UK Defence Forum

Is it possible Russia is reactivating the t-54 and t-55 because they have a lot of 100 mil rounds they can use

Switchblade 300 and 600 are very good apparently.

300 showing up after being written off last year. New production block and explosive content.

I have seen a few videos of the 300 version being used (it looks very effective) but can't recall any footage at all of the 600 model. Is that definitely in use already or just scheduled to be delivered?

The game changer will be GSDB with it's range and cost

Phil Sayers wrote: ↑30 Mar 2023, 14:05 I have seen a few videos of the 300 version being used (it looks very effective) but can't recall any footage at all of the 600 model. Is that definitely in use already or just scheduled to be delivered?

Worth a read

Associated Press interview with Zelenskyy yesterday

"WESTERN WEAPONS
Throughout much of the war, Ukraine’s military has been bolstered by billions of dollars of ammunition and weaponry from Western nations. Zelenskyy welcomed the help but said some of the promised weapons had not yet been delivered.
“We have great decisions about Patriots, but we don’t have them for real,” he said, referring to the U.S.-made air defense system.
Ukrainian soldiers have received training in the U.S. since January on how to use the Patriot system, but it hasn’t yet been deployed in Ukraine.
Ukraine needs 20 Patriot batteries to protect against Russian missiles, and even that may not be enough “as no country in the world was attacked with so many ballistic rockets,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy added that a European nation sent another air defense system to Ukraine, but it didn’t work and they “had to change it again and again.” He did not name the country.
Zelenskyy also reiterated his longstanding request for fighter jets, saying “we still don’t have anything when it comes to modern warplanes.” Poland and Slovakia have decided to give Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine, but no Western country so far has agreed to provide modern warplanes amid concern that it could escalate the conflict and draw them in deeper."

Re. the need for 20 Patriot batteries reflecting the very limited range of 30 miles? against TBMs so easily understand requirement for 20 batteries if not more.
Any thoughts on which European air defence system didn't work, has anyone been monitoring and keeping list of which systems have been delivered to Ukraine?

From <https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-zele ... daf914fd45>

SAMP-t perhaps

Given the environment and threats no system maybe especially effective

Enigmatically wrote: ↑03 Apr 2023, 13:52 SAMP-t perhaps

Given the environment and threats no system maybe especially effective

As far as know as yet no SAMP/T delivered to Ukraine as yet, expected shortly.

Ukraine has received two batteries of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) from the United States which uses the AIM-120 AMRAAM

https://defbrief.com/2022/09/25/zelensk ... o-ukraine/

NASAMS is also a possibility. I cannot now see confirmed SAMP-t delivery but I thought I had

NickC wrote: ↑31 Mar 2023, 11:49 Any thoughts on which European air defence system didn't work, has anyone been monitoring and keeping list of which systems have been delivered to Ukraine?

MIM-23 Hawk, perhaps? The original comment only notes an air defence system sent by a European country, not necessarily manufactured by one.

I am thinking it could be Aspide which was confirmed to be delivered circa six months ago but about which there does not seem to have been any further mention since.

Enigmatically wrote: ↑03 Apr 2023, 17:09 NASAMS is also a possibility. I cannot now see confirmed SAMP-t delivery but I thought I had

A photo from Clash Report tweet

If reading correctly another $2.6 billion in latest US military aid package bound for Ukraine

$0.5 billion Presidential drawdown from DoD stocks includes:-
--Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems.
--Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
--Artillery rounds: 155 mm and 105 mm.
--Mortar rounds: 120 mm.
--Tank ammunition: 120 mm and 105 mm.
--Ammunition: 25 mm.
--Tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missiles, TOW.
--About 400 grenade launchers and 200,000 rounds of ammunition.
--Tactical vehicles to recover equipment: 11.
--Heavy fuel tankers: 61.
--Heavy equipment transport: 10 trucks and 10 trailers.
--Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair.
--Spare parts and other field equipment

