Russian special military operation in Ukraine #53

I wonder how these naval drones can be tracked and destroyed more regularly
...not much can be done against NATO ISR and Ukrainian USV.
If they can't deal with these drones...

What the **** are you talking about?
After 2 years of war, Russia destroyed hundreds of Ukrainian naval drones and lost only 2 ships to them, 99% of these drones are destroyed without ever getting close to a Russian ship.

TMA1 wrote:Ukrainians are obsessed with optics. Especially after their blunder with hundreds dead during training. Russian shipping is always most vulnerable and anyone who thinks Russia should magically zap all objects from the sky immediately are nafo teir.

I don't see the need for Russia to sail these sitting ducks. Does not even look like they detected the attack.

This is a new situation, and no matter how sarcastic it is - they are learning.
Those ships are dead meat, but have one thing- buoyancy.
Can get some more hits and stay afloat.
We are facing a whole loop in naval warfare, that nobody faced yet.
A boat hitting USS Cole was still a boat.
Now you have something that doesn't stick out of a water at all.
That is only my idea - but I guess Russkie are trading the most floating, oldest, and less valuable assets to get some clues.
Let them jerk, being decimated by thousands. Who cares?

he Role of the US Air Force RQ-4B Drone in Attacks on the Black Sea Fleet

The destructive activities of American and NATO intelligence in the Black Sea have been extensively discussed. This was confirmed again on both Saturday and today.

On the night from Friday to Saturday, from February 9 to 10, the Project 22160 patrol ship was attacked by BeK while escorting a Russian tanker from the Bosphorus Strait.

Seven unmanned boats attempted to hit the ship’s side, but the crew noticed the drones and fired at them. As a result, one USV was destroyed, and the rest retreated towards the Odessa region.

The US Air Force RQ-4B UAV observed this entire incident. It had been patrolling south of the coast of Crimea since the morning of February 9 and was directly above the Russian ship at the time of the attack.

The same thing happened today. A US Air Force drone entered the Black Sea at 12 o’clock yesterday and began patrolling 70 km from the southern coast of Crimea.

In the afternoon, the Russian BDK left Sevastopol and headed to the holding area south of Yalta, where it parked under close observation by the UAV.

And at 6:16, seven Ukrainian Backs attacked (t.me/rybar/57123) the Caesar Kunikov. Two drones were destroyed by machine gun fire, and four unfortunately hit the ship.
The crew of the rescue tug shot down the seventh drone in the area where the landing ship was located. Russian helicopters were already circling in the air, and the crew was being evacuated from the landing craft.

Throughout this time, the RQ-4B was slightly to the south, observing and directing BeKs, as correctly noted by the Russian engineer (t.me/rusengineer/2822). After the rescue operation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet ended at 09:30, the drone flew away from the Black Sea, concluding its participation in the attack on the BDK. And this is just one of the episodes during the SMO.

What should we conclude? We believe that everything is clear and does not require further explanation. Everyone understands perfectly well what NATO intelligence officers are doing off our coasts, but for some reason, they are not being resisted. Periodic exposure to electronic warfare does not produce the desired effect, nor do the measures (t.me/rybar/57097) taken to combat BeKs.

At the same time, there are practical options for dealing with this – the RQ-4B stands out on any radar like a New Year’s star. While no one may want to fall for an obvious provocation, the proven method of „dumping fuel” has not been ruled out.

However, planes and drones continue to fly with remarkable regularity. We can only speculate as to why this is the case. Perhaps the Americans have forbidden shooting or taking action, and we have complied.

Ukrainian POV, RF drone nearly hits Ukrainian pickup

https://odysee.com/@airbornewolf:8/RF-drone-nearly-hits-Ukrainian-pickup:3

i got a pretty thick skin, but this abuse always pisses me off.
abuse of the mentally handicapped continues in the Ukrainian army

https://odysee.com/@airbornewolf:8/abuse-of-the-mentally-handicapped-continues-in-the-Ukrainian-army:b

RF VDV AT team targets Ukrainian vehicle in chasov yar
https://odysee.com/@airbornewolf:8/RF-VDV-AT-team-targets-Ukrainian-vehicle-in-chasov-yar:a

Pretty sure the Tank was supposed to go with the BMP, but the steel balls on the BMP crew and troops is amazing.

