Russia's War Against Ukraine

[GDS_Starfury]

That card helped save the west during the cold war(at least part of it anyway).  Soviets could have rolled over Europe back then if it were not for our nukes. Difference now is Russia is using it as the aggressor.

Im not convinced this was true then at all.

[MikeGER]

It's very frustrating that they have the nuke card.

With a lot of money and effort we may render the nuke-card non-effective.

If we ressurect Reagan's SDI project, but in a modern 2.0 version, without those x-ray space lasers.
A lot of things scientists in 80ties could only dream of are now lying on the shelf in the next Apple store, or have been mounted on self driving consumer cars.
40 years is alot of time in science and engineering!   

I thought of a dense air defence network with several layers with to-be-enhanced versions of IronDome, THAAD, and such
And additional systems to detect and counter hypersonic vehicles in the air and those ultra-fast long-range submerged "torpedo"

So the only remaining way for a rogue nation to nuke a city would be to smuggle the warhead into a harbor on a freighter or hike it in over the border in a backpack. It would be the task of the agencies to see that coming and prevent it.

[GDS_Starfury]

There is so much combat aviation power over Western Europe right now.

I cant see the dedicated combat aircraft that are up but I can see at least 6 aerial refueling planes up right now at 12:30 est.

[GDS_Starfury]

It's very frustrating that they have the nuke card.

With a lot of money and effort we may render the nuke-card non-effective.

If we ressurect Reagan's SDI project, but in a modern 2.0 version, without those x-ray space lasers.
A lot of things scientists in 80ties could only dream of are now lying on the shelf in the next Apple store, or have been mounted on self driving consumer cars.
40 years is alot of time in science and engineering!   

for the Air Force:
for the AC-130
https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/air-force-takes-delivery-of-stealthy-laser-weapon-for-ghostrider-gunships/
for fighters
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41814/lasers-destined-for-fighter-jets-are-now-being-tested-in-the-air-forces-wind-tunnels

for the Navy:
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/laser-weapons-are-future-us-navy-197480

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-navy-laser-weapon-test-gulf-of-aden-images/

strategic systems are probably a lot further along then the Pentagon wants to talk about.

[ArizonaTank]

Ukrainian telecom technicians have been braving horrendous conditions and cyber-attacks to keep the internet up. Forbes article.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/bombs-and-hackers-are-battering-ukraine-s-internet-providers-hidden-heroes-risk-their-lives-to-keep-their-country-online/ar-AAV5M8g?ocid=msedgntp

[Jarhead0331]

There is so much combat aviation power over Western Europe right now.

I cant see the dedicated combat aircraft that are up but I can see at least 6 aerial refueling planes up right now at 12:30 est.

Earlier today i saw F-15s and Eurofighters out of the UK, F-18s out of Switzerland, F-16s over Belgium and Apaches loitering in Germany.

[Skoop]

There is so much combat aviation power over Western Europe right now. I truly wish nuclear weapons did not exist or were not part of the equation. In a conventional war, it is so blatantly clear that Russia would get obliterated. It's very frustrating that they have the nuke card.

Been saying the same thing.  I remember when combat mission Black Sea was being developed, I got into a debate in the bfc forums with Russian players about who is better.  They claimed desert storm was only 1 sided because of the iraqis, but I'm thinking the 1991 Iraqis would do better in 2022 Ukraine.

[SirAndrewD]

The Soviets had a lot of support from the USA and Allies if i recall right. Don't think they would have been able to win a war against the US back then either.

I think that really depended on the era.

If the war had been in the 60's or early 70's I think NATO would've been in a real bad situation.  There was a lot more technological parity and the Soviet Army had massive numerical superiority.   The air war wouldn't have been a walkover either. 

After the post-Vietnam reforms and the widening quality gap in the latter 70's and into the 80's, I'd agree.   Based on what we've seen in the performance of Russian equipment vs. modern western weapons systems I don't think they'd have stood a chance.

[Uberhaus]

Don't forget about the Walker spy ring that operated from 1967-1985.  The Soviets were able to read all encrypted US naval messages.  It would have cost NATO the war, both at sea and then on land with no shipping reaching Europe.
Fortunately, counter-intelligence services seem to be catching a lot of spies today.

[ArizonaTank]

I was looking for some links to interactive maps and resources that keep popping up on this thread.  Found them after scrolling through a bunch of old posts.

Maybe time for a sticky on the Current Events heading with frequently used resources like:

https://liveuamap.com/

[Pete Dero]

It's very frustrating that they have the nuke card.

With a lot of money and effort we may render the nuke-card non-effective.

Only one needs to get through.

Does anybody know what happens with the nuclear material when you destroy a warhead in the air.  Don't you get radioactive material on the ground below ?

[GDS_Starfury]

yes but, Id rather have a contaminated area then a nuked city.  and if you get them in the boost or orbital phase that the material hopefully burns up on reentry.

[GDS_Starfury]

todays satisfying explosion:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1503745296932773897

[al_infierno]

Brandon Hererra takes a good look at some of the guns used in the conflict.  Some poor SOBs are being issued Mosins.   

[Jarhead0331]

^Does Hererra have any military experience or is he just an AK fanboi turned youtuber turned gun manufacturer?