Cont: The Russian invasion of Ukraine part 7

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Why not use captured Russian tanks to clear mines? They do not need to be fully functional. The only requirement is that they are mobile, and can be steered remotely. The Ukrainian operators can drive these hulks backwards and forwards on minefields until they get blown up.

The Russians may even be tempted to fire artillery at these rogue tanks, revealing their position to Ukrainian counter-artillery.
 
BrettM said:
Why not use captured Russian tanks to clear mines? They do not need to be fully functional. The only requirement is that they are mobile, and can be steered remotely. The Ukrainian operators can drive these hulks backwards and forwards on minefields until they get blown up.

The Russians may even be tempted to fire artillery at these rogue tanks, revealing their position to Ukrainian counter-artillery.
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Because the first mine it goes over will disable it and block the path you are clearing unless you put a mine plow on the front. Than all you are doing is adding complexity with the extra remote control gear.
If you have an operational tank just use it as a tank.
 
quadraginta said:
Not a bad idea.

And a side benefit would be all the starving Russian troops getting themselves blown up by their own mines trying to retrieve the carcasses.
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I remember suggesting during the BSE crisis that we should send cattle that needed to be slaughtered to be sent to mined areas.
 
British Royal Engineers use the Python MICLIC, Mine Clearing Line Charge system. It was first developed in WW2 by the British and has been improved over the decades.
It can clear a lane in minefields 180–200 m long and 7.3 m wide through which vehicles can pass.
It works by firing a rocket from a launcher mounted on a towed trailer, or directly on an AVRE. Attached to the rocket is a 228 m long hose packed with 1455 kg of plastic explosive. After the hose lands on the ground it detonates and destroys over 90% of mines along its entire length. The 10% that are not destroyed are simply pushed aside to safety. I
t can be used in tandem to defeat double impulse mines or mines of greater depth.
It's quite spectacular


From above



The Americans use the same system under the name M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge. It is a version of the British trailer system.

There are versions is a Soviet system in use with Russian and Ukrainian forces.
 
"Russia is ready for a dialogue on a settlement, but Ukraine refuses any opportunity, even being in a difficult situation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The 'SMO' isn't going well Dmitry?
 
The side that is ready to settle now is the side that foresees its position is only going to get worse.

So on the upside we can at least say the Kremlin is not so delusional it can't see it's up the creek.
 
jeremyp said:
Don't forget that NATO's raison d'être is to defend against aggression. When you are defending, you don't have much use for mine clearing machinery and your enemy doesn't have much use for mines.
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You just flunked Military tactics 1A.
You always counter attack whenever possible, and for that you need Combat Engineers.
 
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BrettM said:
Why not use captured Russian tanks to clear mines? They do not need to be fully functional. The only requirement is that they are mobile, and can be steered remotely. The Ukrainian operators can drive these hulks backwards and forwards on minefields until they get blown up.

The Russians may even be tempted to fire artillery at these rogue tanks, revealing their position to Ukrainian counter-artillery.
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Better still, modify them and create a Ukarnian version of Hobart's "Funnies" on D Day.
 
lobosrul5 said:
I'm unfamiliar with that term... you don't mean Market-Garden do you?
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"Devil's Garden" was what the British Soliders at El Alamein called a the huge strip of mines , wire and anti tank traps that Rommel built to defend his positions at El Alaemin. Getting through them was the costliest part of the battle for the Brits.
 
Andy_Ross said:
"Russia is ready for a dialogue on a settlement, but Ukraine refuses any opportunity, even being in a difficult situation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The 'SMO' isn't going well Dmitry?
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They're trying to pretend they're taking the African peace proposal seriously, in an attempt to reduce the fallout from their backing out of the grain deal.
 
SpitfireIX said:
They're trying to pretend they're taking the African peace proposal seriously, in an attempt to reduce the fallout from their backing out of the grain deal.
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Yeah but they're giving them somewhere between 25,000 and 50,000 TONS of grain.... to countries that need MILLIONS of tons of grain.

Of course they'll expect payment in the form of flattery, propaganda support etc. Nothing from Russia is free.
 
Ukraine has moved its official Christmas Day state holiday from 7 January to 25 December, the latest move aimed at distancing itself from Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a parliamentary bill that aimed to "abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66341617
 
I'm convinced the only reason anyone backs Russia at all is out of some desperate hope that they'll someday become a global superpower capable of counterbalancing American influence in the world.

Like I'm pretty sure most of the folks in Africa don't really like Russia or China. They just wish they had some options besides America and Friends, when it came to getting development loans, military alliances, commercial partnerships, etc.

"IN A WORLD where both sides are equally bad, ONE NATION has the guts to stand out as worse than all the rest. WHATABOUT RUSSIA. Coming soon to a border near you."
 
theprestige said:
I'm convinced the only reason anyone backs Russia at all is out of some desperate hope that they'll someday become a global superpower capable of counterbalancing American influence in the world.

Like I'm pretty sure most of the folks in Africa don't really like Russia or China. They just wish they had some options besides America and Friends, when it came to getting development loans, military alliances, commercial partnerships, etc.

"IN A WORLD where both sides are equally bad, ONE NATION has the guts to stand out as worse than all the rest. WHATABOUT RUSSIA. Coming soon to a border near you."
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I think a lot of it is that the US, (along with the UK and EU I'm sure) has laws against taking bribes with respect to companies investing in foreign countries. You can, actually go to jail for opening a business in Zimbabwe where you had to fork over some cash to the local bureaucrat for the right to do so. Russia and China probably have no such restrictions. Corruption is absolutely rampant in most of Africa.
 
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