1/ The Russian and Ukrainian armies have shown a marked contrast in their approaches to technological innovation. A post on the Russian Telegram channel Veterans' Notes suggests that Russia is bad at integrating new technology into field use. 
2/ It also highlights the institutionalised lying I've mentioned before – senior commanders were allegedly falsely informed that new technology *had* been integrated successfully, likely giving them a false idea of their units' capabilities. Translation below ⬇️
3/ [Commentary on a video of Putin being shown the new 'Strelets' command and control system]
On 20 February this year, all company commanders of the N unit were assembled at the RAW [artillery and rocket] depots and handed out all this fancy stuff. It was signed for.
On 20 February this year, all company commanders of the N unit were assembled at the RAW [artillery and rocket] depots and handed out all this fancy stuff. It was signed for.
4/ They were told to hand it out to the soldiers. The company commanders looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, signed their names and went to distribute it.
5/ To the question of squad commanders, "What is it and how do we use it?", they answered: "I don't know, you were told to take it, so take it. Tomorrow we'll go to the parade and take all this stuff with us".
6/ As a result, after the review, all this fashionable stuff with tablets and GPS navigation was taken off and thrown far away in APCs and safely forgotten FOREVER.
7/ Much was burnt out in those crazy columns [in northern Ukraine] in the spring of 2022, because no one, even the battalion commanders, knew how to use this equipment.
Exactly the same situation happened with anti-tank platoons.
Exactly the same situation happened with anti-tank platoons.
8/ They were assembled on the eve of the war, sent to the depot and were supplied with brand new Kornet anti-tank missile launchers, which, unlike previous Fagot, Konkurs and Metis anti-tank launchers, are controlled by a laser beam instead of wires.
9/ Moreover, this type of anti-tank guided missile can be fired even at night, as it is fitted with a thermal imaging guidance device. At the same time, the Fagots which they were learning to shoot all this time were confiscated.🤷 I think the metaphor is clear.
10/ Bottom line is what we have.
We've got modern weapons in the warehouses. They are there.
We've got modern weapons in the warehouses. They are there.
11/ But very "smart" commanders did not issue them to the units and did not teach their use to personnel, on the basis of the principle: "Let them lie there, it will be safer, we will have to account for them later and in general, fuck it, I don't need them, …
12/ …there will be no war anyway, we have nuclear weapons, they better go and paint the kerb one more time".
13/ In the end, when the war came suddenly, these same commanders with fishy eyes, not understanding how it all worked, gave out all this new high-tech stuff to the soldiers, who received it all with no less dumbfounded eyes and threw it away, as unnecessary trash.
14/ As a result, as you understand, reports went to the top that the soldier has everything, the army is armed with modern weapons. The commander has done well, there are no questions for the commander.
15/ So it turns out that there are modern technologies, billions have been spent, but all this turns into a pile of useless junk because of the negligence and narrow-mindedness of the boss. Something needs to be done about it. /end
(Source linked below)
t.me/notes_veterans…
t.me/notes_veterans…
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