Ukraine invasion

[Hussar]

Well, it's not just about numbers.

No. Fair enough.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, it's not just about numbers.

True.

According to sources I’ve looked at, Russia has the world’s largest tank force. By a lot. But of those, only 100 or so would be of their best unit. And those are probably limited to defense roles inside Russia- not for deployment on front lines outside the country.

In contrast, the USA has thousands of its best tanks deployed domestically and internationally.

IOW, they opted for quantity over quality...and that ignores all their other issues.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Heifer International stands with Ukraine.

Today, We Stand With the People of Ukraine

As we witness millions of lives being upended by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our hearts remain with the people of the country — and our roots remain in the region.

www.heifer.org

They can’t do much NOW, but I bet the post-war effort, they’ll be able to help the recovery.

 

[Zardnaar]

True.

According to sources I’ve looked at, Russia has the world’s largest tank force. By a lot. But of those, only 100 or so would be of their best unit. And those are probably limited to defense roles inside Russia- not for deployment on front lines outside the country.

In contrast, the USA has thousands of its best tanks deployed domestically and internationally.

IOW, they opted for quantity over quality...and that ignores all their other issues.

It's even less than 100 more like 20-25 of the T-14 Armata. And it's untested and hyped up. Armataa main advantage (assuming it's electronic countermeasures work as advertised) is no autoloader so T-72 turret throwing Olympics problem is solved and it's got a larger breach so it can fit a longer higher penetration 125mm shell in it. The other Soviet types can't really be upgraded any more due to size issues. Eg they can't but longer breach in the turret or fit blow out panels without cutting holes in the tank.

SU-57 the other hyped up uberweapon around a dozen exist.

So they are basically glorified prototypes used in military parades.
And I have severe doubts they're even that Uber. AFAICT they hype them up for domestic propaganda and foreign orders will pay for their own domestic problems.

They Ukrainian's have knocked out T-72A and B models. They Russian s turned over junk tanks to the forces of the DPR/LPR. Those models are left over unupgraded 70's and 80's models.

 

[Eltab]

Oh sure. Sorry I wasn’t making light. I am actually pretty impressed with the US military.

For all the poop that people fling at the US for its foreign policies, IMO, the US has always been remarkably restrained in its use of force.

Put it in perspective. Both the US and Russia spent similar amounts of time in Afghanistan. About twenty years. The Russians killed about 1.5 million Afghans in that time. The Americans about 15000.

Imagine what the US could actually do if it chose to and it’s quite terrifying.

The US Armed Forces learned the hard way that "racking up the body count" does not equal "winning the war". My favorite post-Vietnam analysis quote:
"Attrition is not a strategy. In fact, attrition is irrefutable proof of the absence of a strategy."

 

[Mirtek]

About Russian corruption and it's armed forces

The gist is

That’s what’s clearly happening here: the Rothenbergs and other arms manufacturers pilfer; the steel-, iron-, and component-manufacturers pilfer; the plant managers pilfer; the employees pilfer; the unit commanders pilfer; the supply officers pilfer; the soldiers pilfer. It’s a wonderful grift. Everyone benefits! Well, except when war is called. Suddenly, all that equipment that was supposedly in the field turns out to have been an illusion, long sold off for Italian villas and bottles of vodka

 

[Zardnaar]

WW2 era weapons being used. Hell Maxim is pre WW1.

 

[Hussar]

Vietnam is a weird beast. The US decisively won every single battle and still lost the war.

And, even in Vietnam, losses were extremely one sided.

 

[John R Davis]

Okay, wow. I mean, ^^ this is almost exactly how the U.S.'s second invasion of Iraq started. We had bad intel and believed it because Saddam had bad intel and believed it.

Wow.

Yeah.
Saddam in his megalomania believed he had UMDs.

 

[John R Davis]

No matter how modem the war to hold a place you need to plant your flags and have people and vehicles on the ground.
Whether you are Taliban-like or Russian-like forces it creates many vulnerable targets.