PainterofCrap posted:

Every single tree in Switzerland is numbered. They absolutely will do this.

Libluini posted:

Looks like history is repeating itself: Like with the tanks, now that the US has decided to deliver ATACMS, there's growing pressure on Scholz to finally allow Taurus-deliveries.

In a couple months, we are now facing the real possibility of seeing Swedish jets launching German cruise missiles into Russian fortifications

Scratch Monkey posted:

Yes of course. I was just wondering if they'd bother to do it.

Xlorp posted:

Quite the worldly war

Libluini posted:

In a couple months, we are now facing the real possibility of seeing Swedish jets launching German cruise missiles into Russian fortifications

Libluini posted:

Looks like history is repeating itself: Like with the tanks, now that the US has decided to deliver ATACMS, there's growing pressure on Scholz to finally allow Taurus-deliveries.

In a couple months, we are now facing the real possibility of seeing Swedish jets launching German cruise missiles into Russian fortifications

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Great Northern War 2

quote:

Based on simulations that lack context and the friction of war, the U.S. Army has been moving toward centralizing assets in a manner similar to France’s methodical battle of the 1930s. This approach will continue to slow decision-making and operational tempo. When situations at the front change, soldiers will need to wait for the prolonged planning processes of headquarters removed from the fight to make a decision. They waste precious minutes and will risk being overrun as they call for a fire mission that is routed from battalion, to brigade, to division, then back down to a divisional artillery headquarters, a field artillery battalion, and finally a firing battery. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military has decentralized to an impressive degree with unmanned aerial systems tied into platoon operations and artillery working on demand with an Uber-like app. The Ukrainian approach is a much quicker and more flexible form of warfare than the centralized target working groups and 72-hour air tasking orders that drive American operations.

D-Pad posted:

So is Russia pulling a Weekend At Bernies?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/dead-russian-admiral-shoved-in-front-of-the-cameras-to-prove-he-survived-missile-blast?ref=home?ref=home

Paladinus posted:

He's probably just alive. Unless in two months we get a terse obit.

MikeC posted:

smart phone apps for rapid fire support

MikeC posted:

https://warontherocks.com/2023/09/biting-off-what-it-can-chew-ukraine-understands-its-attritional-context/

An interesting article by a Major in the US Army. It seeks to contextualize the current tactics and mode of operations by the AFU as essentially correct given the heavy fortifications and that "maneuver warfare" wouldn't work anyways.

This is in opposition somewhat of the view from RUSI which looks at current AFU attrition tactics as a result of a lack of sufficient training among the Ukrainians junior officer corps in decentralized decision making required for maneuver warfare. Here Maj Rose praises the decentralized nature of AFU artillery with platoons being able to use smart phone apps for rapid fire support though his assertion here is not footnotes or sourced.

Edit: I would assume both are correct to some degree. Maybe the AFU does allow for small units to allocate their own artillery support but it seems like RUSI's view that more consequential decisions being left to higher HQ to the point where smoke isn't used to ensure HQ has good UAV sight lines to control the battle does suggest that lack of training and trust for junior officers to report and make independent decisions is a major factor.

Nonetheless it seems like their current approach is the best that can be expected under current circumstances.

Edit 2: I am reading a pretty damning paper he wrote in the US military journal that he linked. Apparently the US has moved away from "maneuver warfare" themselves with unrealistic training which is over rehearsed?

https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/March-April-2022/Rose/

Paladinus posted:

He's probably just alive. Unless in two months we get a terse obit.

Bug Squash posted:

They did the whole charade with the crew of the Moskva, so it's not implausible that they'd just have a recording of him to try and pretend he's alive. Until he's seen talking about current events I'd say odds are on he's dead.

Moon Slayer posted:

Still, in this day and age it's pretty easy to give proof of life, just hop onto some form of social media and go "hey, it's me, today is [date] and I'm alive" or something similar. Not even doing that bare minimum is understandably going to lead to some raised eyebrows.

Paladinus posted:

It took Zaluzhny two weeks after Russia started circulating rumours about his death to appear on social media. And he actually has a semi-active instagram account. Ditto for Budanov. One of Kadyrov's BFFs from Akhmat also took his sweet time to reappear after Ukraine's claims of his death. People have poo poo to do (or pretend they do), not to mention that even acknowledging rumours still gives credence to the source. You always try to do that organically without any fanfare, business as usual.

Rugz posted:

But throwing up a video showing the man on a Zoom call dubbed over with a different meeting doesn't exactly scream 'organic current day event'.

Moon Slayer posted:

Still, in this day and age it's pretty easy to give proof of life, just hop onto some form of social media and go "hey, it's me, today is [date] and I'm alive" or something similar. Not even doing that bare minimum is understandably going to lead to some raised eyebrows.

