Russia and its “Special Operation” in Ukraine

[Xann]

The Swiss have amended their neutrality laws to allow the supply of arms to Ukraine.

[Genie]

neutral-ish

[bickster]

New rumours about the downed helicopters from yesterday. 

1.  One of the helicopters was a special Electronics jamming copter specially fitted with electronics warfare equipment like radar jammers etc
2. One of the copters was carrying the officers of two artillery divisions travelling from group headquarters to the units to inspect them

No verification if either is true but both rumours originate from Russian sources.

[sidcow]

47 minutes ago, bickster said:

One of the copters was carrying the officers of two artillery divisions

Oh no. Russia losing 2 senior officers could be a major blow to Ukraine. 

[bickster]

17 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Oh no. Russia losing 2 senior officers could be a major blow to Ukraine. 

More than 2, the senior officers of two artillery divisions, probably more like 6 to 8, the very top of the units command structures

[blandy]

21 hours ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Someone has supplied Ukraine with missiles that actively seek out radar signals.  AAMRAMS.  These things just lock onto radar signals and follow them to the source.  

I might be barking up the wrong tree, but there are AMRAAMs - Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missiles, which along with ASRAAMs (same mnemonic, but short range, natch) are standard for the RAF (and other NATO nations), and they (AMRAAM), replaced the semi active MRAAM (which followed the fighters own Radar refelctions from the target), but anyway, they are not radar seeking missiles, so much as they are active radar guided missiles - they have their own radar. (ASRAAM use optical/IR seekers). HARMs (high speed anti radar missile) are used to attack radars (on the ground from aircraft). I don't know of any fighter carried, anti aircraft radar seeking missiles as such (as in they home in on the other aircraft's radar signal).

it may be that you're right, but I've not heard of AAMRAMs.

/Geek

Edited May 14, 2023 by blandy
typos

[Mandy Lifeboats]

Russian news sources and supporters are in chaos. 

Prigozhin openly criticised the Russia Army.  This is a criminal offence and many are calling for his imprisonment.  

Prigozhin has appealed for more ammunition saying that his forces are having to expend more than expected in order to prevent the Russian Army retreating.  That's not a typing mistake.  They are having to shell positions behind the Russian Army.  

Wagner is also suspected of accepting  army deserters into their own ranks rather than sending them back to the Army, 

Many think Prigozhin has realised that he's the scape goat and he now has nothing to lose. Many say he's actually striking a deal with Ukraine/NATO to get himself out of there.  Many say the army would rather join him to fight Putin than carry on the fight in Ukraine.

Meanwhile the Russian public is split.  40% think Wagner is to blame.  40% think the Army is to blame. 

Prigozhin has confirmed that Russia shot down 5 of its own aircraft yesterday.  

But my favourite comment for today is that the best way to defeat British Storm Shadow Missiles is to stop them being produced by nuking Bolton.  I am not sure if they are produced in Bolton.....but its got to be worth a couple of nukes anyway. 

 

 

 

[Mandy Lifeboats]

1 minute ago, blandy said:

I might be barking up the wrong tree, but there are AMRAAMs - Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missiles, which along with ASRAAMs (same mnemonic, but short range, natch) are standard for the RAF (and other NATO nations), and they AMRAAM, repalced the semi active MRAAM (which followed the fighters own Radar refelctions from the target), but anyway, they are not radar seeking missiles, so much as they are active radar guided missiles - they have their own radar. (ASRAAM use optical/IR seekers). HARMs (high speed anti radar missile) are used to attack radars (on the ground from aircraft). I don't know of any fighter carried anti aircraft radar seeking missiles as such (as in they home in on the other aircraft's radar signal).

it may be that you're right, but I've not heard of AAMRAMs.

/Geek

That's easy for you to say. 

I know nothing about the topic and don't know my HARMs from my ELBOWs. 

[blandy]

2 minutes ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

That's easy for you to say. 

Yeah, it is, I suppose - I don't know much about most of all this Russia business, but I do know about the military aviation side of it all, from y'know, doing it for 40+ years

[Mandy Lifeboats]

1 minute ago, blandy said:

Yeah, it is, I suppose - I don't know much about most of all this Russia business, but I do know about the military aviation side of it all, from y'know, doing it for 40+ years

It was a humourous comment on the complexity of the message rather than questioning you knowledge.  I know that you know your stuff. 

