Russian army under equipped?

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Looks like Battlefront were (kind of) right about the T-90M getting APS:

http://gurkhan.blogspot.com/2020/09/90_29.html

"As part of further work to improve the security of the T-90M, it is proposed to equip the tank with the Arena-M active protection complex. In the frontal part of the hull, instead of the Relikt dynamic protection being installed at the moment, the tank should receive dynamic protection similar to the T-14 Armata." - says the materials of the institute.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Not entirely relevant, but at least as relevant as a lot of the other stuff in this thread:

http://gurkhan.blogspot.com/2020/09/blog-post_21.html

This article really does underline the need for more T-72 variants (especially T-72Bs) in CM:BS.

[HUSKER2142]

On 10/5/2020 at 10:35 PM, Sgt.Squarehead said:

This article really does underline the need for more T-72 variants (especially T-72Bs) in CM:BS.

I agree that the T-72B will be a workhorse for another 5-10 years. Although I really like tanks with gas turbine engines, in early years of my service I worked with them together, what they get up to can not boast of the T-72/90 tanks.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see T-80BV & T-80U/UA/UE in the game, but I think the T-72Bs are more important TBH (both sides use them in significant numbers and they might also have some relevance for CM:SF2).

Edited October 7, 2020 by Sgt.Squarehead

[John Kettler]

Here's a T-72B3 firing. This looks a lot more different than what you see when an Abrams fires, which is surprising to me, since they're both smoothbores. Strongly suspect at least part of the difference lies in the propellants used. Looks like something the modders might be able to use, too.

Regards,

John Kettler

 

[ikalugin]

https://warontherocks.com/2020/11/getting-the-fait-accompli-problem-right-in-u-s-strategy/

 

Interesting article by Kofman.

[Erwin]

Interesting article.  But until I read the byline date I thought it was written ten years ago.  The article focuses mostly on the Russian threat and barely mentions the current Chinese efforts to grab the entire South China Sea all the way down to Indonesia and worryingly close to Australia.

Last I looked, Russia has the GDP of California or Texas and is merely a regional power.  China has aggressive militaristic aspirations globally and is an economic rival to the US.  China was expected to overtake the US in 2019 (until the US got its economy moving and started confronting the Chinese).

As a result, I read this article with the sense it is selling a world view that minimizes the China global threat.

[Lethaface]

On 11/4/2020 at 4:28 AM, Erwin said:

Interesting article.  But until I read the byline date I thought it was written ten years ago.  The article focuses mostly on the Russian threat and barely mentions the current Chinese efforts to grab the entire South China Sea all the way down to Indonesia and worryingly close to Australia.

Last I looked, Russia has the GDP of California or Texas and is merely a regional power.  China has aggressive militaristic aspirations globally and is an economic rival to the US.  China was expected to overtake the US in 2019 (until the US got its economy moving and started confronting the Chinese).

As a result, I read this article with the sense it is selling a world view that minimizes the China global threat.

I don't know how you are coming of with that conclusion as the article specifically mentions that most of the Russia scenarios are unlikely:

"These are still unlikely cases since the casus belli is unknown and there is no territorial dispute between Russia and these states, but at least they constitute a contingency informed by the history of great-power irredentism and observed Russian behavior. Why defense planning is based around a Russian deployment into the Suwalki corridor,  or “gap,” as opposed to a town on the Russian-Estonian border is a mystery, but an evidence-based understanding of the problem would certainly privilege the latter over the former. Beyond cases of limited territorial conquest, there is, however, still the chance of war with Russia due to miscalculation on both sides when responding to a potential crisis in a third country like Belarus, where decisions made inadvertently lead to a conflagration."

While he also specifically mentions that there is cause to be pessimistic about the future regarding China:

"In the case of China, Taiwan constitutes the quintessential case of a territory claimed by an irredentist power, and there is cause to be pessimistic about the future given how compelling the threat appears."

The article is about the impression that parts of the US military focuses on wrong interpretations of what are 'fait accompli' and goes on explaining that through various examples of what is and what isn't a fait accompli, the consequences this brings and what could be done about it.

The article isn't about Russia being a greater threat than China, or the other way around.

