up against the Russian T-90s.

Unleash the Leopards. Let them eat Russian faces.

*disclaimer - I am not a expert on warfare licensing agreements of tanks*
  • Current Mood: devious
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