Did world war 3 just start?

[avboiler11]

Is Putin expecting to take a walk through the Fulda Gap sometime soon?

 

[Kutnupe14]

A look at some of the new Russian military vehicles.
Russian WW2 parade: A tank-spotter's guide - BBC News
The Armata tank is ... hot.

I wonder if we can get Clint Eastwood to steal us one? Lol

Anybody? Anybody?

 

[T.Lex]

Flying over the Arctic is WAY easier than driving over it.

 

[D-Ric902]

Firefox was a loooong time ago

your both "dating" yourselves

 

[printcraft]

Firefox was a loooong time ago

your both "dating" yourselves

I think they call that "friday night"

 

[D-Ric902]

I think they call that "friday night"

Dating as in age, hence quotes

not dating as in......each other........for....you know..........stuff

(at least not that I'm aware of)

((not that it would be a bad thing))

(((Necessarily)))

I'll shut up now

 

[Dead Duck]

Firefox was a loooong time ago

your both "dating" yourselves

Last time I had a hand in dating myself, I ended up with a sore wrist.

 

[Hawkeye]

Is Putin expecting to take a walk through the Fulda Gap sometime soon?

who knows? but if he does anytime soon, it won't be with the T-14. Those MBT's are not yet in full production. Did some research on it yesterday and they will only have a few for further development this year and I don't think they will have them in full service before 2017.

Interesting AFV design, though. Puts the crew is a fairly safe "capsule". Russian tanks have never been noted for crew comfort or safety.

 

[Hawkeye]

BTW, has anybody done any research into the T-14? A buddy of mine is claiming it only has a 2 man crew. My meager research turns up several references to a 3 man crew. CNN and TASS are the only ones claiming a 2 man. so I am not sure what to believe. I could see an ability to fight the MBT with only 2, but than might not be optimal if your TC is also responsible for laying and firing the weapons. Too easy to lose sight of the bigger picture if he's focused on a gun-sight.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Aren't CNN and TASS the same organization?

 

[T.Lex]

Oops.
Russian super-tank 'stalls' on rehearsal parade in Moscow - BBC News

Russia's new high-tech battle tank has ground to a halt during a rehearsal for 9 May Victory parade in Moscow, prompting speculation of a breakdown.
One of T-14 Armata tanks suddenly stopped on Red Square, and the driver raised a red flag - apparently to signal that he had problems.
A tow vehicle was brought in, but the tank later managed to drive on.
The parade announcer said the stoppage had been planned to show how to "evacuate weaponry".
This prompted laughter from the crowds who gathered to watch the rehearsal in the Russian capital, Reuters reports.

 

[Hawkeye]

Aren't CNN and TASS the same organization?

I didn't say that! But now that you mention it... Even the BBC seems to agree with most sources on the 3-man crew

 

[T.Lex]

On the crew situation, keep in mind that this is supposed to be modular. So, as a tank, it is probably a 3 man crew, for the extra tankification duties. But, as an engineering vehicle or whatever, it is probably just a 2 man crew.
ETA:
Janes says 3 for the tank (commander, gunner, driver).
http://www.janes.com/article/50896/new-russian-heavy-armour-breaks-cover

BTW, that link looks like it was almost dragged and dropped into the BBC coverage.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Wow! Russian espionage apparently been working overtime the past few years. Wonder if the chassis is powered by a diesel or a turbine. Diesel is my guess. Wonder if the apparent sophistication is going to affect traditional Soviet strategy of "quantity over quality" (or "quantity has a quality of its own.")

 

[T.Lex]

The timing of your question has merit:
Russia boosts military might despite sanctions - BBC News

As Keir Giles notes, "another major headache for military modernisation is the loss of access to the Ukrainian defence industry.
"Even this long after the end of the USSR, some parts of the Russian and Ukrainian military-industrial complexes still functioned in close co-operation. Now, Russia has to source key components for its warships, aircraft and weapons systems elsewhere - or start to build them itself."
Igor Sutyagin agrees. "Russian defence officials openly recognise that 30% of Ukrainian imports to Russia's defence industry cannot be substituted domestically. One-third is large enough, when you bear in mind that one out of every five pieces of Russian military hardware is either Ukrainian or depends upon Ukrainian parts."
Of course, no military the size of Russia's can be modernised in one go. Russia prioritised strategic nuclear forces, with new missiles and submarines.
For the army, "the priorities were special forces and the airborne assault troops," Keir Giles says.
"One result was the highly capable special forces troops that appeared on the streets of Crimea in February 2014."

So, I think for now, the answer is "quality." They may not have - or need - the kind of quantity they used to rely on.

Wiki cites a Russian-language site (that looks credible) to say that the engine is diesel. The manufacturer, UralVagonZavod, also makes the T-90, which has diesel.

 

[sbu sailor]

Russia bothers me. Rosie O'Donnell terrifies me.

QFT! I don't care who ya are... that's some sig line material there!

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Russia had to do something after watching their stuff get the **** beat out of it in Kuwait and Iraq.

 

[Hawkeye]

On the crew situation, keep in mind that this is supposed to be modular. ...

T - not exactly modular. More of a loose "family" of AFV's that use a common chassis. To me at least, Modular would imply sort of "plug and play" components that could be changed up to meet the needs of a mission.

 

[Hawkeye]

Wow! Russian espionage apparently been working overtime the past few years. Wonder if the chassis is powered by a diesel or a turbine. Diesel is my guess. Wonder if the apparent sophistication is going to affect traditional Soviet strategy of "quantity over quality" (or "quantity has a quality of its own.")

Russia, or the former Soviet Union, has always used technological innovation in some areas, where they had it, over quantity. See for example, the ZSU-23/4. Also the implementation and effective doctrine for the employment of man-pack ATGM's capable of taking out MBT's at 2-3 thousand meters. The BMP was probably the first modern and effective MICV in production and employment as well.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Russia, or the former Soviet Union, has always used technological innovation in some areas, where they had it, over quantity. See for example, the ZSU-23/4. Also the implementation and effective doctrine for the employment of man-pack ATGM's capable of taking out MBT's at 2-3 thousand meters. The BMP was probably the first modern and effective MICV in production and employment as well.

No argument with you about the Soviets' innovation, especially in terms of IFVs; but they tended toward "simplicity" , probably because most of their maintainers and users were two-year conscripts and "reservists". I was taught their helicopters, while formidable in some respects, were designed for a 600 hr useful life. I'm sure they got the most out of their equipment, but I'm wondering if they will have the same sorts of problems we had with fielding the M1, the Bradley, and the Stryker, while simultaneously trying to recreate the massive armies they had before the Soviet retrenchment.