BTR

Doing what Russia did in Crimea was only possible due to overwhelming popular support of these actions by the locals, and as such was the right thing to do. This has in part been reflected by the absolutely astounding defection rate of the Ukrainian military personnel post Crimean operations. Over 70% of all military personnel remained in Crimea and restructured to Russian service. International law and non-intervention principles over the past 100 years have not been more then a nice ideal used selectively to either counter or forward a specific point of agenda. Very unfortunate, but in light of doing something right they are simply suggestive as they are.

Nope, no other message there, just posting one of the more "famous" analytical pieces on this. The rhetoric changed to 332 from 312 about a couple of months ago, so we might see other revelation at some point later on.

Three Ukrainian AD battalions from 156th AD regiment were present in the region. 3rd ADBtn position fell to the republican forces, at which they secured one mobile launcher that wasn't functional, that all from the spokesperson of the Ukrainian ATO. Regardless, ADBtn elements have been spotted(1)(2) operating in the Donbass at the time including first hand accounts of some operators. Some have done some pretty in-depth analysis on the launchers present in the AO .

There is this though:

Fair enough, if you say so. Why have these stations there in the first place then?

Many things have been stated, the fact remains that an anti-ICBM system is now a lot closer to our borders then previously in our history. I don't buy claims that it cannot intercept ICMB's from Ru to US just as much as I wouldn't buy claims that it could. Besides, US isn't the only nuclear capable NATO member. Without knowing full specs and MO of these stations, any claim is a matter of opinion and perspective. A joint mission has been proposed before in a region that is non-threatening to either party, but alas, NATO wanted these stations precisely in eastern Europe. Now NATO complains that strategically significant facilities are on the probable target list for retaliatory strikes in countries that would otherwise be ignored.

I'm not sure if people are serious here or they are just defending a moot point for ****s and giggles. ICBM defense impairs our ability to retaliate in case of a nuclear strike, and as far as MAD principles go, feeling of impunity only makes total strikes more appealing and therefore probable. Gun analogy doesn't really hold up there since these are US proposed, built and operated centers.

They need to ungoof their rotor layouts then.

So, any updates on auto-loader/ready-rack/storage ammo mechanics for Russian and Ukrainian tanks for the next update of CMBS? As far as I understood ammo loadouts have a chance of being corrected, but some more insight from the people in-the-know would be great.

Don't know to be honest. Shortages of trained medical staff don't surprise me though, where was there ever a surplus of trained professionals working for any military?

From what I read in first hand accounts it has caused a lot of grief during training, downtime and rotation. Originally it was more of a Ukrainian problem, but with formalization of LDNR forces, the problem is now apparent on both sides of the front. It may sound like a Sputnik headline to a foreigner, but it is a very natural problem linked to passive stress in COIN operations in large post-soviet armies. First Chechen campaign was no different.

@kinophile You seem to greatly overestimate the Ukrainian army. Have they solved their heavy equipment shortages? Lack of air force? Lack of standardization? Problems with alcohol consumption? Lack of modern and/or functional radio sets? What makes Ukrainian forces battle hardened as a whole? As it currently stands, LDNR/Urkanian forces are very heterogeneous in their fighting capacity, suffer similar problems and need to be examined on formation basis.

20-60, why not 200 or 400? This is the original document sent to Khrushchev by then Prosecutor General of Soviet Union, Minister of Interior and Minister of Justice at the inception of De-Stalinization. This document details the total amount of repressed, including served death sentence, and sent to labor camps. Not trying to whitewash a tragedy, but some facts need to be straight. Our greatest national tragedies, the civil war, the red terror and the second world war cannot be attributed to Stalin. Inter-war famine also cannot be attributed to Stalin personally. Over here people recognize in equal portion what Stalin did wrong and what he did right, one cannot be separated from the other.

Doesn't have to be grass, can be ruptured fuel tanks and their leaks since we are talking about a mortar attack. Helicopters don't really tolerate fires that well. I can't really see any impact craters around the helicopters though. Maybe I'm not looking at the right things, there could be one covered in soot. A Syrian source on the airbase also reported that fires started around the helicopters, but fire crews were unable to do their work due to mortar barrage.

