A video of a Ukrainian M777 crew firing Excalibur rounds from the same spot for hours without any fear of russian counter battery fire.
That is very interesting as it tells us a lot about the artillery battle. A short thread 🧵:
1/n
First, if you fire M982A1 Excalibur rounds (range 40+ km) you're outside the range of all russian tube artillery, Grad, and Uragan. You can hit them, but they can't hit you.
Secondly, M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS have destroyed massive amounts of russian 2/n
artillery ammo. And thanks to the range and precision of GMLRS rockets Ukraine can hit and destroy all russian artillery it discovers.
russia has now less artillery systems and less ammo, and russian gunners have learned by now that if they fire a few rounds, then 3/n
Ukraine's counter battery radars, like i.e. the German COBRA or the American AN/TPQ-36 will pinpoint the russian gunner's location within seconds and then Ukrainian shells and rockets come flying.
russia has counter battery radars of its own... but if russian operators 4/n
switch their counter battery radars on, they are gonna attract a AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile, which the US and Ukraine integrated on Ukraine's Mig-29.
And getting hit by a HARM is deadly. So, all that russia can do now to spot Ukrainian artillery is use their drones. 5/n
But with thousands of Stingers all over the front, and now also heavier weapon systems like the British Stormer HVM and German Gepard, using drones becomes riskier and riskier for russia, which as we know is unable to replace the drones it lost so far (that is why putin had 6/n
to buy drones in Iran).
The Red Army and the russian army were both artillery-centric, and until HIMARS arrived the russians just smashed entire cities to rubble with their artillery to then conquer the ruins. That is over.
GMLRS, HARM, Stinger, Excalibur, etc. all
7/n
contributed to help Ukraine crush russia's artillery advantage... but advantage is not victory.
Ukraine needs more howitzers (especially self-propelled), more ammo (especially precision guided ammo), more air defense, and more radars to fully annihilate russia's artillery.
8/end
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Italy's 61º Stormo received enough of the new T-345A basic jet trainers to begin pilot training this June.
As everyone knows, I am all for growing European militaries and adding capabilities... but why does EVERYTHING have to be with US engines?
Europe must stop buying US
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made kit, components and weapon systems.
The Italian T-345A (left) and the Czech L-39 Skyfox (right) are the only two basic jet trainers currently in production in Europe... and both use a Williams International FJ44-4M turbofan made in Ogden, Utah.
Yes, there are more 2/n
American components than just the engines in both, but as aircraft are designed around their engines Europe needs to stop buying American and start building engines again.
Both planes the T-345A and L-39 Skyfox replace used European engines: the Italian MB-339 (pic) 3/n
To my American followers: it is time to plan for exile.
Doesn't mean you will have to leave, but based on experiences of Jews fleeing Nazi Germany after 1933 here are a few things to make escape and exile easier:
1) get an up to date passport (the regime might no issue you
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one in the future thus stranding you) 2) if possible get a passport from another nation. It doesn't matter which; just get a passport the regime can't cancel. 3) open bank accounts in a foreign nation (I can't stress this enough! The regime will freeze your American accounts,
2/n
which will prevent you i.e. from booking a flight; and you will arrive in another nation penniless if you do not shift your funds into a non-American bank in a non-American nation ASAP) 4) plan for the regime putting you on a no-fly list. How can you get to the border and to
3/n
I am sorry 🇸🇪 Sweden, but I must talk about the Blekinge-class submarine procurement disaster.
Because it exemplifies what happens, when a nation guts its defence budget AND nonetheless demands from its defence industry to deliver cutting edge systems.
This never works!
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Sweden built its first submarine HM Hajen (pic) in 1904.
Since then Sweden continuously built submarines at Kockums' shipyard in Malmö and at the state owned Karlskrona shipyard.
Between December 1954 and December 1988 (34 years) the two yards launched 24 newly built and 2/n
6 upgraded submarines (The latter, the Jaktubåtarna boats, were extensively reconstructed WWII era coastal submarines).
From 1960 to 1979 Swedish defence spending was always above 3%... in 1980 the decline began, but when the last Västergötland-class submarine was launched 3/n
Those of us, who have been at Euromaidan, know that Ukrainians are fearless, fight for freedom, and never surrender.
Even if the US betrays them, they will fight on.
If you ever met a Ukrainian, you would know that.
Trump etc. have no clue, about these people. 1/9
Ukrainians stood their ground and defend their capital against these russian stormtroopers for months... in the deepest winter.
Ukrainians, like the English, Scottish, Welsh and North Irish during the Blitz 1940, never surrender. They will continue the fight even if alone. 2/9
I lived in Ukraine from 2009 to 2015... the Ukrainian people want to be European and free.
They already fought two revolutions in this century for freedom and Europe.
Now Ukrainians fight bloodiest war in 80 years to keep Europe safe from tyranny and destruction. 3/9