RF assault Ukrainian position regardless of missing tank
https://odysee.com/@airbornewolf:8/RF-assault-Ukrainian-position-regardless-of-missing-tank:f

RF MANPAD shoots down Ukrainian MI-8
https://odysee.com/@airbornewolf:8/RF-MANPAD-shoots-down-Ukrainian-MI-8:2

Scenes from Krinky, RF artillery shells ukrainian troops attempting evacuation
https://odysee.com/@airbornewolf:8/Scenes-from-Krinky,-RF-artillery-shells-ukrainian-troops-attempting-evacuation:5

Regular wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:
......

I said many of these cases will happen. Nothing changed.
New ships would sink just as well. They are like fish in a barrel, not much can be done against NATO ISR and Ukrainian USV. It’s NATO who is doing the hard work here.

Not a single new ship has been damaged so far (while online and underway that is)

In fact they are using them to escort and protect civilian vesselss from drones and very efficiently at that

They don't have issues with mythical NATO ISR, only Soviet leftovers do

The whole NATO spiel is just excuse for shoddiness

Russia needs to give NATO a taste of its own medicine. Flood the Houthis and other groups hostile to NATO with thousands of sea drones while Russian drones in the Mediterranean provide targeting data to the drone operators and sink as many NATO ships in their sights. Push NATO to shoot down a single Russian drone, then Russia can use this incident as justification to clear the Black Sea of any hostile drone giving targeting data to Ukrainian Terrorists.

Part of the issue that leads to complacency and these results is that the Russians are too rational. "Why would they waste resources on attacking an old ship whose purpose and capabilities are completely irrelevant to this conflict?"

Same thing with the Tarantul a while back.

Thing is, in lieu of battlefield successes, this is what UA does. They'll attempt to assassinate some irrelevant figure whose life or death has absolutely zero impact on the war, or they'll conduct a symbolic strike such as these on irrelevant military targets that do not expect it, because why would they?

Russia has been quick to adapt to most things, but it hasn't in this case.

PhSt wrote:Russia needs to give NATO a taste of its own medicine. Flood the Houthis and other groups hostile to NATO with thousands of sea drones while Russian drones in the Mediterranean provide targeting data to the drone operators and sink as many NATO ships in their sights. Push NATO to shoot down a single Russian drone, then Russia can use this incident as justification to clear the Black Sea of any hostile drone giving targeting data to Ukrainian Terrorists.

Very correct. What is Moscow waiting for?

Russia should also fly drones in the same flight path as those NATzO drones in the black sea to increase the likelihood of a totally unintentional mid-air collision

If Russia can jam a missile, surely it can jam a GAYTO drone?
Isn't there some way it can give a high pulse charge to the drone to fry its control mechanisms?

Either way, providing intel in this way must be considered aiding and abetting an act of war.
Russia should provide the Houtis and whoever weapons to sink GAYTO ships.

I have been away because of health and work issues, but my blog is kept running by a friend who is a long serving regular military officer in the Spanish Army and he provides a running commentary on the operations. He has access to good maps and can read them and understand the terrain.

So far it's a positional war, while we wait for the Russian summer offensive, but it's interesting. I will be writing again soon

Latest entry

https://guerraenucrania.wordpress.com/2024/02/15/los-problemas-sin-solucion-y-la-histeria-malos-companeros/

Remember that the US spent a lot of money getting in leadership here so that they would turn over Assange to them. The present guy is just a successor in that group.

Should Russia reward this new guy for sucking up to the US and helping Kiev murder Russians?

The ship was afloat for some time, they fought for its life, but the damage was very severe and it sank. The crew was completely saved.

So they lost an old landing ship but the crew were saved. Sounds like these sea surface drones are going to require the deployment of automatic cannon to vessels that don't have 30mm gatling guns as standard.

Perhaps 14.5mm HMG mounts should be deployed and perhaps helicopter escorts for ships.