[Mandy Lifeboats]

This guy is a Finish military reserve.  He is also well connected with Russian sources.  His stuff is normally reliable. 

 

 

 

[blandy]

9 minutes ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

my favourite comment for today is that the best way to defeat British Storm Shadow Missiles is to stop them being produced by nuking Bolton

They're actually pretty old, they were a MATRA BAE Dynamics designed missile, I think it was the Stevenage site that designed them, a sort of UK/French joint company, now called MBDA. I'm not sure where they are/were made, but maybe at Royal Ordnance Lostok just outside Bolton, which is now a housing estate.

[blandy]

18 hours ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

I guess the ex-Polish MIGS may have been converted to some NATO weapons as part of Poland's integration into NATO.  

I doubt we have given them Storm Shadow cruise missiles to be fired from the back of a truck.  I guess the Brits and the Poles have developed a workaround.

https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsDocDetails.aspx?ident_number=37120

Click on "Revision E" and enjoy the pdf of the Mil Std of what the workaround would have to address....

[Anthony]

9 hours ago, Xann said:

The Swiss have amended their neutrality laws to allow the supply of arms to Ukraine.

Proximity fused AA Gepard ammo comes only from the Swiss. Critical in killing drones. This is good news.

[avfc1982am]

 

[magnkarl]

What I can say is that Russia now appearing to be losing its grip on Bakhmut is going down a storm with one of my FB friends who have claimed that Russia has 'basically taken Bakhmut' for 6 months now. Even his brother is calling him out openly on facebook.

The life of a conspiracy theorist is really getting sad, they're losing all their favourites, Trump, Putin, anti-vaxx etc.

Russia also lost two Colonels yesterday as Ukraine closed the pocket near Ivanivske just South of Bakhmut. Ukraine will likely take Klishchiivka (which they are HIMARs'ing to no end right now) and then try to bring Wagner\VDV in Bakhmut into a pocket the coming week.

Edited May 15, 2023 by magnkarl

[Mandy Lifeboats]

18 hours ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Russian news sources and supporters are in chaos. 

Prigozhin openly criticised the Russia Army.  This is a criminal offence and many are calling for his imprisonment.  

Prigozhin has appealed for more ammunition saying that his forces are having to expend more than expected in order to prevent the Russian Army retreating.  That's not a typing mistake.  They are having to shell positions behind the Russian Army.  

Wagner is also suspected of accepting  army deserters into their own ranks rather than sending them back to the Army, 

Many think Prigozhin has realised that he's the scape goat and he now has nothing to lose. Many say he's actually striking a deal with Ukraine/NATO to get himself out of there.  Many say the army would rather join him to fight Putin than carry on the fight in Ukraine.

Meanwhile the Russian public is split.  40% think Wagner is to blame.  40% think the Army is to blame. 

Prigozhin has confirmed that Russia shot down 5 of its own aircraft yesterday.  

But my favourite comment for today is that the best way to defeat British Storm Shadow Missiles is to stop them being produced by nuking Bolton.  I am not sure if they are produced in Bolton.....but its got to be worth a couple of nukes anyway. 

 

 

 

The Washington Post is now reporting that Prigozhin offered to give away Russia troop positions in return for Bakhmut. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Mandy Lifeboats
Spelling mishsteaks

[Mandy Lifeboats]

18 hours ago, blandy said:

https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsDocDetails.aspx?ident_number=37120

Click on "Revision E" and enjoy the pdf of the Mil Std of what the workaround would have to address....

Worst " Rick Roll" ever. 

 

[blandy]

1 hour ago, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Worst " Rick Roll" ever.

Also the most boring training course I've ever done. The first 2 days on the hardware requirements were exceedingly tedious, and then the last day on the databus message requirements (Mil-Std-1553) sent me over the edge into a kind of zombie state, from which I only recently emerged, some 30 years later.

Anyway, I read something on my iPad this morning, which said that AMRAAMs, which we covered yesterday (an Air to Air missile) are being used by Ukraine from Norwegian Surface to Air launchers as a Ground to Air defence weapon.

Quote

The U.S., Norway and Denmark are also sending AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for use in Ukraine’s NASAMs air defense launchers, according to the leaked documents.

 

[LondonLax]