Russia's War Against Ukraine

[MikeGER]

Recently a Russian FPV drone was recovered which has a 10klick optical wire guidance

...wait, what?! How does that even work? Seems like even a spider-web wire would drag going 10 km. 

here is an english language source... i had first read about in German these days

https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/fpv_drones_on_fiber_optic_cables_are_tested_on_battlefield_by_russians_such_uavs_fear_no_jammer-9758.html   

on wire durability
the SipkeLR2 unwinds a 5.5 km optical wire, travels way faster then a drone, and has hot exhaust fumes to cope with too

if the wire breaks,i would have build in a function to jettison the warhead, rise high to a semi-save altitude, and fly back to a preset landing point to be refurbished.

[Uberhaus]

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-troops-shoot-balloons-learn-to-defeat-dangerous-drone-threat-2024-3

Maybe very long sequiturs secateurs would be good too for the optical wire guided ones.  (I'm the one that needs sequiturs!)

But seriously, watching footage of Bayraktar drones smashing Armenian targets in Nagorno-Karabakh war was horrifying enough, but now, one of the articles posted previously talks about Russian autonomous drones with motion detection following targets into buildings.

[ArizonaTank]

But seriously, watching footage of Bayraktar drones smashing Armenian targets in Nagorno-Karabakh war was horrifying enough, but now, one of the articles posted previously talks about Russian autonomous drones with motion detection following targets into buildings.

In that Daily Mail explainer I posted several days back on drones in Ukraine, it noted that Ukraine is working on armed autonomous AI piloted drones as well. The reason? They are not subject to signal jamming.

Armed robot killers are closer to reality than we think.

https://www.grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=26039.msg738172#msg738172

[Skoop]

Good idea on the optical wire, remember the TOW missile had a spooling optical wire for guidance back in the day.

[JasonPratt]

Yeah, but TOW had some obvious limits in both distance and how clear the ground had to be to keep the wire from snapping.

However, if the drone is carrying the spool, that fixes the 'drag across obstacle' problem at least: it's laying down a trail instead (so to speak).

[GDS_Starfury]

to some degree its gotten boring but never old.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1768006936446824863

[GDS_Starfury]

so whats France up to?

https://twitter.com/i/status/1768380703077462465

[Gusington]

Good video explaining what France is up to.

[Gusington]

Good video explaining what France is up to.

[MengJiao]

Good video explaining what France is up to.

  And Poland:
adosław Sikorski, the head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has issued a stark warning to Vladimir Putin, suggesting that the West could take actions that the Russian president would not anticipate.

In an interview with "Gazeta Wyborcza," Sikorski emphasized the importance of keeping Putin worried about the West's potential moves.

"The point is to make Vladimir Putin worry about what we will do to him. And we can do something he does not expect," Sikorski stated.

A Shift in France's Stance Since the War's Outset
Sikorski was also asked about the evolution of France's position since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, where initially President Emmanuel Macron sought mediation, to his recent statements not ruling out the possibility of sending NATO troops to aid Ukraine.

"We all tried to persuade Russia to behave according to certain rules. [...] I think that in the period leading up to the war and for some time after its outbreak, President Macron hoped that Putin would show reason and make a rational calculation based on his interests, and that France could play the role of a mediator," the head of Polish diplomacy remarked.

"Eventually, he had to recognize that it was hopeless, that this man never keeps his word," he added.

[Gusington]

^"Strategic ambiguity"

[Skoop]

Lol, well the alt right in America thinks macron being tough on Putin is a front to cover up his wife being a man......lol, I swear you can't make this stuff up. 

[Uberhaus]

Lol, well the alt right in America thinks macron being tough on Putin is a front to cover up his wife being a man......lol, I swear you can't make this stuff up. 

What the truth that he met her at fifteen, she his forty year old teacher isn't racy enough?  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/emmanuel-brigitte-macron-wife-teacher/ 

Vive les Français!

[MengJiao]

^"Strategic ambiguity"

And some more "ambiguity":

Greece has joined the demining coalition initiated by Lithuania and established within the framework of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (Ramstein format).

Source: Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias during a visit to Vilnius on 15 March, European Pravda reports

Details: In his speech, Dendias emphasised Greece's support for Ukraine and said the invasion was "a gross violation of its national sovereignty and international law".

"And we are pleased to have recently joined the demining coalition under your leadership and signed the agreement in your presence in Brussels," he added, addressing his Lithuanian counterpart Arvydas Anušauskas.

Anušauskas, in turn, thanked Greece for joining the Ukraine demining coalition, which is jointly led by Lithuania and Iceland.
"We need to send out a mutual message about our steadfast commitment to continue supporting Ukraine," the Lithuanian defence minister added.

Background:

・The demining coalition encompasses elements of both humanitarian mine clearance in Ukraine's liberated territories and combat mine clearance in the contact zone with Russian troops.

・In January, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence hosted the demining coalition's first meeting, at which representatives of the countries willing to join the coalition discussed their plans and further work.

・In total, the coalition includes about 20 countries, with Czechia and Hungary being among the most recent members.

[MengJiao]

Lol, well the alt right in America thinks macron being tough on Putin is a front to cover up his wife being a man......lol, I swear you can't make this stuff up. 

How does being tough on Putin cover up the possibility that your wife is a man?  Does that seem to imply that
"real woman-loving men" hate Putin or something?  I'm trying to follow the implied logic there.