Thread by @Jringo1508

A thread about the Moskva.
1/

https://twitter.com/DavidKillion4/status/1514999343216050176

'The US was slow.'

The DOD has gotten taken to the woodshed for decades by the US military for the SLIGHTEST wrong thing said. Even if the statement was as accurate as they knew at the time.
2/

So the DOD is ALWAYS CAREFUL WHAT THEY SAY.

Which gets to the Moskva incident.

Most likely scenario, based on what we've been given:
3/

The Ukrainians hit the Moskva, a very large cruiser, at night, in what can best be termed a storm, from near the max range of a brand new missile system, never before tested, that was designed to destroy ships HALF the size of the cruiser.

Or so they claimed.
4/

In addition, the Moskva was SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED as a primary SAM base, designed to take on US guided missile cruisers and carriers.

So... how the fudge did the Ukrainians manage the damned near impossible?

The DOD has a pretty good relationship with Ukraine.
5/

And the Ukrainians have been about as honest as anyone can expect in a war. Very much as the DOD acts. They might be 'wrong' but they're not lying.

So the DOD probably was going 'well... they haven't lied about it before...'
6/

Then there's the fact that the Ukrainians SAID they'd hit it before the Russians announced it was on fire.

All of which points to the Ukrainians having hit it, set it on fire, out of control, leading to it sinking.

Which the DOD has, now, confirmed.
7/

Problem remaining: It was an INCREDIBLE FEAT.

Brand new missile.
Never really tested.
Too small to kill a cruiser.
At night.
In Storm.
Nailed it.
Sank the Russian Battleship.
HOW?????

(Taps side of head)

THE UKRAINIANS MADE THE SHIP!
8/

The Moskva (then Slava) as built in 1982 IN UKRAINE.

It was built in Crimea.

That means that while the Russians may currently hold Crimea, the Ukrainians had access to the ENTIRE DESIGN for years.

Every ship has a Thermal Exhaust Port. (Metaphorically)
9/

Every ship has weaknesses. That's why DETAIL plans of warships are always classified. So that enemies don't figure out the thermal exhaust port.

The Moskva had been doing a very regular patrol, ensuring that the Ukrainians had to keep forces pinned on the coast.
10/

The 'rumor' is that a TB2 drone was used.

So.

Distract with drone + ID location of target.
Program the Neptune to hit the specific weak point.
Wait for bad conditions to keep the missile from being spotted.

The Russians said a fire set off ammunition stores.
11/

So... fuel line badly placed by a magazine? It's one of the reasons that designing warships is so difficult. They're basically lots of stuff that goes boomity packed into a very small area that's otherwise engines.

Whatever, the Ukrainians knew its weaknesses.
12/

One fire started, throw in the usual Russian efficiency we've seen on everything...

YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!

There's always a thermal exhaust port and some lunkhead in an X Wing...

Which counts for any military, any year, in any galaxy.

Which is the moral of the story.

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