benpark

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As of this morning (apparently) Twitter links will no longer open for those of us that will not be signing up for it, so please add a synopsis if the only information linked is their truncated format.

As of this morning (apparently) Twitter links will no longer open for those of us that will not be signing up for it, so please add a synopsis if the only information linked is their truncated format.

As of this morning (apparently) Twitter links will no longer open for those of us that will not be signing up for it, so please add a synopsis if the only information linked is their truncated format.

https://old.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/14ma03g/ukrainian_strela10_of_the_93rd_brigade_shoots/
A pretty darn clear view of Strela-10 shooting down drones. I am not 100% certain this isn't part CGI
Is it possible CM got this wrong? It seems these short-range missile AA systems can shoot down pretty darn small drones.

Okay, these look like modern mines, difficult to detect and will self-destruct after a certain time, with a certain failure rate. This is what doctrine for the US was supposed to look like (end of cold war) and we were moving toward all surface laid mines.
But these are not:
Clearly old Soviet designs, maybe with anti-handling devices (booby traps). 
I assume the old Soviet mines are like ours: AT mines in the hundreds of pounds, AP mines in the tens of pounds. Outliers include tilt-rod and trip-wire fuses, which will be lower. The new mines seem to be in the tens to low hundred pounds. Conversion is 2.2 lbs per kg. (using lbs as lb-mass rather than an actual force)
So pressure from sound waves would not work, even extremely loud speakers don't produce that kind of overpressure. Low frequencies would be better to give the pressure time to act (Work=Force times distance) But again, you need to have enough force acting for enough time to depress the fuse.
As for flooding, the human issues there are too large, and then it would just redistribute the mines. Someone would still need to go through and pick them up, or blow them in place. Especially difficult are those modern mines that don't auto-destruct. What a mess.

I'm now fixated on the mine issue, so thank you for the detailed assessment strac-sap. The lack of systems to deal with the densities we are seeing the Russians use is an impetus for some quick changes. That, or clear the other side of the mine-fields completely. The Soviet army certainly understood their stopping power, so these mined areas are doing the work of entire battalions of missing Russian troops.
The majority of the mines we are seeing used in Ukraine seem to be fused to pressure-activated from above, exploding when something around 3-5lbs. (an insanely low number) presses upon it. If this weren't directly-applied pressure (which seems the most desirable method to demine) - How much (if any) pulsed air pressure from above a mine/mines would need to be exerted to fire off anything under a cone of something like an intense audio burst?
Traditional demining vehicles seem to slow in the new world of human mayhem. My cocktail-napkin demining rig would be 3 (or more) drones, each with some type of audio emitter, moving in tandem across a mined area to clear it. Something of this sort could solve the issue of most clearer mechanical damage, and would not really need any on-board armaments (aside from the audio emitter). Remote detonation from above also removes the need for terrain-conforming rollers. Drones have proven to be tough to knock out, and could be swarmed for big fields or areas that are under observed fire. It could also be ominous sounding as all get out. Or ridiculous, depending on soundtrack.

As pressure-type AP mines Russians widely uses PFM "petal" mines, which set remotely and can have time of life before self-destruction in 1-40 hours (PFM-1S) or w/o self-destruction (PFM-1). This mine has 40 g of HE with pressure reaction in 5-25 kg. Explosion of this mine usually caused hevay inguries of the feet, often with tearimg off whole feet or it part. 

But that what we could see on video it were likely PMN types (PMN-1/2/3/4). Unlike PFMs, which lays on surface, PMN can be set manually under surface. It has plastic case, so usual metal detector is useless. 
PMN-1 has 200 g of HE and 8-25 kg of reaction, PMN-2 - 100 g and 15-25 kg (increasing resilience against explosive demining), PMN -3 is later modification of PMN-2 with self-destruction up to 8 days and electronic detonator, which makes this mine much more stable to explosive demaining. Newest PMN-4 has 50 g of HE.
PMN-2 mine

PMN4 mine

PMN mines, especially PMN-1 causes tearing off the leg or both legs up to knees, what we could see on video.
PMN mines also have a name "black widow" and black humor PMN abbriveation decoding "Bring My Legs"

