VTTW Board Index

https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2023/08/the-uncounted-losses-to-russias-air-force.html (https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2023/08/the-uncounted-losses-to-russias-air-force.html)

I think the auther missed the boat in a couple of areas:

1) the Russians will keep flying the aircraft, because a) that is what they do and b) they have no choice
I would move the suspect airframes to training but then I spent my entire adult life in that business
(we spent a small fortune rotating CT IIs around to balance center wing box life expectancy and for new wings for the A-10s are just 2 examples)

2) ENGINES are the Russians most vulnerable issue
They have far lower life levels and shorter Mx intervals that US engines
Engines require greater levels of expertise to manage, design, sustain, etc than airframes
IMO they will run out of engines far quicker than airframes

A 3rd issue is that the Russians have been going to a more standoff offensive mode due to Western missiles (see Hawk and Patriots) and Air to Air missles.
Most of their recent "offensives" have been missile barrages (that they are now short of)
That lessens the wear and tear on their airframes

And it?s not just quantity. They?ve fallen way behind us technologically, too. The Su-57 is no match for the F-35 and F-22. It?s basically on the same level as the Super Hornet (something Top Gun actually got right, though expecting a rickety old F-14 to go toe to toe with it beggars belief). I suspect the Chinese will start augmenting Russia sooner or later.

the war with Ukraine has exposed just how terrible russia's crap really is. It's been long expected, but now it's proven. To wit, two Bradley's just took out their premier tank, the T-90M......with their 25mm main guns, not the TOW.

Being a Bradley Master Gunner, this gives me chub  :dude:

What is the core on the 25mm round?

for the armor piercing rounds, depleted uranium

Intro to the M919 APFSDS-T

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/m919.htm (https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/m919.htm)

Curious, are there dangers being near the stuff?  I always assumed the A10 pilots were protected by a bit of distance, but no so much in the Bradley.

I've heard rumors and speculation that long term exposure is dangerous, but nothing solid. The key is long term, which is a vague timeframe, but very few people would fit in that category regardless. APFSDS-T isn't fired (often) in training, TP-T (Target Practice - Tracer) is used. APSFDS-T is the combat round, so that's where you'll see the exposure

Our military equipment is miles better than Russia's. Our biggest shortcoming is our nation's weak appetite for going to war. Russia has no such qualms. I don't ever recommend rushing into a skirmish however.

https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/depleted-uranium/en/index.htm#:~:text=Depleted%20uranium%20is%20a%20dense,give%20them%20more%20penetrating%20power.

10EC, here's the video of T90M getting destroyed by the Bradley's 25mm. The loss of control of the turret and hull (at the 0:32 mark) indicates that the 25mm penetrated the T90M's armor.

An APC destroying a "modern" MBT is not supposed to happen.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-yxUtbGmU&t=19s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-yxUtbGmU&t=19s)

Thanks for this.  Very interesting.  Especially that the tank crew was able to get out.

I wonder how much longer this thing is going to drag on... morale has got to be awful....

Good stuff..