In fact I would say a Ka-226 would be an ideal helicopter being small and light and could be fitted with a module that has wings with wing mounted cannon and perhaps a few rocket pods with belted cannon ammo inside the module plus extra fuel to allow it to operate near older ships and be able to intercept sea surface drones which would be rather vulnerable on their long trips to where they are being used.

Maybe tandem use with Ka-52Ks using their radar to detect these drones at extended ranges so they can be engaged before they get anywhere near their intended targets... and perhaps find where they are being launched from and destroy those locations/vessels.

However, having found out the details of the Ukrainian special operation, the French refused further “cooperation” and hurried to Kyiv to urgently leave Ukraine. This refusal cost them their lives.

Some of that good "you are either with us or you are with the terrorists" logic going on... how long before the Ukraine starts killing European officials that don't back more funding for Kiev as threats to Kiev...

At least this should finally convince MoD to buy new ships instead of using these toilet bowls 30 years past their expiration date

It is a landing ship and seemed to get holed and sink rather quickly... I rather suspect if they wanted to they could raise it and fix it easily enough... it is not like it has billions of dollars worth of modern electronics inside that will be ruined by salt water immersion like that Norway wegian frigate that sank doing burnouts with oil tankers.

New ships would sink just as well. They are like fish in a barrel, not much can be done against NATO ISR and Ukrainian USV. It’s NATO who is doing the hard work here.

A new ship would have a 30mm gatling mount with both radar and all weather EO sights that would allow it to easily engage multiple sea surface targets and likely remained safe.

Perhaps having a light helicopter with cannon based gun pods would have further improved protection for the ships as it would be able to deal with these sea surface drones much further out making the ship rather safer.

I am sure they will be taking this experience into account and adopting new tactics like deck mounted 14.5mm HMGs with thermal optics to deal with these threats...

And for new build ships adopting suitable weapons will also be a priority.

14mm machine guns with night sights should be added to boats close to the area of operations. And perhaps the addition of a rotary AK-630 30mm cannon to the larger ships that don't have them should be considered. Nets should be added to harbors.

Totally agree... and light helicopters with cannon pods. The Ka-226 or perhaps the attack version of the Ansat with 12.7mm machine guns and gun pods...

Some of what you mentioned were implemented, but the real problem is this

But it won't do like Iran. The great power is less bold against US drones than Iran.

Maybe Russia needs to arm and equip a Ukrainian splinter group the way HATO is arming and equipping Kiev.

It would mean this splinter group could do anything it pleases the way Kiev does, so attacking HATO drones would be something they could do.

One of the new large drones the Russians are making like Altius fitted with a couple of Verba missiles would be plenty...

The real problem is that Russia respects international law so what they need is an ISIS or CIA or Kiev or some other criminal organisation they can arm to do their dirty work.

Wagner is already designated a criminal group in the west... maybe a splinter faction of them could be given some drones and some missiles and allowed to do as they please.

Doesn't need to be Wagner, could be any such group.

Something more like raptor with an Optical ball turret with nice FCS and a simple 12.7mm gun or even smaller slaved to the FCS

They might use light armour to protect the HE payload so I would go for 14.5mm guns and maybe even a 57mm rocket pod being developed for new aircraft rocket pods.... use laser homing 57mm rockets... loft them up and have them dive on their targets...

IMO this is the only way because aviation won't be able to always cover the deployment point of such USV

They could adapt lighter helicopters for this sort of role though, the Ka-226 is modular and could have a cabin with wings attached for rocket pods and cannon with ammo feed into the cabin with extra fuel and lots of cannon shells for dealing with sea surface targets.

A bit of light armour and they could be used on anti piracy missions too, being rather cheaper than Hokum sized helicopters...

Not sure how practicable it would be, or if the tech yet exists with enough range, but a Russian drone either knocking down or shooting down a US drone might get the US to reconsider this.

Might be worth a try but personally I would think a quick note to the US that if they want to observe Russian weapons up close that their people in the Ukraine including in the US embassy can be given a front row seat if they persist...

The newer ships have thermal sights and night vision equipment. Probably better automated optical tracking as well.

