Vanir Ausf B

Russian ammunition convoy being HIMARSed in Stara Krasnianka village vicinity between Kreminna and Rubizhne
 

Russian Lantset-2 loitering munition hit two UKR radars. I suppose, both can be repaired, but they obviosly taken out from action for enough long time
 
 
 

That pilot of MiG-29 told fighter jets enough good against Shakheds in night time, when them hard to spot visually and land radars can pass them, or detect too close to their target, because of they fly usually low. But radars of fighters can detect theese drones - their dimensions and geometry give enough clear signal on radars, he didn't say what type of missiles he used, but if he meant radar, maybe this R-27R/ER semi-active missiles. Also I read some reports, that our fighters use guns, when can detect drones visually in daylight/dawn. But I suppose guns is too dangerous due to high speed of jet and low speed of drone. 
UKR hasn't R-77 missiles, but I think R-27 can be used, though there are contraversal opinions about capabilities of IR homing to lock Shakhed, Orlan or similar drone 

As someone with off-road driving experience in 4-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles, IMO driving over any unmodified terrain involves an element of risk. Dry grass and dirt tiles should not be treated essentially the same as roads, which they were prior to the bogging changes mentioned above. Given the lack of real world data, reasonable people can disagree on how much difference, but the bottom line from my point of view is that roads are not there to be used only when it rains.

As someone with off-road driving experience in 4-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles, IMO driving over any unmodified terrain involves an element of risk. Dry grass and dirt tiles should not be treated essentially the same as roads, which they were prior to the bogging changes mentioned above. Given the lack of real world data, reasonable people can disagree on how much difference, but the bottom line from my point of view is that roads are not there to be used only when it rains.

Some facts about Shakhed-131 (smaller brother of 136 with 10-15 kg warhead) and -136 after their remains research by UKR engineers:
1. Engine (in Shaked-136).  German-develped Limbach L550E for small aircrafts. Clones produce in China and Iran (likely China was a source). This is air-cooled 4-cylynder horyzontally-opposed two stroke engine with displacement 548 cc and 50 hp
2. Navigation. Drones are not guided, they fly by coordinates and have GPS (CRPA) and inertial navigation system. GPS is default. It has protection against GPS-jammers/spoofing. If drone is losing GPS signal, inertial system is turning on and the drone continue a flight, but can have course errror 5% of traveled route. When GPS signal is renewed, GPS-navigation turning on again and drone is conducting course correction
3. Electronics. Flight control block of Shakhed-131 composed from five boards with processors TMS320, F28335 from Texas Instruments. Shakhed-136 - CPU marking is removed, but due to architecture it matched to Altera/Intel product. Some types of Korean chips are present of Shakhed-136 board
4. Manufactiring. One of factories, which produce theese drones (as well as Mohajer-6) was built in Tajikistan by China, use Chineese technology and controlled by Chineese
Sources:  https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/an_advanced_radio_communication_device_on_american_processors_found_in_the_shahed_136-4446.html (in English)
  https://techno.nv.ua/innovations/drony-kamikadze-shahed-136-50277597.html 
https://defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/ne_tilki_shahed_136_zjavilos_detalne_doslidzhennja_sche_odnogo_iranskogo_drona_kamikadze_jakij_vikoristovuje_rf-9033.html (here pdf file with detailed report with photos of Shakhed-131 components)
Communication board of Shakhed-136

As someone with off-road driving experience in 4-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles, IMO driving over any unmodified terrain involves an element of risk. Dry grass and dirt tiles should not be treated essentially the same as roads, which they were prior to the bogging changes mentioned above. Given the lack of real world data, reasonable people can disagree on how much difference, but the bottom line from my point of view is that roads are not there to be used only when it rains.

my understanding of CM grass terrain is bumpy fields, not like a park.  Have you ever driven a vehicle off road -  through a cow pasture or such?  If you drive fast you will destroy a vehicle in no time.

Russian Lantset-2 loitering munition hits two UKR S-300 simultainously near Novostepnians'ke village, 2 km SE from Zaporizhzhia. Damn. To lose two launchers from nothing, because two launchers stood side by side. At the beging of video MANPAD launch is seen, likely at Lantset, but missed.
This s..t in RUS and UKR armies is called "proyob". And battery commander have to be ready that higher commander will be "yebat' " him from this "proyob".
 

