re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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I may be one of the few who will say this but I almost always preferred having AH-64s for CAS assuming they could get there at the same time as a Hog. First is best but outside of time especially infantry vs infantry I would rather have the rotorheads. The Apache is more of a scalpel and the A-10 is more of a sledgehammer and I like the former, especially for danger close missions and grunt vs grunt requires a lot of that.

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I preferred A-10 in rural areas and 64’s in more condensed / urban areas.

Hajj pretty much always quit when we brought the hogs in. 64’s were so fast and so stealthy that Hajj never had a chance in populated areas. They could see them coming out on the farms and desert.

64 pilots could be, ah, difficult sometimes as well.

I don't think the survivability of any piloted airframe is possible over the battlefield, you don't see very many CAS missions being conducted by planes or helos in this war.

All the video shows the use of standoff weapons like unguided missles and JDAM type which can be released behind the front.

Drones are the new CAS mechanism.

I should have clarified, small drones like what we've seen Ukraine using to great effect, are the new CAS. Large drones like the Reaper or Bayraktar TB2 can't survive over the battlefield either.

LINK

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Image circulating throughout Telegram showing an ADM-160B MALD (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy) decoy missile found in central Luhansk.

The ADM-160B MALD main payload is a Northrop Grumman SAS which allows the decoy missile to simulate any aircraft in the U.S. inventory.

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Note: it can actually simulate ANY aircraft, not just US aircraft.




Reference photo from Wikipedia:

Is Prigozhin doing multiple videos a day now?

LINK

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In his latest verbal attack, Prigozhin tells the Russian Defence Ministry to "stop lying immediately" and says its actions will lead to a "global tragedy for Russia"

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Is Prigozhin doing multiple videos a day now?

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Just how heavy is this dude's security team? Seems like he's begging to accidentally fall out of the 30th floor of a hotel.

Interesting theory here that makes some sense:

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On the face of it, these targets don't appear to be particularly high value. However if we take Wallace at his word, the integration with UA airframes hadn't actually been live tested yet. Combine this with the appearance of the ADM-160 decoy, and this was likely a test run.

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@Artoir on Twitter

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Lots of things getting tested.

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Mental strain on the Russian soldiers is certainly being tested lately. The amount of suicides filmed and posted online recently has seen a big uptick.

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Anxiety is one of the oldest weapons known to man.

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I have a feeling that even as cut off from communication as they are the average Russian on the front lines knows something is coming soon.

The question is where and when? It might be easier knowing that the Ukrainians were going to open hell itself on your position than sit there day after day not knowing.

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CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons to Russia via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway.

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There are Sanctions and then there is Hard Ball. The kind that Western governments practice. Ramaphosa is about to learn the difference. I hope he’s taking notes.

The ANC can inflict ten-hour electrical power blackouts almost every day this year, yet the international media couldn’t care less. Not news worthy. After all, it’s Africa, what do you expect…? But break the international sanctions and sell arms directly to Russia, and the hounds are loosed. This video is just the first of many international reports to come, all attacking the corrupt ANC and the lack of control in the economy.

Notice the Americans are using the BBC to avoid blame and there are well-spoken, local young black female reporters laying blame directly on the ANC. So accusations of racism are deflected.

All making future overseas investors look elsewhere and convincing current investors to pull out of South Africa. Since the tax revenue of South Africa has not covered government direct spending (State welfare grants) since 2014, the ANC has depended on these bonds sold to overseas buyers. The service (interest payments) on this debt is now so high that most of the new bond issues must go to just paying off older bonds. So… if someone would be pissed off at the ANC, they might think about leveraging these interest payments to increase due to forex changes. And increase greatly. The initial result of that will be the Rand devaluing significantly and very quickly. Oh. Wait…

52 Week Range Rand to US$ is 15.1685 to 19.5148. My granddaughter tells me that's 28%. Oh my.

This ain’t going away Cyril.

Why the lights are going out in South Africa - BBC News

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