re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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The U.S. military is studying whether it’s possible to integrate advanced Western air-to-air missiles with Ukraine’s Soviet-era fighter jets, in the latest attempt to jury-rig old platforms with new capabilities ahead of what’s expected to be a bloody spring.

Officials are looking into whether AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, designed to be fired from Western fighter jets such as the U.S.-made F-16, can be mounted on Ukraine’s existing MiGs, according to two Defense Department officials and another person involved in the discussions.

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But the integration process poses challenges, said one of the DoD officials and another person with direct knowledge of the effort. Both were granted anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations. Not only must the missile physically be fitted onto the aircraft, it must also “talk” to the aircraft’s radar. To fire a shot, first the aircraft radar gives the missile a target, and guides the missile until it is close enough to find the target on its own.

The main problem is that the American and Soviet systems are so different that the missile and aircraft can’t communicate with each other.

The military is working on: “How do you mount this thing? Can you get all the electronics in the aircraft to talk to this thing that wasn’t meant to be launched?” said one of the DoD officials.

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Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow considers supplies of Western weapons to Ukraine as evidence of the West’s growing involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

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Protesters in Tbilisi have reached the steps of the parliament building. Situation is derailing.

Reason for the protest is a law which is a copy of the Russian “foreign agent” law and which is basically a wild card to discredit any opposition. #Georgia

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Protesters in #Tbilisi have broken through barricades and are trying to break into the Georgian parliament building.

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"Putin Khuylo" or "Putin is a dickhead" shouted during the massive protests in Georgia's capital Tbilisi

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??"The Ukrainian Armed Forces have missiles capable of destroying the Crimea bridge and reaching Moscow." 1/

"Russian SMI writes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have allegedly already started using a new Ukrainian development — the Grom-2 operational-tactical missile complex capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 500 kilometers — for strikes on military bases in Crimea."
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"It is noted that "Grom-2" was used during the attack on the Russian airfield in the Gvardeisky area near Simferopol on March 4th, 2022"
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Hr?m-2, Grim, Grom or OTRK Sapsan, also known as Operational-Tactical Missile System Hrim, is a Ukrainian short-range ballistic missile system.
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