[akd]

I thought this was funny:

Quote

04 NOVEMBER 2020

Russia slated to field Sotnik soldier gear in 2025

by Nikolai Novichkov

Russia’s newest Sotnik (Centurion) soldier ensemble is to be developed from 2020-23 and in 2025 is set to begin replacing the Ratnik (Warrior) combat outfit, according to state corporation Rostec’s annual report for 2019, published in late October of this year.

Rostec’s Executive Director for Science and Technologies and Chairman of the corporation’s scientific council, Yury Koptev, said the ensemble comprises eight subsystems, including communications devices, protection, weapons, an information system, food, and more.


A prototype of an electrochrome helmet that switches colour depending on the environment. (Nikolai Novichkov)

Sotnik is expected to field new ammunition, firearms, anti-blast boots, a low-infrared emitting uniform, and an anti-radar suite. Commands and digital maps are to be projected to the user via the kit’s protective goggles.

According to the report, miniaturised quantum sensors to monitor a servicemember’s health could be embedded in the kit’s fabric. “The quantum sensors may be used in the new suite’s fabric. They are programmed to allow a soldier to estimate his condition and send this information to a higher level of command,” said Koptev.

Rostec previously reported that the Sotnik ensemble, which is being developed by the corporation’s TsNIITOChMASh design bureau, will integrate micro-unmanned aerial vehicles (micro-UAVs) connected to an automated control system. The images captured by the micro-UAVs would be projected via the protective goggles.

The kit’s armour is to retain its current protective features but at reduced weight. Compared to Ratnik, Sotnik’s overall weight is to be reduced by 20% and reach about 20 kg.

An electrically controlled material, known as electrochrome, which changes its colour depending on the environment, is planned to be used in the new suite as well. A prototype of an electrochrome helmet was unveiled at the Army 2018 defence show.

The surfaces of the helmet are reflective...

[Erwin]

Re the article, I had the strong impression while reading that many more inches of text were about Russia, despite many folks being convinced that China is the far greater threat re "fait accompli". 

Chinese attempt to seize virtually the whole of the S. China Sea all the way down to Indonesia, thus threatening the vast majority of global/international shipping/trade and attempting to grab all the oil there, is in a whole different scale re the Russian seizure of Crimea which is a regional issue, (altho' of course both are very naughty and should have been stopped).  

Edited November 5, 2020 by Erwin

[Vanir Ausf B]

The reason there are many more inches of text about Russia is because Michael Kofman is a Russia expert. He literally writes about Russia for a living.

Michael Kofman serves as Director of the Russia Studies Program at the CNA Corporation and a Fellow at the Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C. His research focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, specializing in the Russian armed forces, Russian military thought, and strategy.

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/michael-kofman

Why you would expect a Russian expert to write about China is beyond me. There are other people not named Michael Kofman who do write about China. A simple search on the War on the Rock website will bring up literally dozens of articles about China.

Edited November 6, 2020 by Vanir Ausf B

[Erwin]

This isn't a big deal or controversial.  Was simply responding to his concept of "fait accomplit" as a territory grab strategy.  And it seemed like the Chinese are an much better example than the Russians since in addition to S. China Sea, they are also trying to grab real estate on the Indian/Bhutanese side of the Himalayas, as well as other grabs for bases in Africa, South America, Pakistan etc.

[ikalugin]

On 11/4/2020 at 6:28 AM, Erwin said:

Interesting article.  But until I read the byline date I thought it was written ten years ago.  The article focuses mostly on the Russian threat and barely mentions the current Chinese efforts to grab the entire South China Sea all the way down to Indonesia and worryingly close to Australia.

Last I looked, Russia has the GDP of California or Texas and is merely a regional power.  China has aggressive militaristic aspirations globally and is an economic rival to the US.  China was expected to overtake the US in 2019 (until the US got its economy moving and started confronting the Chinese).

As a result, I read this article with the sense it is selling a world view that minimizes the China global threat.

The economy argument is poor, as it as a rule uses nominal GDP statistic, which, due to the weak ruble, does not represent the real size of Russian economy accurately. Same applies to military spending figures, CNA published a paper to that end, after they adjusted for PPP and imports Russia had ~1/4 of US spending (and greater than any of the Europeans), China had ~3/4.

As to the regionality of Russian power - due to the Russian geographic position we have either direct influences in many of the key regions (Arctic, Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Far East) and some indirect influence elsewhere (ie Russian operations in South America and Africa).

