Yuriy Kryuchkov, 'Submarines and their creators 1900–2000: Dramas of people, ships and ideas' (2010)
Shaped charge torpedo scheme
Apr 2 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
(1) If you have been kind enough to buy/download/borrow/acquire/pirate one of these books, I would like to take this opportunity to list any technical errors I made in them. If future editions are printed, they will be corrected, and if you notice any more feel free to tell me. (2) Vol. 4 Page 4: The T-44 was not the first Soviet tank with planetary gear transmission: they originally still used friction clutches like the T-34. The T-54 was the first, and T-44s were later given them when upgraded to T-44M standard in the '60s.
(1/24) Let's talk about the P-35 and Progress missiles. (2) Let us go back to the beginning. In 8̶8̶2̶, R̶u̶r̶i̶k̶'s̶ s̶u̶c̶c̶e̶s̶s̶o̶r̶ P̶r̶i̶n̶c̶e̶ O̶l̶e̶g̶ 1954, Vladimir Chelomei's 'special design group' began work on the P-5 cruise missile. Previously, they worked on the 10Kh, the Soviet copy of the German Fi 103 aka V-1.
Feb 7 • 84 tweets • 43 min read
(1/80) Today, I'd like to talk about the Project 945 Barrakuda ('Sierra I'). (2) While these subs are not involved in the war, I find the class interesting and rather neglected. There are some good English articles about them (like @CovertShores), but generally not too much about technical details. hisutton.com/Russian%20SIER…
Jan 27 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Mil Mi-24V, Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham AL
Notice anything unusual?
Jan 12 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
The Egyptian MiG-23MS experience
MiG-23 Flogger in the Middle East, Tom Cooper (2018)
The Iraqi MiG-23MS experience
Jan 5 • 12 tweets • 5 min read
Техника — молодёжи No. 4 (2017) historical series on domestic air-launched cruise missiles
10Kh and 16Kh (V-1 based)
KS-1 Komet and aircraft 'K' prototype
Dec 31, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Can't wait to see what the Russians have to say about these two
Heh heh, I expected nothing less.
Dec 20, 2023 • 27 tweets • 14 min read
(1/23) Let's look at the BTR-4E Butsefal.
(2/23) Named after Bucephalus, Alexander the Great's horse, the BTR-4 represents a break from the Soviet BTR-60/70/80 wheeled APC family. It is instead patterned on modern Western wheeled APCs such as the German TPz Fuchs.
Dec 7, 2023 • 21 tweets • 11 min read
(1/21) In what will probably be the last of my threads about the T-64's technical minutiae, I'd like to talk about the BKP transmission.
(2/21) To understand the BKP we must first go back to the T-34, which had a 4-speed gearbox (later improved 5-speed one) connected to an 'onboard/side friction clutch' (бортовой фрикцион), that also contained band brakes. This system was inherited from the Christie M1940 tank.
Dec 1, 2023 • 27 tweets • 15 min read
(1/26) Let's look at the BTR-3.
(2/26) In 1986, the Soviets adopted the BTR-80 as a planned replacement for the BTR-70, based on combat experience in Afghanistan. Though outwardly similar to the BTR-70, the BTR-80 introduced some significant changes, most notably the side hatches, turret, and transmission.
Nov 23, 2023 • 29 tweets • 18 min read
(1/25) Let's talk about Grad.
(2/25) While the M-13 ('Katyusha') and M-31 had proved successful during the war, the Soviets were impressed with German spin-stabilised rockets, particularly the 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42, which had superior accuracy and twice the range of the M-31.
Nov 16, 2023 • 26 tweets • 13 min read
(1/23) Let's look at Tyulpan.
(2/23) To understand what the Tyulpan is and why it exists, according to Shirokorad, we must go back to April 1940. The Stavka was reflecting on the lessons given by the Finns that the Soviets had paid dearly for during the Winter War. Stalin, of course, was present.
Nov 5, 2023 • 24 tweets • 6 min read
Collection of Техника и Молодежи features on various SPGs
(1/30) Let's look at the Nona-S.
(2/30) The Soviet airborne force, the VDV, have a long history of interest in SP guns. In the 1950s and 60s, they employed the ASU-57 and SU-85 SPGs. These were primarily anti-tank/direct fire weapons.
Oct 27, 2023 • 27 tweets • 14 min read
(1/24) Let's talk about Smerch.
(2/24) According to Sergey Gurov's 'MLRS Review', between 1969-1976, TulgosNIItochmash did design studies on an MRL for the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK). Development of the Smerch ('Whirlwind') project was formally ordered in 1976. missilery-info.translate.goog/gallery/mlrsre…
Oct 25, 2023 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
152-mm D-1. Entering service in 1943, it is a fairly well-known World War II artillery piece. But during the war, it was one of the rarest of the Soviet 152-mm howitzers.
Wartime D-1 production was relatively small, at only 1,058 by the end of 1945.
Oct 18, 2023 • 46 tweets • 25 min read
(1/40) Let's look at the S-300P.
(2/40) In 1966, the Military-Industrial Commission (VPK) tasked KB-1 (today the 'Almaz' part of Almaz-Antey) under Aleksandr Raspletin with developing the next-generation S-300 air defense system. They had worked on all the PVO's previous SAM systems, from the S-25 to S-200.
Oct 12, 2023 • 41 tweets • 21 min read
(1/30) Let's talk about Buk.
(2/30) 'Buk' ('birch', pronounced more like 'book', not 'buck') is the successor to the famous Kub/Kvadrat ('Cube'/'Square') SAM family, the standard army/division-level SAM of the Warsaw Pact in the 1970-80s.
Oct 8, 2023 • 38 tweets • 20 min read
(1/30) Let's talk about the Msta-S.
(2/30) In the 1970s, the primary division-level Soviet SPA was the 2S3 Akatsiya. At the time, it was considered on par with its Western counterparts, such as the American M109 and French Canon de 155 mm mle. F3 automouvant.
(1/30) Today, instead of something I'd like to talk about someone instead. This is Maj. Vasyl Mykolayovych Bozhok.
(2/30) Maj. Bozhok is (as last reported in April 2022) chief of staff of one of the 92nd Assault Brigade (92 OShBr) battalions. However, in 2014, he had only just graduated from the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy in 2013.