Thread by @JBelcourt73

Part 2: Near and Longer Term Ukrainian Armor needs. To start some caveats. 1. I don't know the average bridge loading of Ukrainian bridges, 2. how many (if any) class 70 AVLB and bailey bridges they have 3. the maximum width of track vehicles on Ukranian trains. 4. Ukraine

uses the 4 tank platoon doctrinally. 5. Ukraine may have lost as many as half its pre-war tank fleet of mostly T-64BV tanks. 6. The main combat formation is the brigade. With all that said let's dig in. I think its obvious that I think that the big western MBT's are superior for

a number of reasons from crew efficiency, to sensing and FCS but also gun power. One of the big oft overlooked draw backs of the T series tanks is two piece ammo. This limits the overall L/D ratio of the sabots and this impacts performance. NATO APFSDS penetrators extend down

through the propellant and can be almost a meter long giving them a very efficient L/D ratio. Think performance between a cloth yard arrow and a stubby crossbow bolt. Up close it doesn't really matter but at range... Further older Soviet APFSDS were bore riding and incredibly

draggy but newer rounds use a spool style sabot allowing smaller fins on the darts along NATO lines to help preserve energy. I don't doubt that if the supporting infrastructure was there from mechanics and stores to bridges and bridging gear American Abrams or Leopard 2's

substituted for T series tanks would have seen the recent counter offensives go from smashing success to something akin to Iraq 91 redux. The Russians would not have just been smashed but completely over run and destroyed. Post 91 the Soviets and then the Russians claimed Western

success was not due to a generational leap in capabilities but due to Iraq's lack of skill and use of "monkey" models that were downgraded for export. Now 7 months into the largest turret tossing competition ever seen we know that was a lie

We also know that no one has supplied these awesome machines to Ukraine. Instead she was given T-72's and has managed to capture a huge amount of Russian kit. I think this is in part practical. Without the pre-existing infrastructure taking a tank that is 30+% heavier into combat

limits operations to dry weather where there are not rivers to cross. There is a lot of Ukraine in Russian hands behind rivers. Why make it harder to conduct operations. Yes this means that more Ukrainians are going to die in brewed up T-series tanks but since Ukraine at this

likely has more "modern" tanks than Russia and uses them in a base 2 (4 tank platoon) manner doctrinally I think being able to sustain offensive operations over the longer term is superior to a couple of breakthrough brigades that get stuck at water crossings or get stopped by

mechanical attrition/ run out of ammo because there are not enough spares, mechanics and logistics support. The trade off for more dead Ukrainian tankers is the ability to sustain operations to free more Ukrainians from the rape, torture and murder they face while being occupied.

to this end, I think this is where the West should focus in the short term: keep the T tanks fighting so that Ukrainian operations do not have to pause. On the plus side, Russia is running out of "modern" tanks and increasingly the Ukrainians are able to own the night and conduct

round the clock operations. Since the Russians are back footed, keep on the gas. My attitudes change post war. Russia has wrecked Ukraine and the Ukrainian Army as it exists now is going to be unaffordable and Ukraine would see a better return on scarce defense dollars by

transitioning from a conscript "levee en mass" army to a professional corps of armored Spartans in either leopard 2's or Abrams. The rebuilding process will also allow the needed upgrades to the transport infrastructure needed to make sure there are always enough ways to get from

here to there. So there you have it, raver's views on Ukraine's tank needs. Rather than devoting time, space and money to getting big cats loosed on the Ukrainian steppes we should keep on keeping on. @POTUS just announced even more #HIMARS for Ukraine something I am sure my

elected leaders @JohnBoozman, @SenTomCotton, and @RepFrenchHill support as much as I do. I am thankful they are supportive, too many so called "conservatives" are suddenly coming online to decry aid to Ukraine. I don't think its Russian directed, but i do think its political. We

are in the closing stretch of election season here and people are trying to score political points. I will say this as a conservative, no conservative that opposes aid to Ukraine will ever get my vote or donations. Politics stop when opposing the #GenocideOfUkrainians full stop.

The Russian trolls and usual suspects are also very active, a pretty typical refrain: we must appease Putin or he will glass us". No, we must oppose Putin or he will glass us. We are only in this situation becuase we did not say no in Georgia, Transnistria, ammo explosions in the

Czech Republic and Bulgaria, WMD assassinations on NATO soil, election meddling and elite capture efforts... We enabled Putin to the point he thought we always would and now here we are. Anymore appeasement or blind eyes really does risk Armageddon. So if you see them online

peddling Putin's crap, bonk them. Even better of you do so as a #FELLA and member of #NAFO becuase then they get bonked and the @georgian_legion gets more fun to super bonk actual Russians and turn them into sunflower food. Oh speaking of those sneaky guys from #Georgia... They

#rickrolled me lol. I was not expecting that. Another and critical way to bonk vatniks is too be informed in the first place. My go to is the @MriyaReport a space dedicated to 24/7/365 coverage of and discussion of all things touching on the war in Ukraine and to supporting

fundraising for @MriyaAid a very worthwhile charity. Until Ukraine wins on Ukraine's terms: Slava Ukraini! PS I know my views won't go over well with the Leopards now crowd. I welcome the debate the goal is fewer Ukrainian lives lost and more lands liberated after all.

#russiaisateroriststate #russianMobilization #UkraineWillWin #Arkansas @mfa_russia <--- still losing ( and donating tanks to the Ukrainian army).

@threadreaderapp unroll please