So while Russia is not the deamon behind all world ills (we don't have the capacity or will to be that) it is still globally relevant, if weaker power.

[Ghost of Charlemagne]

On 10/5/2020 at 9:35 PM, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Not entirely relevant, but at least as relevant as a lot of the other stuff in this thread:

http://gurkhan.blogspot.com/2020/09/blog-post_21.html

This article really does underline the need for more T-72 variants (especially T-72Bs) in CM:BS.

I wholeheartedly agree. 

It would make sense for Battlefront to use their existing models across more titles - they already have T-72 assets in CM:SF2 that could be reskinned and used in an expansion pack for Black Sea.

And of course, there's my personal dream title: CM: Operation Unthinkable. 

[Haiduk]

On 10/5/2020 at 10:35 PM, Sgt.Squarehead said:

Not entirely relevant, but at least as relevant as a lot of the other stuff in this thread:

http://gurkhan.blogspot.com/2020/09/blog-post_21.html

This article really does underline the need for more T-72 variants (especially T-72Bs) in CM:BS.

Better to see the other link, pointed in this article, where author writes about tanks by type in each tank unit: https://gurkhan.blogspot.com/2020/09/blog-post_13.html

From this article we can see most tank units of Western and Sourthern districts on Ukrainian direction to 2017 year (timeline of the game) already had T-72B3 and even B3M on armament, not counting T-90A and T-80U/BV. 

And from this article I can't understand where all these 1135 T-72B in service if most units pointed like owners of modernized/new tanks on 2020 year. Maybe this can be explained that some number of them already moved to reserve, but not decomissioned yet. And also 400 of them are in training units.

In 2014-2015 regular Rassian units used in Ukraine mostly T-72B mod.1989, T-72BA, T-72B3 and some T-90A. Also T-80U for short time were moved on Ukrainian territory and stayed near the border, but didn't participate in actions. But I agree that Russians should have extended line of T-72 series.

Edited November 15, 2020 by Haiduk

[Sgt Joch]

On Russian T-72s, it has been some years since I looked into it, but there were various papers which looked into the reforms and modernisation the Russians undertook after the 2008 Georgian War. In there it was stated that the T-72B would be the main workhorse of Russian armored forces until at least 2020-2025 as I recall. That is the reason why you have the T-72B3 in CMBS since BFC assumed that in any full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2017, the Russians would use the most up to date model.

[samuraiman]

Regarding the Russia/China discussion above, the military spending of both countries is generally underestimated since costs tend to be lower in both countries.  So while they spend less militarily, they tend to get more bang for the buck so to speak.  Yes China is trying to absorb the S. China Sea, which is why the US maintains partnerships with regional nations like Philippines, India, South Korea, etc...  the proposed TPP from the previous US administration was part of the effort to maintain these partnerships.  In recent years, the Russians likewise are expanding their military reach not only into Syria where they bombed hospitals and have literally have taken over US bases, but also into Africa with operations in Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Madagascar, Mozambique. With a market share of 37.6%, Russia is the top weapons supplier to Africa, followed by the US with 16%, France with 14%, and China with 9%. Africa is perhaps at least as strategically significant as the S. China Sea.  The recently revealed massive Russian hacks of US critical infrastructure and government agencies go far beyond any of China's aggression against the US.  This is on top of reports of Russia likely being behind the "sonic attacks" on US officials not only abroad but domestically as well.  That the hacking perpetrator is Russia is proven beyond doubt unfortunately by the silence of the current President who's election was aided by Russian intelligence.

 

[Erwin]

11 hours ago, samuraiman said:

That the hacking perpetrator is Russia is proven beyond doubt unfortunately by the silence of the current President who's election was aided by Russian intelligence.

That's a political statement.  You also fail to mention that after $40 million investigation, no evidence was found and that Biden's son and probably Biden are currently under investigation for tax evasion due to bribe moneys received from Ukraine and Russia.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Not sure what any of that's got to do with the relative strength of Russian forces in CM:BS TBH.....But, FWIW:

https://consortiumnews.com/2020/12/20/vips-memo-to-biden-dont-be-suckered-on-russia/

Make of it what you will. 

[BFCElvis]

Looks like we've finally gone off the rails completely.