Pretty irrelevant I say. I know some reports don't satisfy the "millions Russian dead" bloodthirsty wishful thinking of some, but that is that. Unless more detailed information is available, I'm sticking to the only available report.

Hm, not sure if this is directed at me, but if it is please go back and re-read what I was writing back then. I stand by it still after two years have passed. As for helicopters in Syria, helicopters burned as part of a landfire created by mortar fire. No personnel reported injured on Syrian or Russian crews.

Here's something: https://www.scribd.com/doc/312855400/Decisive-Action-Training-Enviornment-Version-2-2

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/04/17/budget-cuts-leaving-marine-corps-aircraft-grounded.html >Out of 276 F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters in the Marine Corps inventory, only about 30% are ready to fly, according to statistics provided by the Corps. Similarly, only 42 of 147 heavy-lift CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters are airworthy. >To get one Hornet flying again, Marines at Beaufort stripped a landing gear door off a mothballed museum jet. The door, found on the flight deck of the World War II-era USS Yorktown, was last manufactured over a decade ago. >The aircraft shortage means pilots spend less time in the air. "This last 30 days our average flight time per pilot was just over 4 hours," said Thomas. Ten years ago, Marine Corps pilots averaged between 25 and 30 hours in the air each month, according to one pilot. “This is the worst I’ve seen it,” he added. Another pilot who asked to remain nameless told Fox News that Chinese and Russian pilots fly more hours each month than Marine Corps pilots. >To get one Hornet flying again, Marines at Beaufort stripped a landing gear door off a mothballed museum jet. The door, found on the flight deck of the World War II-era USS Yorktown, was last manufactured over a decade ago. >The aircraft shortage means pilots spend less time in the air. "This last 30 days our average flight time per pilot was just over 4 hours," said Thomas. Ten years ago, Marine Corps pilots averaged between 25 and 30 hours in the air each month, according to one pilot. “This is the worst I’ve seen it,” he added. Another pilot who asked to remain nameless told Fox News that Chinese and Russian pilots fly more hours each month than Marine Corps pilots. I wander how the army or the airforce have it.

Yeah, only the past nine centuries the general path of aggression came from the west in Europe. Four crusades (13-14th centuries), Polo-Swedish invasions (14-17th century), Napoleonic campaign (18th century), First world war (20th century), Foreign interventions (20th century), Second world war (20th century). I mean damn, type all you want, but unfortunately statistics are supporting our domestic paranoia agenda. Wow really? Yellow billboard worthy.

Yes, these include all old skins with updated textures for MBT's.

Current VDV tank introduction is limited to company scale kits with ultimate goal to form a separate battalion in each VDV air-assault brigade. Current "one off" armor airlift capabilities are limited to about 30 tanks a time, so expanding VDV armor component beyond that is ineffective. Also having more then a battalion at the time per brigade is counterproductive to current air-assault MO and VDV application in general since preparing that much armor would hinder the swiftness of emergency response.

Those are supposed to be given to the VDV later this year.

Playing on the Ukrainian side, I feel like two Hinds on standby is a bit of overkill. More so considering there is only one MANPADS available to the Russian side and that Ukrainian side gets IFV platoon as reinforcements. Lack of rudimentary mortar support (82mm) on the Russian and Ukrainian sides seems a little weird considering how artillery reliant infantry has become in the eastern Ukrainian conflicts. On TOE's in particular, MANPADS operators come in structured squads of three members (one section leader) all of which have launches. Outside irregulars, I don't see one tube just tagging along on a convoy ambush. I don't think you need to update your particular scenario, these are just my observations.

Yeah, there are a couple of things I'd do differently if I was representing a recon company in ambush, but this scenario without any FS support is not improbably either. The Russians get a BMP platoon later in the scenario towards the very end. Something I was very afraid of that made me form up a final column 30 mins before the timer.