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Old 10-15-2020, 07:45 PM   #341
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Interesting commentary on the Armenian-Azari conflict, and how it might future tactics.
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/featur...age-of-warfare
Some passages stand out for me:

1.
"The use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been increasing in battlefields across the world and the current conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is no exception. Images of armoured vehicles being destroyed, regardless of attempts at camouflage, flooded Western media outlets as Armenian tanks were swiftly targeted by armed drones. Azerbaijan has been steadily building up its force of UAVs."
Comment: The use of new weapons and new tactics by one side sometimes causes problems for the other side. But they are never decisive if the other side is determined to fight. If you do not give up, then you have a very good chance of winning. Although the Azeris have the manpower and the weapons advantage, the Armenians have the will to fight.

It is often said that military leaders tend to train and prepare for the last war. Thus, when the next conflict comes, mistakes are made, early engagements bloody, and sometimes whole wars lost. Each and every time, the past-war preparers styled themselves more forward-thinking than their stale forebears. Military leaders are now faced with the question of whether the efficacy of armoured vehicles still exists in the face of ground detection radars and drones. If it does, then what to do about it? If you're Canada, you need to prioritize EW and air defence quickly.

2.
"These images have enhanced Azerbaijan’s sense of success on the battlefield, presenting an image of near-total Azerbaijani victory."
Comment: Both sides are ruthless propagandists. However, the Azeris take it to the next level. The actual truth on the ground is difficult to determine, but Azeri gains are not what they claim.

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Old 11-27-2020, 01:35 PM   #342
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Executive Outcomes is back! Right on.

https://www.facebook.com/eeben.barlow.7/
Reactivating a company that faced the anger and wrath of the intelligence services, the media, and non-African governments for assisting under-threat African and other governments defeat armed uprisings and putting a stop to drug and human trafficking, resource smuggling and terrorism took some consideration.

The company will now make it part of its mission to expose those media and intelligence whores that thrive on lying for secret payments. Likewise, we will investigate—and expose—those so-called academics and scholars that create fiction and publish deception to establish their position in academia.
Executive Outcomes will, once again, assist African and other governments with the development of strategies (including campaign strategies), and provide advice, training and mentoring to those governments that request it. However, the company will not work in South Africa. This decision was taken as a result of the public outcry in the country when EO successfully assisted in countering domestic crime as well as crime on the Lesotho border.
Eeben is a real professional in a world of all too often dodgy private security companies. If the US government were smart (and they're not), they would work with him rather than try to force him out to make way for second rate efforts as stability operations.
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Old 11-27-2020, 03:18 PM   #343
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And it's not as if Executive Outcomes won't have any work. The latest flare-ups:

A. Ethiopia.

On 26 Nov, Nobel Peace Prizer winner Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered the Armed Forces to launch a “final offensive” on Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and the Tigray capital of Mekelle. Ahmed’s troops launched the initial offensive against the TPLF on 4 Nov.





Debretsion Gebremichael, the leader of the TPLF, said on Tuesday his people were “ready to die” defending their homeland.





The TPLF says it is defending its legitimate rights under Ethiopia’s devolved constitutional system.

Last-minute efforts by the African Union and the United Nations to defuse the crisis have failed. On 25 Nov, Ahmed rejected international “interference”, even though Eritrea and Somalia appear to have troops neck deep in Tigray against the TPLF. UAE is also involved supplying to and/or operating drones for Ethiopia.

Approximately 43,000 refugees have crossed into Sudan, but Ethiopian troops are preventing many others from fleeing.



So the claims that Eritrea has entered the fray and that Somalia has, too, on Eritrea's side, added to the allegations of atrocities committed by both sides, and you have another hot mess on the African continent.


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Old 11-27-2020, 07:45 PM   #344
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B. WESTERN SAHARA

Like all of the other conflicts around the world, the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara is largely ignored as the media devotes 93.36% of their news casts with COVID fear porn. However, Western Sahara has seen some interesting military history in the past half century, from the Green March to the Sand Wall, 2700km of sand berms and mine fields. Western Sahara also has some of the strangest terrain in the world.

BACKROUND

- former Spanish colony.

- Morocco formally claimed the territory in 1957.

- Spain ceded administrative control to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975.

- War erupted in 1975 between Morocco and Mauritania and a Sahrawi nationalist movement, the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) with a government in exile in Tindouf, Algeria.

- Mauritania and SADR signed a peace accord in 1979.

- Low-intensity conflict between SADR and Morocco until September 91.

- the UN recognizes SADR/Polisario as the legitimate representatives of the Sahrawi people and that they have a right to self-determination.

- France, UAE, Turkey and USA back Morocco. Algeria (backed by Russia) and Egypt support SADR.

- SADR controls about 25% of Western Sahara. The mine at Phosboucraa is one of the world's less known but most important strategic assets and is a major reason the west has endorsed Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara.

- SADR breaks 29 year old cease fire and declares war on Morocco.