DNA-modified pigeon from secret US biolab in Ukraine. Their poo after contact with air turn out to HE substance with around-nuclear TNT equivalent. Several grams of this HE **** can reliase so much energy, like Excalibur warhead ) 

I've made a First Clash redux version 4 Its temporary home is at the following DB link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nkgfb6m561ev13x/First Clash Redux_v4.btt?dl=0
This scenario was originally released as part of the CMBS base game. Whilst the intent pre-release was to create an intro to modern armoured warfare it appears many players post release considered it too easy – mainly due to the strength of the US forces arty and air support, oh and all the US AFVs had APS. The preponderance of APS equipped armour did mean the M1s were pretty unstoppable. 

I've tweaked it over the years and this is the latest iteration - In this redux version 4 all the APS protection systems for the US have been removed and experience levels toned down for both sides. 

Overall I think this change WILL make the scenario a more challenging proposition for the US player.

P.S. watch out for the radio messages via reinforcement units!
Cheery!
George

Hey so long as it is an observation I think we are fine.  Once it becomes a planning assumption things get potentially more risky.  Mistranslating everything the Russians are doing to fit a “they suck” assumption is much worse.  One should not oversubscribe an enemy anymore than undersubscribe until one is totally sure.
I personally think that the RA is pretty much shattered and is on a downward one-way slope.  I do not think Wagner mercs or any other rabbit in the hat is going to save them.  But those pictures are of a professional old-school obstacle belt in the making.  This is a bit concerning as the RA has enough gas in the tank to try these works but they are going to need a lot more, and even then I am not sure they will work as intended.  I am less in the “Russians suck camp” and more in the “they came dressed for the wrong war and now are pretty much broken” camp.  I am far more interested in what war this is actually happening right now because it will directly influence the next one. 

Yes, the “Russians suck” bandwagon has become about as much groupthink as “The Russians are giants” narratives were at the beginning of this thing.  The Russians are in bad shape and are experiencing multiple systemic failures at just about every level of warfare; however, that obstacle belt looks professionally sighted and constructed for purpose to me.  Now wether it will be part of a much larger effective defensive, is another question.
I would highlight, again, the Russians are fighting by the same playbook we use. The UA is playing by a new set of rules they have had to evolve to by necessity.  A real risk of “Russians suck” is the implied “Ya but in a real war we would do the same but correctly, because we do not suck”.  This is pretty much the exact same narratives coming out of European militaries before the First World War.

For those scoffing at Russia preparing defences prompted by the Tweet showing a linear obstacle being created, I might suggest that many would say something along the lines of "they've had months to prepare defences but didn't bother ... how amateurish" had they not done so - in fact there are a bunch of posts to this effect on this thread regarding ground that Ukrainian forces have recently liberated.  Integrated obstacles are a key element of any deliberate defence and are as relevant in the 21st Century as they have been since the advent of warfare as I'm sure @The_Capt will pitch in and confirm.  If this debate is to remain informed, we need to beware the confirmation bias that is evident from this criticism of Russia preparing defences as well as other related influences.  Objective and informed analysis should be our watchwords.

Today's statistic on 13:30  - 20 missiles shot down from 28 launched and 13 Shakheds. Alas< again several missiles could hit targets in western Ukraine. Two Shakheds hit thermal plant in Vinnytsia oblast, which was damaged yesterday by missiles. The strike injured 6 men of repair team

All you need is a massive amount of ammonium nitrate, and as Oliver Alexander noted, this would be consistent with all the bits of burning material raining down after the explosion.  A unitary HE warhead would consume all the explosive material instantly. Incidentally, this is also why the collapsed parts of the span at the explosion site are less scorched.  The horizontal surfaces around it accumulated more of the burning material that was showering down.
I mean Timothy McVeigh managed the same almost entirely on his own. I think the SBU could pull it off.

Damn...
 

'Tis but a scratch....
 
 

2.9 killed/wounded ratio.
Interesting that refuseniks outnumber casualties, by a lot.

Please don't ever call a 113 a Gavin again. Speaking as a former mech infantryman, no one EVER in the history of the track called it that except for some random internet guy.

2.9 killed/wounded ratio.
Interesting that refuseniks outnumber casualties, by a lot.

Well, BFC has not done a bug fixing patch (aside from PBEM++ issues) in a long time, so we can write reports until our fingers bleed and it doesn't matter until they do. As someone who also plays the game for fun I share your frustration, but I have faith it will happen. Eventually 😉

HMMWV armor saves the crew from fragments of a tank shot

"Ukrainian soldiers at the recently retaken railway station in Kupiansk Vuzlovyi, in the Kharkiv region, on October 2, 2022. YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP"