Blazing 88's

Go underground.  Disperse and distribute.  Go to a third party nation.  FFS, I dunno, do something other than shrug your shoulders and remain fully dependent on hand-outs?  Nations across history have managed to sustain a war industry while being pounded -putting the strategic means to fight back into the hands of Ukraine is a very good idea, especially if this war is going to drag on.
So "what have you done for me lately"....that is what you are going to go with?  The US is somehow your own personal war valet.  What is it with you and the taglines straight out of a Russian IO playbook?

This.
And this.  Just whose side are you on?
Oh, wait I know this dance.  You are going to throw around Russian propaganda lines, anti-western sentiments, and general doom and gloom until Steve gets irritated.  Then you will post walls of translated useful stuff to take the heat off...wait a bit, and come back around for another pass.  You realize that is exactly the same Russia "useful idiot" tactic?
So just to avoid all that for what must be the 5th or 6th time - your position in a nutshell:
- All is lost.  Ukraine is losing its will to fight and will never get it back.  In fact they are going to gleefully switch sides after this war.
- Russia is unstoppable and will roll on Poland and the Baltics once they are done with Ukraine.  With Ukrainian Divisions riding at the forefront.  And now you admire them for this...along with NK.
- The US and West are weak and scared.  Our support is clearly plummeting (and with friends like you...) because we are not hopping too with another $100B by 4 Jan and several divisions of shiny new tanks, that will be turned into scrap metal in a few months anyway...because Ukrainian will etc (gets a little blurry here.)
I was willing to write off the first few times as to war weariness but you are spending far too much effort and energy right now for someone who is burned out.
So...whose side are you on exactly? 

Zeleban has had far more chances than he should have gotten in my opinion.  When someone openly admires NK, they belong in the outer darkness with the rest of the pro-Russian pushers we have had through here.
I agree on your last point entirely.  The trick is defining what a Ukrainian MIC looks like.  If we assume they are producing MBTs and IFVs, then we are talking very large factories with complex supply chains that will be vulnerable...so why are we talking MBTs and IFVs?
If Ukraine needs battlewagons or MRAPs that can still be done.  If they need UAS and ATGMs, a high tech MIC, that definitely can be done.  Small arms and ammo...again very doable.  Wean off western supply lines and Ukraine becomes far more resilient to western political turbulence.  Plan for a long war, because we are likely in one.
This is going to have to be a gradual shift.  How this all got translated to "The US just declared abandon ship!!!  All is lost and it is all you faults!!!" is beyond me.

Merry Christmas all! Slava Ukraine!

As someone who DOES basically think the border not being open is close to fascist, you're patently and categorically mischaracterizing the Dems and the state of the border. As someone who has regularly traveled back and forth across it, I haven't the slightest idea what you mean. There's so much law enforcement and much of Republican policy from trump and every previous deportation  happy administration is intact. Biden could put HIMARS and land mines on the border and Republicans would ask why he won't start a special military operation in Juarez.

Looks like Trump's opponents aren't giving up, and that's good news.

I'm not personally a fan of the Colorado decision for pragmatic political reasons but I think folks need to relax a bit. First off, Trump's trial in DC is going to provide ample evidence of an attempt to overthrow the election (in other words, the government) and the legal reasoning in Colorado is based at least in part on precedents set by Gorsuch. This is not some radical move...in most other political eras it would be uncontroversial. Indeed...it shouldn't be controversial now given that Trump is literally talking about being a dictator if he wins reelection. I would have preferred that they waited later in the cycle. That's all. 
As to civil war...I've heard talk of it for years, have seen the fascists marching down my streets, threatening my neighbors (in one particular instance on 1/5, they told one with a pride flag on his lawn "We will come back for you later."). What I will tell you is that once they actually went after the state...on 1/6...and were ejected from the Capitol they got the absolute crap beaten out of them and have never returned to DC. I think an actual armed insurgency would be the end of them, quickly and decisively. Fort Sumter's never turn out well.
So...not bring it on exactly but I'm not losing sleep over it. 

We all know the fundamental weakness of Phil's stuff… While it is graphically on-par (and even better) with BFC official production, it doesn't (and it cannot !) feature the proper TOE and weapons characteristics of the portrayed eras/theaters. And it is by no mean Phil's fault: we cannot mod these critical aspects. I hope we could.

A few pages back we discussed anti-drone measures. This is a short video of some students (I think) from Nanjing university who build a rocket with a visual sensor.
This is not military grade and misses some parts and functions. But if some students can build such a thing, the industry can, too.
I think this will be the last war where small drones can roam as freely as they do here. In future wars, it will be much more dangerous for them.
 

Hello, I am currently am working on a campaign for Black Sea. totally new to the scenario editor and learning as i go.
The campaign has the player command core units of the U.S. Army National Guard 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. It's unofficial nickname being "Golden Cross". This brigade actually had elements of it deployed to Ukraine prior to the 2022 invasion advising and training the Ukrainian army under the name "Task Force Illini". The brigade is based in the state of Illinois under the Illinois Army National Guard.
My goal is to have the player follow the journey of this brigade and preserve it as best they can to get it through its tour on the eastern front. I liked how I got attached to the various units of Task Force Thunder in CMSF2, following A, B, and C companies of the stryker units and trying to preserve the pixel truppen through the war.
Background: 2025, The Ukrainian army is worn down and has lost most of its professional contract servicemen, the vast majority of the army is mobilized conscripts with an average age of 45. The US government is unwilling to allow a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, and decides to commit American troops under the premise of preventing RU from gaining a foothold in Europe. Unfortunately for the US, they have also deployed troops to the middle east again and are also preparing for a fight for Taiwan after significant signs China is about to invade. This leaves the US stretched thin with its active duty force. Desperate to avoid a draft, the US begins to mobilize the National Guard to fill in the gaps. The entirety of the 33rd Infantry Brigade is one of those brigades selected. The brigade had recently finished its culminating training exercise known as JRTC and is considered "ready" to deploy during its availability window. The 33rd will relieve beleaguered Ukrainian brigades and is expected to hold static positions due to the Ukraine theater commander hesitant to commit National Guard brigades to offensive action.
33rd IBCT Order of Battle (open source info) core units
2-106 Cavalry squadron
3 Infantry Battalions:
2-130 INF RGT
1-178 INF RGT
1-196 INF RGT (Puerto Rico Army National Guard)
766 Brigade Engineer Batallion
2-122 Field Artillery Rgt (1 BN, 3 Batteries)
State of the Brigade:  The majority of the GWOT vets have gotten out so all of the battalions are "green", this will be most soldiers first combat deployment. The battalion cmdrs and Platoon sergeants are "veteran" to reflect soldiers that stayed in and have deployments under their belt. the 33rd faces recruiting and retention issues like the rest of the US army, all of the battalions are at varied levels of being understrength. The war's are unpopular with the american public and the US is struggling to retain and recruit people. The brigade also suffered a series of AWOLS after news of its mobilization hit the force.
The Campaign so far: the condition of the eastern front worsens, it is decided to send in the 33rd to conduct offensive action on its assigned sector of the front. The player will face the understrength 200th MRB, which is set to "conscript" experience to reflect the brigade's destruction in 2022 and subsequent reconstitution.
1st mission "Tow the Line":  elements of A Trp 2-106 CAV conduct reconnaissance on positions of the RU 200th MRB.  The players ability to spot and call artillery on the RU force will determine the condition of the RU positions in the next mission when the infantry assaults.
2nd mission: "Blackhawk Batallion": elements of 2-130 infantry conduct an attack against RU trench lines after recon by the 2-106. player will have the brigades Arty battery in support. This mission will show the current reality of trench warfare in Ukraine. with the 2-130 having to take two trench lines from the enemy.
3rd mission: "Hold the Line": Player will have to hold the captured trench lines, facing an initial wave of RU disposable infantry (Storm-Z, Wagner prisoners). Follow on waves will be RU VDV in BMP 3s. This is to reflect current observed russian tactics of "recon" of positions with disposable infantry and then attacking weak points with dedicated assault infantry.
overall, I want the campaign to be brutal but also fun. I've tried to balance things by making the RU force severely understrength or at conscript status, at least for static positions. The player will face more experienced forces when terrain is taken. The player will have limited or no replacements, to reflect the US having not set up the infrastructure of a combat replacement system due to no draft in place.
I welcome any suggestions or questions!

