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The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Part 4

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theprestige said:
The US Army did just settle on a new space gun with fancy smart optics and whatnot, though. Seems like the Russians just wanted a modernized AK design (sort of like how the Super Tucano is basically a modernized prop fighter from the WWII era), and couldn't even get that right.
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The New US Army rifle seems to have solved the reliablity problems that have been the downfall of previous attempts get a "Star Wars" gun adapted.For one thing, it concentrated on being a rifle with advanced sighting, and ditched things like the built in mini grenade launcher that plagud the OICW.
There is some yelling from American Gun Companies since the XM 5 rifle is a Swiss Design by Sig Sauer (thought it will be built in the US) but IMHO they should have just designed a better rifle.
Sig Sauer also picked up the contract for the new Squad Machine gun to replace the M249 Minimi. Sig Sauer is going to make a lot of money off this deal.
 
sackett said:
That's an example of an inventor getting too damn clever for any good use. What purpose the AK 12 was supposed to serve is, ahem, difficult to discern.

Firearms are what's called a terminal technology, that is, further improvement can only be minimal. I'd opine even that seeming improvements are apt to be no more than changes, and bought at the price of accompanying flaws.
But don't tell Mr. Putler that. He'd feel awful.
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But I bet it would have looked impressive on May Day parades.
 
sackett said:
Drones are being mentioned fairly often in stories about Ukraine’s attacks inside Crimea. This is after a number of essays appearing about the declining utility of UAVs in the war. What's up here?
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Ukrainians hitting EW systems(+them being badly used or malfunctioning). Also possibility of drones getting updates to bypass jamming.

====

Days passed and still no photo-video evidence of Russian soldiers being at Bakhmut.
 
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Given all the attacks against the Russians occupying the Crimea, I wonder if Ukraine will also attack that Russian prestige bridge to Crimea.
 
Another low-end drone attacked the Black Sea Fleet HQ - It didn't seem to cause much damage, but to use a phrase "what air defense doing?"

someone commented that they'd seen swans flying faster and higher, which was only a slight exaggeration.


https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1560891101480886275?s=20&t=75rqnuLvsuGzORhj8DsmiA

thread with videos including the Russian AA gunfire later

A daylight attack with a drone that you can buy for $5k on Alibaba

And it made it to the HQ
 
Lukraak_Sisser said:
Given all the attacks against the Russians occupying the Crimea, I wonder if Ukraine will also attack that Russian prestige bridge to Crimea.
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Not convinced that would be a good idea. Leaving an exit for the army and civilians might be the better bet. If Ukraine manages to take back Crimea, then would be the time to destroy it.
 
jimbob said:
Oh...

Then I bet there's lots of scope for kickbacks and impressive sounding test results.
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Apparently it started as a private project by Izmash, the manufacturer, to participate in government trials for a new standard rifle. At first they developed a prototype that looked like an AK, but re-designed all the components. This resulted in a miserable pile of malfunctions and failures to perform. So they went back to the drawing board, grabbed a drawing of a more incrementally-improved prototype they'd been working on, and refined that to something the Russian army would actually buy. And they still couldn't get it right, apparently.

To be fair, the US Army's new rifle looks a lot like an M16.
 
theprestige said:
Apparently it started as a private project by Izmash, the manufacturer, to participate in government trials for a new standard rifle. At first they developed a prototype that looked like an AK, but re-designed all the components. This resulted in a miserable pile of malfunctions and failures to perform. So they went back to the drawing board, grabbed a drawing of a more incrementally-improved prototype they'd been working on, and refined that to something the Russian army would actually buy. And they still couldn't get it right, apparently.

To be fair, the US Army's new rifle looks a lot like an M16.
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Looks more like a SCAR to my eyes.
 
Lukraak_Sisser said:
Given all the attacks against the Russians occupying the Crimea, I wonder if Ukraine will also attack that Russian prestige bridge to Crimea.
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It's 100% certain. Ukrainians even publically announced intention to destroy it.

Lplus said:
Not convinced that would be a good idea. Leaving an exit for the army and civilians might be the better bet. If Ukraine manages to take back Crimea, then would be the time to destroy it.
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They can use still South Donetsk and ships.
 
Alexander Dugin's daughter has been killed in what looks like a car bomb attack in Moscow. Dugin was probably the target and it suggests to me infighting as Putin's lieutenants jockey for position.

Unless it was arranged by Putin (in which case why not use formal powers?) he needs to get a grip and have a purge *soon*

If high level assassinations occur without the approval of the strongman, his influence is done for.
 
jimbob said:
Alexander Dugin's daughter has been killed in what looks like a car bomb attack in Moscow. Dugin was probably the target and it suggests to me infighting as Putin's lieutenants jockey for position.

Unless it was arranged by Putin (in which case why not use formal powers?) he needs to get a grip and have a purge *soon*

If high level assassinations occur without the approval of the strongman, his influence is done for.
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For now, they can blame the Ukrainians.
 
jimbob said:
Alexander Dugin's daughter has been killed in what looks like a car bomb attack in Moscow. Dugin was probably the target and it suggests to me infighting as Putin's lieutenants jockey for position.

Unless it was arranged by Putin (in which case why not use formal powers?) he needs to get a grip and have a purge *soon*

If high level assassinations occur without the approval of the strongman, his influence is done for.
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Basically Flash Gordon had it right when Klytus said

"No one, but no one, dies in the palace without a Command from the Emperor."
 
Back to my Number One military fetish.

News has it that the US is sending a number of Global Hawks to Ukraine. That'll a lot of my $$$$ flying around skies contested by a major power. Earlier, we heard that the Ukes weren't warm on the idea.

I Jesus hope the US Air Force has been 1) upping stealth and avoidance tech for the Hawks, and 2) demonstrating it convincingly to the Ukrainians. Oh, and 3) training said Ukres in the best tactics for Hawk engagement. We know that Hawks can carry air to air missiles, and that's fine. But -- even clumsy Putinists can shoot at drones.

I want to believe that my own pet cheap high-payload 200-knot nap o' the earth drones are coming on line. If so, and if the Ukes are being coy about them, then that is altogether fitting and proper.
 
Jesus **** ing Christ. The Global Hawk is a medium-high altitude recon drone.

No, they cannot carry weapons. Their payload design is entirely sensors.

Honestly I'm baffled why the US would bother giving them to Ukraine, when they could give Ukraine NATO-tier recon data directly.

Ukraine would be better off getting actual UCAVs. Which the Global Hawks are not.
 
jimbob said:
Alexander Dugin's daughter has been killed in what looks like a car bomb attack in Moscow. Dugin was probably the target and it suggests to me infighting as Putin's lieutenants jockey for position.

Unless it was arranged by Putin (in which case why not use formal powers?) he needs to get a grip and have a purge *soon*

If high level assassinations occur without the approval of the strongman, his influence is done for.
Click to expand...

jimbob said:
Basically Flash Gordon had it right when Klytus said

"No one, but no one, dies in the palace without a Command from the Emperor."
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Difficult to know, isn't it.

Apparently Dugin's daughter was also a public figure. Is she someone who could have plausibly been seen as a threat to Putin? If so, maybe that might suggest Putin had her assassinated.

On the other hand, it could have been other Russian groups, or someone aiming for Dugin, or of course Ukrainian groups who wanted to get to Putin allies if they couldn't get directly to Putin.

It's pretty horrible, whoever did it and whatever the motive.
 
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