$2.1 billion Ukraine Security Assistance - procurement from industry
--Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, NASAMS
--Nine counter-unmanned serial system 30 mm gun trucks.
--Mobile counter-unmanned aircraft system, or C-UAS, laser-guided rocket systems: 10.
--Three air surveillance radars.
--Anti-aircraft ammunition: 30 mm and 23 mm.
--Artillery rounds: 130 mm and 122 mm.
--Grad rockets: 122 mm.
--Rocket launchers and ammunition.
--Mortar systems: 120 mm and 81 mm.
--Mortar rounds: 120 mm, 81 mm, and 60 mm.
--Tank ammunition: 120 mm.
--Javelin anti-armor systems.
--Anti-armor rockets.
--Precision aerial munitions.
--About 3,600 small arms and more than 23 million rounds of small-arms ammunition.
--Seven tactical vehicles to recover equipment.
--Eight heavy fuel tankers and 105 fuel trailers.
--Armored bridging systems.
--Four logistics support vehicles.
--Trucks and 10 trailers to transport heavy equipment.
--Secure communications equipment.
--Satellite communications terminals and services.
--Funding for training, maintenance and sustainment.

PS understand US has as yet not initiated training Ukrainian troops in Germany on the 31 M1A2? tanks

https://www.defense-aerospace.com/us-an ... r-ukraine/

Given that Poland has been planning to do this for quite some time I wonder whether these aircraft have received a few discrete modifications such as e.g the ability to fire Storm Shadow.

Phil Sayers wrote: ↑05 Apr 2023, 14:55

Given that Poland has been planning to do this for quite some time I wonder whether these aircraft have received a few discrete modifications such as e.g the ability to fire Storm Shadow.

You couldn't modify the Mig29 to carry and launch Storm Shadow unfortunately.

Next day Prime Delivery : https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/d ... into-focus ???

JDAM-ER in use. Could make a big difference if supplied in bulk but I suspect the US will drip-feed supplying these:

April 19th additional $325 million is the thirty-sixth US Presidential Drawdown military aid package for Ukraine since August 2021

-- Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
-- 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
-- Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
-- AT-4 anti-armor weapon systems;
-- Anti-tank mines;
-- Demolition munitions for obstacle clearing;
-- Over 9 million rounds of small arms ammunition;
-- Four logistics support vehicles;
-- Precision aerial munitions;
-- Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair;
-- Port and harbor security equipment;
-- Spare parts and other field equipment

https://www.defense-aerospace.com/us-an ... r-ukraine/

Trolling turned into an art form. Make a total mockery of Russia's air defences and do it so precisely as to hit the flag on top of the Kremlin without doing any real damage. (Lots of speculation this could be a false flag attack which I'm not ruling out but I don't see how that is compatible with the domestic image of strength that Russia likes to project):

IMHO I think it's another false flag type of thing. Fly a drone to the Kremlin, just to crash into a flag pole?

This is highly embarrassing for Russia on the one hand a Ukraine slow moving drone made it all the way to the Kremlin meaning there air defence is shit and they can't protect the Russian people and on other hand they have stooped so low as to think there people are so thick they will suck it up ether way not a good look at all

Would have been much better to say Ukrainian sympathizers had attempted an attack

Tempest414 wrote: ↑04 May 2023, 08:41 This is highly embarrassing for Russia on the one hand a Ukraine slow moving drone made it all the way to the Kremlin meaning there air defence is shit and they can't protect the Russian people and on other hand they have stooped so low as to think there people are so thick they will suck it up ether way not a good look at all

Would have been much better to say Ukrainian sympathizers had attempted an attack

I'm 'fully' in the false flag camp here.

I'm worried this is a precursor for a brutal Russian vengeance 'decapitation' mission of some sort, in an attempt to take out the Ukrainian leadership.

I wouldn't put anything past that insane Rabid dog...

The problem I have with this theory is that if Russia had a means to decapitate Ukraine's leadership they would have just done it rather than hold back until they had this 'justification'. They have attempted to assassinate Zelensky before on a few occasions. I just cannot see the motivation for a false flag attack - particularly given that it would be blindingly obvious to anyone who has seen footage of the attack that the goal (successfully met) was symbolism rather a genuine attempt to kill Putin or even really damage the building.