GUR updated information about yeterday strike on harbor in Chornomorske. Previously was claimed two pr.11700 small landing crafts were sunk, now after study of received video GUR made a statement these were small landing crafts pr.1176 and pr.11700. The first one allegedly has sunk very quiclky, the latter one some time left on surface, but also lay down on ground. On one of landing crafts BTR-82A was deployed, which cought fire and its ammo exploded inside. 
On the photo - comparison of superstructure details from the video and from the photo of pr. 1176

Russian divers conduct works of investigation of vessels conditions to lift them up. The harbor of Chornomorske is very shallow, so it will be easy, but all question is the level of damage, which can make repair works senseless, especially for old pr.1176
Here is satellite image aftermath of attack, not quite detailed
 
Location of Chornomorske. This is northern part of Tarkhankut cape. Chornomoprske never hadn't special naval base, but in it harbor light vessels can be deployed if needed. Here is suitable short route for some elements of supplying of garrisons of sea shore of Kherson oblast from Zaliznyi Port to Skadovsk - delivering of repaired vehicles, limited replacing of personnel, food/ammo supply etc. 
 
Before the war BSF had two pr.1170 Serna-class (D-144, D-199) and one pr.1176 Akula-class/ NATO Ondatra-class (D-106) small landing crafts. All they based in Novorossiysk and were attached to 170th minesweeping divizion of 184th Novorossiysk coastal defense brigade. Likely for operational purpose they were moved to western shore of Crimea.
First pr.1170 D-199 was sunk near Zmiinyi in May 2022, so now Russia lost last landing boats from BSF composition, if they din't send here the same vessels from Kaspian flotilia - they deployed some pr.1170 crafts before the war, but still unknown either they still in Black or Azov sea or moved back to Kaspian sea. 
Last known photo of D-106 pr.1176 for June 2023. This small landing craft has 24 m of length and can carry up to 50 tons of cargo (or 1 tank/two light trucks, or 20 men in full equipment)

And here presumably last remained before 9th of November D-144 of pr.1170. She has 25.6 m of length, can carry the same 50 tons of cargo or one tank/two light armor/two light trucks, but unlike pr.1176 can take onboard up to 90 infantry.
Last known photo of D-144, 22nd of September 2022

 

I remember there was a discussion here about the effectiveness of mine-resistant boots in case of a mine explosion. Here are the results:
 

Turks are working to defeat top attack. 

BEAUTY!! Thank you Da_General!  👍

I created a dropbox link let me know if that works for you!
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5kj8goz6gcf3ljq3apacv/The-Battle-of-73-Easting.btt?rlkey=o87eeuxbb9t0t40pey7f06ycb&dl=0

A four minute summary of the changes Zaluzhny said Ukraine needs to be successful against Russia:
 

https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/11/06/ukroboronprom-ukraines-kamikaze-drones-with-1000-km-combat-radius-in-mass-production/
 

Looks fantastic!
Any chance of posting a link from another source? I am not interested in signing up for Discord.
Thanks anyway though.

Just created my first CM scenario that I am publicly sharing. It is for CMSF2.
I wanted to try and recreate The Battle of 73 Easting from Desert Storm in 1991. It is meant to be a historic simulation and the Iraqi's of course are meant to lose. I gave them the base level T-72m1 (early) while the US has M1A1HC's.
You can find the download link on discord here
Let me know what you think. It's pretty quick and just meant to be a good time.
Enjoy!

They were just absolutely obliterated, even their own propagandists are saying it was a disaster.  Yet again, another offensive action that leads to massive losses for nothing.  Exactly what did they learn??  
I was hoping for more nuanced analysis, but Ohh well.  

Swarms of these RC Stukas (Jericho siren too).  SWEET!!
As a casual RC Park Flyer (prior to new RC /Drone laws being passed here) I was grinning the whole time while watching this. 😀
 
 

Usually someone would also post a link to where this information came from, especially considering how large the claim is.  "Just heard" is kind of nebulous. 😀

Dave

All that talk about stopping or reducing military support for Ukraine is a bloody disgrace. And a war the West can't walk away from. A fight to the death.

Better to have some fat missile or horde of drones with 1500 m of range to destroy this factory and design bureau. Izhevsk is in about 1380 km from closest point of Ukraine.