StieliAlpha Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Watch this! Finally it's Olympic! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 (edited) StieliAlpha, Love watching these and wish the US was there, too. Unfortunately, as the British say, it's not on presently. Also, I have some concerns about speed, since these tanks are fast and seem to move a great deal more quickly than the Abrams. Maybe it's a product of the cameras, but the tank target engagement range doesn't seem to be very far. Where the Abrams would shine, I think, is in long range gunnery. Finally, when I see that helicopter target, I find myself recalling a very scary discovery analysts made in looking at the videos from the US JAWS (Joint Attack Weapons System). There, we were horrified to discover OPFOR tanks got valid main gun with KE targeting solutions on A-10s! This sprang to mind when watching the TCs using their Dushka's on the helicopter target. Found myself thinking "Just shoot it with the cannon." Those poor Venezuelans! Was surprised Russia missed a tank target. Regards, John Kettler Edited September 3, 2016 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 (edited) StieliAlpha, Thought it might be good to set forth The Rules http://mil.ru/images/TB_Polozhenie_eng.pdf Got all that? Now I have bad news. The Rules have changed! Unfortunately Russia's MoD has yet to see fit to tell us what the changes are. https://defencerussia.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/defense-ministry-tank-biathlon-rules-to-be-substantially-modified/ But if you're going to watch this thing, why mess about? Three glorious (for some) hours! Regards, John Kettler Edited September 4, 2016 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 (edited) Am about an hour into this, and the competition is very much like the opening of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. I've seen superlative performances, incredible foul ups at simple military tasks, a want to be super power humiliated by a tiny country, speed, elan, and the most terrifying malfunction I've ever recall. Talking gasps in the reviewing stand! I've seen reliefs that horribly embarrassed themselves, but it may not have been their fault. Not to mention stunning military incompetence by a formerly proud and militarily skilled nation reduced to wrack and ruin by a despot. No lack of drama in this one--with 2/3 to go! And could someone explain why every country has someone on the radio talking earnestly when it is flatly prohibited to talk to the crews running the course? Perhaps a blow by blow for the leaders? Yes, Comrade President, LT Cheng's tank is now running the moving fire course. We await developments. Please stand by, sir. (Trailing an impressive cloud of dust, the Type 96B races into position, then smartly slows to a crawl, the turret traversed left and seeking the first red target) Foom! (The observers are on their Big Eye giant binos, every PRC soldier present waits with anxiety and eager anticipation combined) Agonizing pause (Split screen shows clean miss) Er, Comrade President? There appears to have been a calibration error with the cursed Russian-designed gun. The shot went low left. (Choice Chinese curses are heard) Out of curiosity, Comrade Colonel, has this been an issue for other tanks competing with the same basic gun? Er, no sir. The misses we've observed appear to have more to do with incorrect firing procedures than the gun itself. I see. It is clear to me LT Cheng is due for extensive socialist criticism later today. He had better not miss Target Two and Target Three. We cannot afford the loss of face! (Turret quests about and finds Target Two, a process facilitated by the moving tank having slowed to the point where it barely is moving) Foom! Maybe the above is going on--with prospects for advancement, career, maybe even survival, depending on the regime, at stake? It would certainly explain the strained looks of every single nation's officer on the radio! On a more technical note, I see there can be an enormous difference in the contrast ratio of the targets. Angola, for example is trying to find a dark green target against a tree background, where China's is stands out red! I believe something needs to be done about this the next time the Tank Biathlon is held. I understand that what China did in the first one, a kind of bump and run on another tank, is now instant DQ for the offender. (Unprintable language is heard from John Kettler as the competition disappears and some stupid Restart your computer for protection (like he believes that) takes up some 20 minutes of screen time) Regards, John Kettler Edited September 7, 2016 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 Anyone watching this would be legitimately entitled to wonder about 1) the Dushka's reputation for reliability, 2) the weapon competence of the TCs of several nations competing, 3) whether the dust of the Poligon is the issue, 4) whether several issues are in play simultaneously. I've seen a zillion hours of the most ragtag forces blazing away with their Duskas, yet somehow the supposed cream of tank crews seem to have nothing but issues with theirs. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 (edited) Some observations and a correction. China has a tank which is so fast compared to the others, it's more like a tank race car. Haven't checked, but repeated observation indicates a considerably more powerful engine. This allows China to blaze through the course. Suspension seems kind of bouncy, though. This is quite noticeable when the tank abruptly slows down or stops when previously running at high speed. The nose pitches down then bounces up markedly compared to the other tanks. There is very little nation to nation consistency when it comes to fire on the move speed. For top crews from each nation, the level of gunnery performance frequently is not only embarrassing but amounts to an open invitation to a hostile neighbor whose tankers are merely mediocre. Would never have expected to such such dreadfully poor gunnery from supposed pros. I believe one tank should've been yanked and replaced by the owning team, since it suffered a painfully visible meltdown. Some second relays were, bluntly put, ghastly in performance, ruining great results by the initial crews. Something else stood out for me, and maybe it's a contest reg, but every single tank ran the course buttoned unless loading amoo or when the TC was on the AAMG. Finally, I got confused in thinking something from the Semi finals 1 run actually pertained to something in a different run when it came to the African nation I had in mind. I was referring to the night and day difference between the Rhodesian military and the Zimbabwean military under Mugabe. Perhaps Semi Finals 2 will be better? Regards, John Kettler Edited September 7, 2016 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 StieliAlpha, Amoo? No. They are not loading a cow. Ammo. Sheesh! Am rather surprised we have this thread to ourselves. Would it be livelier if in the CMBS Forum? Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StieliAlpha Posted September 8, 2016 Author Share Posted September 8, 2016 Hi John, if you want to link it to the CMBS forum, feel free. I admit, I posted the Link just because I found it interesting. I would not think too much about the portrayed troops and equipment quality. It's obviously a staged event. The troops most probably trained the hell out off it and know to the second where to stop and when to fire. And, yes, I would not be surprised, if the rules are bent a little. Though there are nowadays some strange people around who seem to admire Russia and their Great Leader. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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