Russia on brink of ... NOPE! Russia INVADES Ukraine!

[K1052]

The Germans are prepping a huge arms package for Ukraine. IFVs, more IRIS-T SLM and SL, tanks, artillery, drones, munitions, and more.

https://archive.is/2023.05.13-04375...ensive-a-220880d8-c19a-4785-a97b-8c2e94e68366

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657274274732822528

 

[Racan]

So Rheinmetall wants to build a Panther tank factory in Ukraine

Rheinmetall will Panzer-Fabrik in der Ukraine bauen

Der Düsseldorfer Rüstungskonzern Rheinmetall hat stark von den Auswirkungen des Ukraine-Krieges profitiert - und könnte jetzt sogar auf ukrainischem Boden eine Panzer-Fabrik bauen. Außerdem wurde bekannt, dass das Unternehmen in den Dax aufsteigt.

www1.wdr.de

And an update

Rheinmetall founds JV to make and repair tanks in Ukraine - Handelsblatt

Rheinmetall has founded a joint venture with Ukrainian state-owned conglomerate Ukroboronprom to build and repair tanks in Ukraine, the Handelsblatt daily reported Friday, citing the German arms maker's chief executive.

www.reuters.com

 

[K1052]

And an update

Rheinmetall founds JV to make and repair tanks in Ukraine - Handelsblatt

Rheinmetall has founded a joint venture with Ukrainian state-owned conglomerate Ukroboronprom to build and repair tanks in Ukraine, the Handelsblatt daily reported Friday, citing the German arms maker's chief executive.

www.reuters.com

Rheinmetall would certainly like to sell Ukraine about a thousand Leopards to replace their soviet pattern tanks and Ukraine required manufacturing and tech transfer (like the Koreans do for Poland). If the Germans want to stay in the tank biz this is the kind of deals they need to make.

 

[Racan]

Though the Ukrainians don’t want to abandon their own tank designs, they’re trying to push the T-84 Oplot into production.

Ukraine MoD to purchase indigenous Oplot tanks for the army - Euromaidan Press

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense decided to order the domestically designed BM Oplot tanks from state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom.…

euromaidanpress.com

 

[K1052]

Though the Ukrainians don’t want to abandon their own tank designs, they’re trying to push the T-84 Oplot into production.

Ukraine MoD to purchase indigenous Oplot tanks for the army - Euromaidan Press

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense decided to order the domestically designed BM Oplot tanks from state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom.…

euromaidanpress.com

They're not going to want to be entirely dependent on a foreign supplier even if production is carried out in Ukraine. The T-84 Yatagan seems more likely than the Oplot given the mounting of a NATO compatible main gun.

 

[Racan]

Yep using a 120mm gun would be the best option.

 

[K1052]

As supected

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657317762157477888

 

[RnR_au]

Operations may be continuing;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657300084126564355

and... Bakhmut is seeming entertaining for Ukrainian Telegram readers;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657299353558499329

Given the political importance of Bakhmut, if this continues, Russia will have to respond with any reserves they have containing their last remains of elite troops. Which means they may have nothing left for the real offensive elsewhere.

 

[K1052]

Rough day for Russian aviation

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657351855662309376

 

[RnR_au]

Yeah it seems the Storm Shadow usage has made Russian anti-air personnel rather panicky and trigger happy. At least 3 aircraft have apparently been lost over the last 2 days due to friendly fire.

 

[K1052]

Lmao

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657343971352367107

 

[Racan]

Add now an Su-35 LOL

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657353658412027904

 

[K1052]

Yeah it seems the Storm Shadow usage has made Russian anti-air personnel rather panicky and trigger happy. At least 3 aircraft have apparently been lost over the last 2 days due to friendly fire.

Storm Shadow is so powerful it can destroy 4 aircraft in a single day.

 

[RnR_au]

And some distance from the front line too. It not like they were shot down in a hot zone;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657348920584949760

 

[Racan]

Yeah it seems the Storm Shadow usage has made Russian anti-air personnel rather panicky and trigger happy. At least 3 aircraft have apparently been lost over the last 2 days due to friendly fire.

And very likely due to MALD

 

[Racan]

Russian missile from friendly fire or do the Ukrainians have a new toy? Hmm

Операция Z: Военкоры Русской Весны

‼️🇷🇺Лопасти сбитого Ми-8 изрешечены крупными поражающими элементам зенитных ракет. Судя по всему, это не ПЗРК t.me/RVvoenkor

t.me

 

[Racan]

Here's what Raytheon says about MALD

Foils enemy air defense systems​

The Miniature Air-Launched Decoy, or MALD® decoy, is a low-cost, expendable, air-launched craft that deceives the most advanced enemy integrated air defense systems while keeping pilots and aircraft out of harm’s way. The programmable weapon duplicates the combat flight profiles and signatures of U.S. and allied aircraft.

Home

Raytheon Intelligence Space- Any Domain. Any Challenge.

www.raytheonmissilesanddefense.com

Who says they also can't duplicate the signatures of Russian aircraft ?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Go Patriot!
Hehe target the Patriot system with a much more modern missile and that missile gets stopped by the Patriot system.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/12/politics/russia-patriot-missiles-ukraine/index.html

fun fact, my Sister did some work on these.

 

[kage69]

Lmao

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657343971352367107

Heehee! Looks like the MALDitis is airborne. Serious stuff, and very contagious. Good luck with that Yuri. I recommend more vodka.

 

[Racan]

Interesting, both downed Mi-8s may have been electronic warfare versions.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657375017796001794

 

[Ajay]

We should be giving them AGM-158s too. Now that Lockheed has the 2nd line open less concern about running down the stockpile.

Nice piece of kit. 370 km range. 450kg warhead. Low observable. Uh, $1.3M US - don’t think we’ll be parting with many of those, however.

 

[NTMBK]

Nice piece of kit. 370 km range. 450kg warhead. Low observable. Uh, $1.3M US - don’t think we’ll be parting with many of those, however.

I mean, missiles have a limited lifespan. Better to see them blowing up Russian invaders than rotting in a stockpile, then being decommissioned in 20 years.

 

[you2]

Tangent but here is an article on what happened in Syria vs americans:

Details emerge of Army Special Forces’ battle with Russian mercenaries

This battle became one of the rare occasions American and Russian combatants exchanged fire—one of the deadliest battles the Americans had faced in Syria.

news.yahoo.com

A few interesting points: American got Russian to disable their Sxx (it seems that Russia wanted to avoid any chance of being complicit in the attack) which allowed the apache helicopters to destory wagner tanks. Beyond that it seems that a relatively speaking poorly equip special forces team did enormous damage to the poorer equiped wagners; what is most striking to myself is the total lack of night vision equipment by the wagners in a 'well' planned attack on the americans at night.

 

[Leeea]

and now it is 3 Russian helicopters, 2 Russian two jets all of which appear to be downed from Russian "friendly" fire today!

It is raining Russian aircraft!

 

[igor_kavinski]

Wagners are only good at committing heinous war crimes against civilians.