Russia's War Against Ukraine

[JasonPratt]

I think Pres Z said today that F-16 training will start in Denmark later this month. So that's like an X-wing.

Rejoice comrades! -- the heroic T-55s have arrived on the front line to struggle against the Nazis breaking through the line!

https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1687877874353577984?s=20

Behold the genius cage which successfully helped this veteran tank cope with the Nazi drone attack!

[SirAndrewD]

I think Pres Z said today that F-16 training will start in Denmark later this month. So that's like an X-wing.

Not really. 

Most of the F-16's Ukraine are getting are F16A's with the MLU. 

That's not as capable as the F-16 we expect and know, the F16C Block 50.

As a combat platform the Su-35 is much more effective and dangerous than the F16A.  If Ukraine doesn't have access to the Datalink capabilities that were added in the MLU variant the old A's are even less capable.

Ukraine would be far better off getting the Gripen in decent numbers, and that may happen.

[GDS_Starfury]

iykyk

[GDS_Starfury]

opps

https://twitter.com/i/status/1688184240846876672

[Uberhaus]

The coup leaders in Niger have asked Wagner for aid. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/08/05/niger-junta-wagner-group-mali-mohamed-bazoum-ecowas/

Coup leaders in Niger have called for help from Russia's Wagner mercenaries after neighbouring countries threatened military intervention if the country's ousted president is not restored by Sunday.

Gen Salifou Mody, one of the Nigerien officers leading the coup, made the request on a visit to neighbouring Mali, the Associated Press reported, citing a Western military official and three Malian sources.

Zeihan has a great take on what will happen in Niger and how the French will come into conflict with Russia. Thanks JasonP for introducing me to Zeihan's work.

[GDS_Starfury]

    fucking russians

[FarAway Sooner]

I think Pres Z said today that F-16 training will start in Denmark later this month. So that's like an X-wing.

Not really. 

Most of the F-16's Ukraine are getting are F16A's with the MLU. 

That's not as capable as the F-16 we expect and know, the F16C Block 50.

As a combat platform the Su-35 is much more effective and dangerous than the F16A.  If Ukraine doesn't have access to the Datalink capabilities that were added in the MLU variant the old A's are even less capable.

Ukraine would be far better off getting the Gripen in decent numbers, and that may happen.

Yeah, the bad news is that the F-16s they're getting aren't terribly modern or fancy and require a much larger logistical tail than the Gripens. 

The good news is that the F-16s they're getting are plentiful, easily obtained from existing surplus stocks of other countries, and there are abundant inventories of spare parts scattered throughout NATO arsenals.  Plane for plane, these F-16s won't be game changers.  But they do represent a concrete step forward in transitioning the Ukrainian military to aerial weapons platforms that can be maintained and supplied indefinitely.

I think of them more like an aerial version of the Leopard 1s that the Ukrainians are getting than the Leopard 2s.

[bobarossa]

I think the important question is:  Can they fire missiles from similar ranges as the Ruskies?

[SirAndrewD]

I think the important question is:  Can they fire missiles from similar ranges as the Ruskies?

Depends on which variant of the AMRAAM we send.

The R-77 in general has a bit longer operational range but it's not as good in most other ways that really count.

In combat the AMRAAM would be the missile I'd put my money on.

The issue will be what kinds of situational awareness Ukrainian pilots will have vs their Russian opponents when they inevitably try to challenge them in the air.

Part of what makes the F-16 such a beast is the datalink system and its ability to integrate with E-3's, ground radar and even other fighters to give the pilot a very highly accurate picture of the battlefield. 

Russians have a much less capable equivalent that gives a much weaker picture of the battlefield to pilots.

So, under ideal circumstances NATO jets like the F16A with MLU will see and identify the enemy faster from further away and will be able to engage even if they go cold with their own radar.

The problem here is that Ukraine has no datalink unless we provide some clandestine help with some E-3's in neutral airspace.  Russia has for its part said that NATO letting Ukrainians plug into datalink will be an act of war with their typical saber rattling so it might be something we hesitate to do.

Without that functionality their pilots will have to do things the old fashioned way, and with the F-16A's weaker than average radar, they may not really be able to engage at the same effective ranges the Russians will.

[FarAway Sooner]

I think the important question is:  Can they fire missiles from similar ranges as the Ruskies?

Ward Carroll and Justin Bronk dove into great detail on this one a while back.  The primary AAM that the Russians are using to suppress Ukrainian jets these days is their long-range missile (too lazy to research the number, but it's got longer range than the Phoenix).  The F-16 has some decent AAMs, but they're intended to be fired from up high.

I can dig up the video link if you want.  They definitely suggested that the Grippen was a better fit, but there don't seem to be many Grippens available.  There are a ton of older F-16s available.

[JasonPratt]

Possibly relevant from another thread: the Ukranian techno-trance scene has an unusual number of hot babe-jockeys...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ukrainian+techno+trance+2023

[GDS_Starfury]

I would imagine its because the men of that age of otherwise busy at the moment.

[GDS_Starfury]

sometime around lunch today this was an apartment building and restaurant.

[GDS_Starfury]

and theyre still so fucking dumb! 
have to click the link.  dumb vatnik fires an rpg like a rifle and blows his right shoulder out with the backblast. 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1688652847410270208

[Windigo]

Rumours of the Ukraine getting something called the Taurus from the Germans. A 500 Km range, 400+ Kg warhead, air launched cruise missile.... damn!