Thread: Some people are questioning whether the war in Karabakh proves that the tank is obsolete. A better question to ask is how Azerbaijan was able to punch through NKR's defenses, seize fortified positions, and exploit that success in the south? businessinsider.com/drones-in-arme…
TB2 didn't seize fortified positions. They degraded Armenia's ability to defend its positions, but ultimately Az SOF or infantry forces had to take those positions while under fire. T-72/90S tanks, BMP-2/3, BTR-82A, SandCats, and MRAPs all played a key role supporting them. 2/
There are some obvious lessons from the conflict, but some conclusions are premature. We still have little idea of Azerbaijan's death total. If Azerbaijan sustained comparable casualties to Armenia, will people still write hyperbolic pieces about the dominance of UAVs? 3/
That isn't to say UAVs weren't critical, but they were just one part and Az soldiers still had to take fortified defensive positions, likely sustaining heavy casualties. Both sides have posted countless videos of the bodies of soldiers killed by small arms fire. 4/
That's why combined arms is a thing. Any single component has its weaknesses than are mitigated by other assets. Infantry by themselves will take heavy casualties when assaulting fortified positions or urban areas without tanks. Tanks by themselves are also vulnerable. 5/
From another perspective, once Armenia's tank force was significantly degraded, (they couldn't reinforce positions or counterattack with tanks) Azerbaijan was able to have significant success. Does that tell us that tanks are obsolete, or that they are vital in modern warfare? 6/
I'm of the latter view. That interpretation means that protecting your armor is critical in modern warfare, and that investments in SHORAD/EW/etc and new TTPs are necessary to protect that asset. And what will ground forces do without tanks? Is there a better alternative? 7/
Many, if not most, of the tanks struck by TB2 MAM-L munitions and possibly loitering munitions were mobility kills and not K-kills, especially with near misses. What do you think the survivability is for guys in an unarmored vehicle with a two meter MAM-L miss? Not great. 8/
And while TB2 played a very important role, their munitions weren't effective enough against NKR defensive positions. That's why we increasingly saw Su-25 laser guided bombs, EXTRA, LORA, or MLRS fire on these positions as the conflict went on. 9/
Not to mention, they aren't really capable of suppressing a defensive position. That's where artillery, mortars, cannons, grenades, machine guns, etc. come in by echelon. Much of this isn't that dissimilar to the experience of ground forces in the attack in World War II. 10/
Azerbaijan was able to have success in the south where there is relatively flat terrain, but not much in the north where the terrain is mountainous. Part of the explanation is that Azerbaijan could more effectively employ its superior armor in the south but not in the north. 11/
The Armenian military also had some weaknesses that aren't as applicable to most Western militaries. It lacks a strong air force and a strong long-range precision fire capability. Most NATO countries have air forces that could counter TB2 in the air or on the ground. 12/
We should ask the Armenians and Azerbaijanis whether they drew this lesson about the obsolesce of the tank. Azerbaijan used tanks throughout and compensated for their vulnerability to mines by placing MRAPs up front and operating with BMPs/dismounts. 13/
A snapshot of the fighting in the south with Azerbaijani armor advancing as Armenian ground troops retreat. This was around the time when Azerbaijani forces began to make serious territorial gains, and armor clearly played a key role. 14/
Likewise, when the weather was sufficiently overcast to hinder the operation of TB2s, Armenia threw some of their remaining tanks and BMPs into the decisive battle for Shusha. Clearly, they thought tanks still had utility. 15/
It is also important to note that the Marine Corps isn't getting rid of tanks because they are obsolete, but because it is fundamentally an expeditionary light infantry force with combined arms capabilities restructuring itself to focus on China and the Asia-Pacific. 16/
Mobility and long-range precision fires will be more critical in that environment, and the US Army will still retain the US military's armor capabilities (and would take the lead in any land war scenario, with the Marine Corps conducting supporting/shaping operations). 17/
So tanks are less critical for the USMC, and vertical cuts are the best way to achieve significant cost savings required to afford the new, expensive capabilities it needs for the Asia-Pacific. 18/
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
“When North Korean troops first appeared on the battlefield last month, Ukrainian soldiers were stunned by how they moved in large groups and did not even attempt to hide from Ukrainian drones. Many were easily killed in those initial waves, but in ensuing battles, the new arrivals proved to be combat-ready, physically fit and skilled marksmen, the Ukrainians said…
But the North Koreans also fought fiercely and aggressively, demonstrating advanced war tactics…
Some North Korean troops, the documents said, repeatedly rushed to rescue their fellow wounded soldiers despite the risks of enemy attacks, causing further casualties.” washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/…
@siobhan_ogrady @serhiikorolchuk @EdR4m
"Used in infantry attacks and largely unsupported by armored vehicles or artillery, the North Koreans have appeared in videos shot from Ukrainian drones—cut down as they trek across barren fields. Ukrainian soldiers say they have been impressed by the North Koreans’ willingness to press forward even as their comrades perish alongside them...