The idea of dropping munitions from planes to clear minefields was always a nonstarter in the past, for a number of reasons. As a new combat engineer private in the US army I remember watching a video (VHS I think) of Iraqi positions before deploying and the DoD wanted recommendations on how to breach them. Afterward I told the lieutenant we should just do a B-52 strike to clear a path. He didn't respond. The airstrikes were always too inaccurate and the ground could be impassible to vehicles.
There are two different ideas here that should be clarified: breaching a minefield and clearing a minefield. Frankly both are scary.
The explosives in mines is very stable, and the fuse is the key to setting it off. (when fatigued and stupid we would toss explosives around in really unsafe ways, but here I still am) So to actually clear a mine explosive needs to be placed directly on/next to it or it needs to be physically removed. Both of these require the mine to have been discovered by the persons doing the clearing. And then you have to be in the minefield doing stuff like, pop and drops, ring mains and line mains.
To breach the minefield the mines simply need to be moved out of the way. This is where MICLICs and bangalore torpedoes come in, vehicles with plows, and maybe airstrikes if they can be precise and not destroy the ground rendering movement impossible. They are expected to blow the mines out of the way, and if they detonate them that's good. But not expected. So napalm could work if it was hot enough to ignite the fuses. Otherwise it would be very poor as it would not push the mines out of the way.
I appreciate these discussions about the more modern state of mines and mine clearing, especially drones. My heart breaks to see the density of the minefields that are being laid. This will takes many years to clear and the cost to the locals will likely be extraordinary. Perhaps more and better automated mine clearing is the key, I feel like we have neglected this like many things as we thought these wars were a thing of the past.

Someone needs to write these guys a blank check, or something close to it. Finding is only the very first step to actually breaching, but it an important one.

I realize many of the players are drunk on power, but if I was anyone of consequence in the middle of this and they wanted me to resign, I'd say, "Sure, absolutely. No problem. You won't hear from me again. I'll be playing chess in the park."  
Bail out while you can.
Dave

Worst plot twist ever, and I stayed up for this😮‍💨

What is the carrot for Prigozhin if this is true, since he has the stick (for the time being, when he has the complete initiative)?

They were going to take away his army.
He rebelled.
He keeps his army.

From director himself, so maybe worth to post...
There are first rumours of airlifts for VDV/specnaz troops going to Moscow from other cities and behind the frontlines...

These guys are demonstrating to the President of the Federation how 3-day Special Military Operation is conducted.
MoD should take notes while their heads are still attached between their shoulders.

It is a circus.
 
 

I really do want to believe this.
2. People got bored watching 'Swan Lake?'
I faintly recall some commercial back in the 1990s mocking vapid US morning TV, where the newsbimbo says:  "Russia blows up into tiny pieces. But first, Is Your Pet Psychic?"

I agree.   A 50km convoy could be just two vehicles if they get the spacing right. 

Like any good Muscovite, in these troubling times, we should stay calm, wait how things play out and watch the ballet.
 

A wee something I put together.
This video showcases content from the Combat Mission Red Thunder Battlepack 1 released by Battlefront.com.
It's a brief overview of each scenario, what it's about and the main intent; it also covers the campaigns (including a brief summary of the main campaign branches).
There are NO spoilers in the video chapters.
https://youtu.be/wyrRX4bP2mM
 

From Wargonzo - yesterday attack at Robotne
That's the current tactics - infantry pushes with minimum armor using smoke to cover the advance (most probably protecting armor from ATGMs). Smoke is important as ever.

"Night at the Opera" changes (both sides) involve giving extra to the carry-over percentage for the AI side. If you wiped them out previously, you wiped them out. The new one should offer a more active fight now in the second half (from either side, as is the concept).
Axis AI plans adapted accordingly, with a few extra tweaks in the AI plans here and there that I'll leave for you all to uncover while you are storming the castle in Berlin.
You could always back up your current versions if you liked the strict carry-over "short-term, single area of front-line campaign" STSAFLC (pronounced "STSALFC") concept for this battle, or want a slightly easier variant if you find it tough from either side.