That old ship had 57mm guns optimised for shooting at aircraft and threats on the ground, and machine guns.

Modern vessels have night and all weather optics and radar with 30mm cannon plus machine guns. (the latter can be effective, but the former just make it easy).

A modern vessel will still get attacked by drones but they tend to get shot up pretty quickly leading to the attack being called off.

Push NATO to shoot down a single Russian drone, then Russia can use this incident as justification to clear the Black Sea of any hostile drone giving targeting data to Ukrainian Terrorists.

Good idea.

Russia has been quick to adapt to most things, but it hasn't in this case.

The issue is that they can't defend everything, and given the choice between defending some old dry dock with a ship and a sub that will remain there for years and have zero impact on this conflict, or protecting Sevastopols main HQ for the Black Sea Fleet, it is pretty obvious why they have to target the dry dock and Bakeries and town squares despite much rather wanting to hit HQs and SAM bases and other relevant targets.

If Russia can jam a missile, surely it can jam a GAYTO drone?

The drones clearly have optics so jamming them might not be enough... they might use an AI programme to dodge and weave in to the target... in the same way a Maverick missile does not need input from the launch aircraft to hit the target it is locked onto.

Isn't there some way it can give a high pulse charge to the drone to fry its control mechanisms?

Well a 76mm or 100mm or 130mm EMP shell could probably take out a group of them at a time, but this old ship has an old 57mm gun mount.

All it really needed was a 30mm cannon... even the old AK-306 that fires at 1,000 rpm would do the job just fine.

I have been away because of health and work issues,

Hope your issues resolve themselves in a way that benefits you and your family...

Firebird wrote:If Russia can jam a missile, surely it can jam a GAYTO drone?
Isn't there some way it can give a high pulse charge to the drone to fry its control mechanisms?
Either way, providing intel in this way must be considered aiding and abetting an act of war.
Russia should provide the Houtis and whoever weapons to sink GAYTO ships.

That would reveal some competency Russkie have as a handicap for a serious war I guess.
They sometimes do use some voo doo, mostly to jam satellite recon when they find that suitable.

I cannot see anything here yet, but today is a big whining in the US, and they have called security council for "a matter of national security" after Russkie made one more mysterious carrier launch with "unrevealed payload in a matter of the Russian MoD". Some speculate that they have just placed a laser gun there to fry sattelites.

Many don't deserve it.

GEROMAN -- time will tell - --
@GeromanAT
Avdeevka. "Ultimatum" .

"The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this morning, on their frequencies, was asked to surrender and avoid losses of personnel. In return, a safe corridor was proposed to reach our rear and guarantee the preservation of lives.

No answer. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to conduct fierce resistance.

Over the course of 24 hours, about 50 people reached our positions. All of them were frostbitten."
8:33 AM · Feb 15, 2024
·
36.2K
Views

What tank is in the first photo in Post 451?

He announced from Kiev

GEROMAN -- time will tell - --
@GeromanAT

3rd Assault Brigade (AZOV) has officially confirmed that it has been deployed at Avdiivka.

“We have to fight a 360-degree battle against new and new brigades that are being deployed by the adversary”, says commander, Azov Bataillon founder Andriy Biletsky.

JohninMK wrote:What tank is in the first photo in Post 451?

L2A6.

And Dana SPG.

If Russia can jam a missile, surely it can jam a GAYTO drone?

The Ministry of Defense reported an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian civilian transport ships using unmanned boats, which was carried out the evening before, February 9, in the Black Sea. The attack was repelled by patrol ships and naval aircraft; civilian ships and naval ships were not damaged, the department said. The Ministry of Defense reported an attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to carry out an attack on Russian civilian transport ships using unmanned boats, which occurred the evening before, February 9, in the southwestern region of the Black Sea. The department wrote about this in its Telegram channel. The attack was repelled by patrol ships and aircraft of the Russian Navy. One unmanned boat was destroyed by artillery fire, the rest were “suppressed by electronic warfare,” the Ministry of Defense writes. No civilian or naval vessels were damaged in the attack, it said.

Shouldn't Russia evacuate Belgorod already?