North Korean troops have also chosen death over capture, Ukrainian soldiers say, carrying a grenade with which to blow themselves up or, in rare cases, a shiv with which to cut their arteries. One North Korean detained by Ukrainians was taken alive before but, heavily wounded, he died during transportation, according to Ukrainian officials.
'Their motivation is at a high level,' said Green. 'Their physical training is at a high level, and their readiness to die is the same.'"
@JaneLytv @DaslYoon wsj.com/world/inside-a…
"The North Korean soldiers fighting for Moscow in Russia’s Kursk region are assigned their own patches of land to assault. Unlike their Russian counterparts, they advance with almost no armored vehicles in support.
When they attack, they do not pause to regroup or retreat, as the Russians often do when they start taking heavy losses, Ukrainian soldiers and American officials say. Instead, they move under heavy fire across fields strewed with mines and will send in a wave of 40 or more troops.
If they seize a position, they do not try to secure it. They leave that to Russian reinforcements, while they drop back and prepare for another assault...
[North Korean] Reinforcements are expected 'within the next two months,' according to one senior U.S. defense official...
The North Korean forces deployed to Ukraine included around 500 officers and at least three generals, according to Ukrainian military intelligence.
The generals are posted at Russian command and control headquarters, U.S. defense officials said, and that is where the objectives are decided.
The commanders decide when they need artillery and how long to wait before ground forces maneuver, a senior U.S. defense official said. They synchronize with the troops in the field, so that the troops are not talking to their Russian counterparts, to try to reduce miscommunication.
Ukrainian soldiers fighting in Kursk said the North Korean tactics were costly but effective.
'The Koreans are starting to push the front lines, targeting less defended areas and wearing out our troops that way,' said Oleksii, the platoon commander...
Ukrainian soldiers said the North Koreans should not be underestimated.
'They are being tested, really tested,' said Andrii, the drone commander. They did not have combat experience, he said, but 'now they are here, gaining it, and they are becoming very strong.'”
@MarcSantoraNYT @helenecooper nytimes.com/2025/01/22/wor…
A number of Russian channels say that Ukraine has began an offensive operation from near Sudzha towards Bolshoye Soldatskoye in Kursk oblast with armored vehicles. They say Ukrainian EW has been effective against their UAVs and that Ukrainian units cleared mines overnight. t.me/rusich_army/19… t.me/razvedosaa/122… t.me/RVvoenkor/83908 t.me/milinfolive/13…
Some Russian channels have been warning recently of a Ukrainian build up near Kursk and a potential offensive. Romanov warned that Ukraine would strike before January 7th. 2/ t.me/romanov_92/457…
One channel says Ukrainian forces are attacking in the direction of Leonidovo, Pushkarnoe, and Bolshoye Soldatskoye, and using IMR engineering vehicles to clear mines. 3/ t.me/rusich_army/19…
Video of an armored column with at least 8 tanks and armored vehicles from the Russian VDV's 51st Airborne Regiment assaulting Snagost in Kursk oblast. It appears Russia was able to get the armored force across the Seym River, despite Ukrainian strikes on the bridges. @Deepstate_UA says the situation has worsened on Ukraine's left flank in Kursk oblast.
"Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, a move that will give Moscow another potent military tool to use in the war against Ukraine and follows stern Western warnings not to provide those arms to Moscow, according to U.S. and European officials." @wstrobel @mgordonwsj @laurnorman wsj.com/world/u-s-tell…
"A U.S. official confirmed the missiles 'have finally been delivered'...
The shipment involves a couple of hundred short-range ballistic missiles, according to Western officials. Iran has a variety of such weapons, with a range stretching up to around 500 miles.
'This is not the end,' a senior European official said, noting that Iran is expected to keep weapons flowing into Russia"
.@AlbertoNardelli and @nat_droz also report that Iran has sent ballistic missiles to Russia. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…