Ukraine

[Swervin_Mervin]

"Strategic partners" don't you know. Canny of the Chinese.

[Beany]

"Strategic partners" don't you know. Canny of the Chinese.

Given everything else we've seen, I think this is more likely.

"Leng, we need military rubber. Wot you got?"
"Got SuperYan All Terrain High Load tyres, $500 a wheel, or we've got SunYu XLs, $200 a tyre"
"Ok, send me the SunYus, I'll pay you for the SuperYans, and we'll split the difference between us"
".....yeah, why not"

Three years later....
"Why the fuck are our APCs useless on anything other than paved roads? I'll think on that important issue in my $100m estate in the Urals, which you'd be surprised I can afford on my military salary. I need to speak to my daughter in Yale first, she's getting her degree in political science and is looking to get a placement in the US state department next week"

[Sundayjumper]

You know, I wouldn't rush to be too smug about this. The British military has had its budget steadily whittled away and there's been a very strong assumption that future conflicts would be in the middle east - i.e. hot & sandy. It's a big part of the reasoning behind closing UK bases in Germany. Cold wet muddy forests haven't really been in the plan so if push comes to shove we could have egg on our faces.

[Beany]

You know, I wouldn't rush to be too smug about this. The British military has had its budget steadily whittled away and there's been a very strong assumption that future conflicts would be in the middle east - i.e. hot & sandy. It's a big part of the reasoning behind closing UK bases in Germany. Cold wet muddy forests haven't really been in the plan so if push comes to shove we could have egg on our faces.

I can quite believe we'd have the wrong kind of tyres

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be the cheapest shit that the MoD could find on BlackCircles, that fall apart as soon as they try to get used in anger....

....although.....

[Sundayjumper]

Quite.

And it's not just going to be tyres. Vehicles behave differently in the cold. Cabins need heating instead of cooling. Troops need different clothing, accommodation, catering even. We've had scandals about inadequate equipment plenty of times before.

[Beany]

Quite.

And it's not just going to be tyres. Vehicles behave differently in the cold. Cabins need heating instead of cooling. Troops need different clothing, accommodation, catering even. We've had scandals about inadequate equipment plenty of times before.

Yeah, I recall things about soft body armour being useless, and the air filters on machines being inadequate to deal with sand in Iraq, something like that?

[ZedLeg]

Spent 30 years trying to bodge together tech that work in the desert and we're going to start fighting wars in Europe again. Bloody typical.

[ZedLeg]

I coincidentally watched the stand up show this is from the other day. Seems pretty apt considering the spectacle many companies are making of themselves trying to figure out what the consensus is regarding Russia.

[V8Granite]

Quite.

And it's not just going to be tyres. Vehicles behave differently in the cold. Cabins need heating instead of cooling. Troops need different clothing, accommodation, catering even. We've had scandals about inadequate equipment plenty of times before.

The modern kit they’ve had for quite some time is far far better than old Saxons and WMIKs.

Challenger 2, Warrior, Bulldog, foxhound, buffalo, cougar, Jackal. This is all very impressive kit.

The Russians have tons of kit but rarely use it, there is no doubt Google earth images of acres of trucks, tanks and armoured vehicles the Russians have. I’d be surprised if any of this is looked after when being stored.

A Remember friend did more paperwork than anything, the kit we have is always ready. It would be whether there is enough of it.

Dave!

[MikeHunt]

Im not a world leader or dictator but surely this is a flawed plan?

[Sundayjumper]

I'm guessing they wouldn't be sent to the front line, they'd be off to somewhere very very remote. Somewhere that's definitely not a thinly-veiled labour camp.

[ZedLeg]

Im not a world leader or dictator but surely this is a flawed plan?

Maybe they’re going to go with the red army tactic of having officers shoot anyone who won’t advance.

[V8Granite]

I'm guessing they wouldn't be sent to the front line, they'd be off to somewhere very very remote. Somewhere that's definitely not a thinly-veiled labour camp.

I’m sure there are certain ridiculous humans who think the Gulags were well thought out brain training camps.

What a strange mentality from some people in power in Russia, the people deserve much better.

Dave!

[Gavster]

[Jimmy Choo]

Challenger 2, Warrior, Bulldog, foxhound, buffalo, cougar, Jackal. This is all very impressive kit.

These are names of the Gladiators you sat through while waiting for Jet and Wolf, aren't they?

[Sundayjumper]

To go along with the old woman handing out sunflower seeds:

6FDCEE5E-AAF0-43C5-8E9E-DA410C001F2C.jpeg (63.54 KiB) Viewed 1222 times

[RobYob]

This was a really logical breakdown of maybe what Putin wants to achieve;
Fresh water for Crimea.
Control of the Black sea gas reserves.
Control of the Eastern Ukrainian gas reserves.
Potential land route to Moldova and destabilising the Western Ukraine area to restrict, you guessed it, more gas reserves.

The result of which will keep Russia as Europe's primary gas supply.

[mik]

[revsRus]

Challenger 2, Warrior, Bulldog, foxhound, buffalo, cougar, Jackal. This is all very impressive kit.

These are names of the Gladiators you sat through while waiting for Jet and Wolf, aren't they?

Perfect

Are we the same age? I’m 37. Wolf cos he was a charasmatic nutter, Jet because she was the first woman I realised I was sexually attracted to, aged about 12.

Honourable mention for Shadow for always bursting the end of the big ear cleaner whacker thingies

[nuttinnew]