Dirt5o8 posted:

Vehicle gunnery is crazy scripted. You can hit every target and fail if you don't follow the script. It's literally what Gen Schwarzkopf criticized the Soviets for when he helped revamp how the U.S. army trained in the 80's.

Paladinus posted:

When Shoigu was away for a month, they also showed him on Zoom, and it was an old video of him even. He is demonstrably alive, though.

Nenonen posted:

Libluini posted:

Looks like history is repeating itself: Like with the tanks, now that the US has decided to deliver ATACMS, there's growing pressure on Scholz to finally allow Taurus-deliveries.

In a couple months, we are now facing the real possibility of seeing Swedish jets launching German cruise missiles into Russian fortifications

Ynglaur posted:

I'll risk the double-post....

Also, rehearsals in terms of tactical actions can be broken into battle drills--one of which I just described--and rehearsing a plan. Rehearsing a plan is also a good thing, though maybe not for the reasons which come first to mind. Rehearsing does not mean you know everything that's going to happen. Almost all plans go to poo poo on first contact, and often well before. But part of rehearsing is practicing when things get hosed up, because rehearsals also don't go according to plan. So you rehearse until you get something right, then you rehearse when something goes wrong, and then something else, and then something else, and so on until you feel like you've been through a blender. Then, we you do it for real, and poo poo goes sideways, you're mentally prepared to adapt. The thing that goes wrong is unlikely to be the thing you anticipated, but you get everyone in a state where you know the commander's intent, and when the problem hits, everyone starts working the problem rather than freezing up.

The Soviet-style rehearsals which deserve criticism are those which don't permit anything to go wrong. "This tank will move here, and then destroy this target, and then move here, and then ...". Those are bad rehearsals, because they don't teach adaptation, which is the actual thing you should be training.

Dirt5o8 posted:

I don't see any evidence of a push towards centralization at my level (battalion) or in the staff or command training I received. On the contrary, we are always pushing commanders to exercise initiative and call for additional resources as needed.

On the second point, I need to read the article after work, but certain things in the u.s. army are VERY rehearsal based. This is good and bad. Vehicle gunnery is crazy scripted. You can hit every target and fail if you don't follow the script. It's literally what Gen Schwarzkopf criticized the Soviets for when he helped revamp how the U.S. army trained in the 80's.

The good part is, we rehearse every real-world mission as well, based of off what we know of the terrain and enemy. It gives junior leaders and soldiers a decent grasp of how the mission will run.

quote:

Natasha (CNN):
So, I was wondering if you could, now that we're on the record, give us some kind of update on the long range missile question—the ATACMS question to Ukraine. There was a lot of confusion last week, I think there was some back and forth and some conflicting reporting. And so I'm just wondering if you could tell us where they things stand whether the US is prepared to send ATACMS.

SD:
I don't have any announcements to make on ATACMs, Natasha, so that my answer to that question is the same as it's been the last 10 times, you guys have asked me that. But if there is a change and the President wants to make an announcement, he will make the announcement. I don't have any announcements.

MikeC posted:

https://warontherocks.com/2023/09/biting-off-what-it-can-chew-ukraine-understands-its-attritional-context/

An interesting article by a Major in the US Army. It seeks to contextualize the current tactics and mode of operations by the AFU as essentially correct given the heavy fortifications and that "maneuver warfare" wouldn't work anyways.

Moon Slayer posted:

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1706797024409243999

quote:

The Senate stopgap bill, which would keep the government funded until November 17, includes $6.2 billion in Ukraine aid and $6 billion for natural disasters.

McCarthy told his leadership team Tuesday night that he plans to amend the Senate’s stopgap spending bill to include a House GOP border security package, according to multiple sources familiar, teeing up a massive confrontation with the Senate over immigration on the eve of the shutdown deadline.

McCarthy’s strategy, which has been echoed by Republicans all day, is to make the shutdown fight squarely centered on the issue of the border.

It is also likely that House Republicans will strip out the minimal money for Ukraine that the Senate has included in its stopgap, senior GOP sources said, given that many hardliners are opposed to it and they can’t afford many defections.

Schumer said on Tuesday as he outlined the Senate’s stopgap proposal, “We will continue to fund the government at present levels while maintaining our commitment to Ukraine’s security and humanitarian needs, while also ensuring those impacted by natural disasters across the country begin to get the resources they need.”

McGann posted:

Unfortunately it looks like this was glocated and it is not the Airfield, instead pointing the opposite direction. At least According to some geolocation in the comments

OddObserver posted:

It's the House that's the problem.