Four Days in Western Sahara:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt5XRkBxBMc&t=701s


CURRENT

In early Nov 20, Morocco accused Polisario/SADR of blocking a key highway that opens up trade to the rest of Africa. Polisario claims that Morocco built the highway in violation of the peace agreement. Thus, Polisario declared the truce null and void and insisted it had no choice but “to intensify the fight for national liberation”. Since 12 Nov, it has since announced daily attacks, mostly targeting a Moroccan defensive wall in the territory.

Morocco has imposed a strict media blackout, so the only available news is from SADR and correspondents embedded with SADR.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1331370001937338369

Make no mistake, SADR is not just some rag tag outfit. It will be interesting to see how long before we see Turkish and UAE drones flying in support of Moroccan forces.












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Old 11-27-2020, 08:27 PM   #345
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Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist Assassinated
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55105934



it seems odd that Israel/USA/whoever was able to kill a protected Iranian scientist near Tehran in an ambush by multiple attackers. Is Iranian security that bad?

Yes, Israel has assassinated numerous Iranian nuclear scientists in the past but have never been able to get to the highly protected Fakhrizadeh.
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Old 11-27-2020, 09:15 PM   #346
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The conspiracy nut in me thought at first it was an inside job to get that close in.

Its not the American's style.

I can't see the benefit here for Israel to do this, it just seems too neat that a top nuclear scientist is murdered brazenly like that.

Maybe he had other uses to the Iranian Government.
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Old 11-27-2020, 09:29 PM   #347
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I can't see the benefit here for Israel to do this...
Really?

1. Israel is a prime suspect because of a few factors:
- It has the expertise and capacity.
- It has done it before.
- It has the motivation.

2. Concerning motivation: conducting attacks in Iran has few down-sides for Israel right now. If Iran lashes out and sparks a broader conflict that sucks in the USA, it brings about a USA-Iran confrontation that Netanyahu long has sought.

3. Or, If Iran sits tight and waits out the Trump presidency, Israel will not have lost much as Trump clearly has either given Israel the green light to attack Iran or, at a minimum, refuses to impose a cost on Israel for dragging the USA to the brink of war with Iran.

4, Either way, the assassination (and other likely future attacks) will likely harden Iran’s position and complicates - if not hinders - any Biden attempt to revive diplomacy. That serves Netanyahu’s interest as well.
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Old 11-28-2020, 11:42 AM   #348
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A. Ethiopia.

On 26 Nov, Nobel Peace Prizer winner Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered the Armed Forces to launch a “final offensive” on Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and the Tigray capital of Mekelle. Ahmed’s troops launched the initial offensive against the TPLF on 4 Nov.
If this tweet is to be believed, so much for that. Mekelle is apparently under control of government forces. That was rather quick.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1332740110039846914

https://twitter.com/user/status/1332646359338463232
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Old 11-28-2020, 01:08 PM   #349
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Iran has so many enemies now, it could have been a number of different countries. Even their allies do not want Iran holding WMDs. In any case such an attack would have required local assets hostile to the regime.

I think it sets the table up well for Biden if he chooses to go in a new direction.

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Old 11-28-2020, 02:35 PM   #350
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My gut says Bibbi and Donny were chatting on the phone and Donny was bemoaning the fact his advisors wouldn't let him bomb the #### of of some country on the way out the door without a proper reason, Bibbi's reply was 'hell that's not a problem my boys in the Mossad can get Iran to do something stupid'.

I think this whole thing is an attempt to goad Iran into doing something rash so Donny can get medieval on their arse
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Old 12-18-2020, 04:03 PM   #351
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When a government makes an announcement like this on a Friday, I wonder what sneaky shyte they're up to this weekend.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1340053936569540610

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Old 12-20-2020, 10:37 PM   #352
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https://nypost.com/2020/12/19/france...uper-soldiers/


Quote:
Just two weeks after it was announced China was developing biologically enhanced super soldiers, France has joined the fray in creating terminator troops that can be “bred to kill” according to a new report.
Last week, France gave the go-ahead for augmented soldiers, and some fear the super troopers could be the new norm in the recent future.
The French seek to improve “physical, cognitive, perceptive and psychological capacities,” and could allow for location tracking or connectivity with weapons systems and other soldiers. Among the ministry’s research were drugs to keep troops awake for long periods of time and combat stress, and even surgery to improve hearing.

Quote:
Here is some of the tech in progress to create “homo robocopus,” according to the Sun.
Brain microchips — France has been given the all-clear to develop microchips to enhance soldier brain power.
Bionic eyes — Being developed in Hong Kong, this gives users infrared and night vision.
Super hearing — The US’s Tactical Communication and Protective System are smart earbuds which boost soldiers’ hearing to be near superhuman.
Health implant — DARPA, the Pentagon’s research arm, is developing cyborg implants to monitor combat efficiency.
Enhanced limbs — A Devcom report revealed plans to equip US soldiers with enhanced limbs for increased strength.
Exoskeleton legs — The US Army has tested an exoskeleton which can be attached to soldier’s legs and can increase their productivity by up to 27 times.
Synthetic blood — Respirocyte is a theoretical red blood cell that could help soldiers not get out of breath and stay underwater for hours.
Pain immunity — DARPA’s Persistence in Combat initiative would allow soldiers to have their pain suppressed for 30 days.
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Old 12-21-2020, 09:23 AM   #353
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I hope this is tabloid trash
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Old 01-10-2021, 12:40 PM   #354
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What a crazy flat look looking plane - very cool.

Maybe they'll let us buy these.

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Old 01-10-2021, 02:43 PM   #355
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What a crazy flat look looking plane - very cool.

Maybe they'll let us buy these.

Great propaganda video I suppose... Don't believe the hype.

https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/02...terest-abroad/


The SU-57 will flounder. In reality, it already has.
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Old 01-10-2021, 02:58 PM   #356
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Still a good chance it'll be just like the T-14. All the grand plans, a crazy design, but no money to execute it without foreign sales, and nobody else is buying. The Russians seem to have lost their main quality of the past; cost-effectiveness. Chinese won't buy any because they can produce something better, cheaper.

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Old 01-10-2021, 05:51 PM   #357
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The Felon on paper looks like an awesome plane, not on the same level as something like the Raptor. But there have been problems if I remember with the production of the spec'd 2nd generation engines, so instead they used more standard engines in it. There are only two planes in the world right now that have a full 360 degree all azimuth sensing capability and low observable aspect. One if the Felon the other is the F-35.

The other issue that I've read about is that Russian manufacturing is still having trouble with some of the more exotic parts of manufacturing a true 5th generation fighter, as well as the stealth required aspects of it, so its supposedly not as super stealthy as a 5th generation fighter is. Its more low observable from certain angles.

The export market for it that it needs is drying up, I think India was going to buy some in a joint development aspect, but I think India is going their own way. I think they signed a deal with Algeria for a dozen felons. But with the true engines being a ways off that might fall through.

There are some really cool ideas being put into play with this fighter.

The Directional countermeasures suite that can use lasers to blind incoming missiles is a cool concept, like really cool if it works as intended. The 3d vectoring lets the plane do some pretty crazy maneuvering while keeping the nose of the plane hot. It can also carry a very heavy weapons load in its unique bay configuration. Its infrared silent kill capability could be effective against true 5th generation stealth fighters, but I don't know if that alone will allow it to overcome the long standoff capability of a true 5th generation plane.

While the Russians claim its a competitor to the F-22, its not. Its not likely to be able to sneak up on 4.5 and 5th generations, and there are questions around how effective it is in penetrating modern air defense networks. But I don't think it was designed with that in mind. Oh and it has a no pilot drone capability, where the pilot is basically luggage.
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Old 01-10-2021, 09:23 PM   #358
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Still a good chance it'll be just like the T-14. All the grand plans, a crazy design, but no money to execute it without foreign sales, and nobody else is buying. The Russians seem to have lost their main quality of the past; cost-effectiveness. Chinese won't buy any because they can produce something better, cheaper.

I actually like a lot of design features on the T-14, though I've never been crazy about the Russian reliance on an auto loader which at best is a cranky thing.


If they can get the Afghanit system figured out, it could be a very hard tank to kill.


The idea of a maximum crew protection capsule is very smart as well.


The biggest problem though with Russian tanks is their first hit capability. The M1-A1 has that in spades.
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Old 01-11-2021, 09:06 PM   #359
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From everything I read it's a very interesting and capable design, aside from the autoloader. Too bad for them they over-designed it to the point that even they can't afford it
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Old 01-12-2021, 09:50 AM   #360
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From everything I read it's a very interesting and capable design, aside from the autoloader. Too bad for them they over-designed it to the point that even they can't afford it
When it comes to Russian military spending, when you write that "they can't afford it", you should perhaps indicate why that is so. Of course they can afford it, but probably at the expense of going into debt. Unlike the US dollar, the Ruble does not enjoy reserve currency status. Thus, debt financing is expensive for the Russians and they don't do it.

What the Russians do, therefore, is prioritize their defense spending. Do they need a T-14 (and an SU-57 for that matter) right now and the near future? Probably not. Are there more attractive options for foreign sales? Absolutely. T-72, T-90 and SU-35.

When T-14 was first sketched up on the drafting board, drone tactics were in their infancy. In the passing years, we've come to the recent clash in Nagorno Karabakh where the Azeris used drones against the Armenian armour with devastating effect. If you're a country looking to purchase T-14, you had better have a robust counter to the enemy's drone capability. Otherwise, there will be T-14s all over the battlefield waiting for recovery. Thus, spending money on T-72s and some close in air defense is likely the better solution for many countries.

Most armies are now reviewing armour doctrine in the face of the drone threat. I'm not saying tanks will be obsolete, but they are extremely vulnerable now and the Russians might be putting the brakes on the project while they figure this out. The risk you take is that you close down production lines to build something else and so it becomes even more costly to spark those lines back up again. And who knows, by then they might come up with a different tank solution.
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