The Military Thread

Those UHF can't still be able to paint, target or identify targets, they can track and tell something is there and tell other systems where to look at, but you still need higher radar bands to do the former. Those mobile UHF are still rather big and still a prime target for HARM missiles and you can't even fit them inside the nose of an aircraft or missile.

The Chinese and Russians have been advertising the VHF and UHF radars as the end of stealth but leaving out they need other systems to actually do the targeting, which stealth does work very well against and certainly leaves both higher band and lower band radars within weapons range.

Digitization solved a few issues, specially with clutter and false returns, but even the Nebo radar array needs 3 different radars to cover the the different radar bands needed and the higher frequency ones are also the ones vulnerable to ECM and jamming.

If you really don't want to get HARM'd the defender is going to need to send something to intercept and doesn't involve hoping the VLO aircraft runs right into the ranges they can track and target them, which will certainly involve another aircraft and if they are 4 or 4.5 gen, they don't have much of an advantage on air to air.

Specially when recent VLO aircraft radars can also be used to jam ground radars.

UHF and VHF don't represent the end of stealth, it just made the strategists rethink how it is used and when you put a non-VLO aircraft on the same situation it doesn't end well for it.

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Angelus: Actually they can paint they feed the tracking and targeting data to a central vehicle that can que up weapons systems. If they can find the object they can que ready systems and also aircraft. These are not operating on their lonesome they are networked. Yes you can jam or use ECM but that isn't a guarantee either and all radars are vulnerable to that to one degree or another. Also using your built in radar to jam has a nasty tendency to highlight exactly where you are because you obliging began to actively transmit and there are both air to air and surface to air systems that have home on jam. Unless your outside the reach of any AA systems it is likely a bad idea to more clearly indicate exactly where you are by turning on your radar. That is what the MALD J is supposed to be doing.

The three radars at different positions make it operate like a multi-static array which makes it more effective and isn't the only system doing that. Several of the AA radars for mobile systems use multiple radars in case you forgot. You are also exaggerating on their size they are comparable in size to other mobile radar arrays often found with mobile AA defenses like the S-300 Radar Sets or the ones used for MEADS. They do not stand out any more then those do. These aren't like the older units that needed a good sized field or large building to mount them.

edited 23rd May '16 1:05:24 PM by TuefelHundenIV

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/05/22/national/politics-diplomacy/massive-rally-planned-okinawa-protest-alleged-murder-local-woman-u-s-base-worker/#.V0OkEbh97IU

A massive prefecture-wide protest in Okinawa over the murder of a local woman.

DIY insurgency: Emerging Technologies Threaten SOF Mission

Scaremongering drivel.

I find it great storytelling.

Am I wrong in thinking that Special Forces, overall and speaking generally, would suck being used as regular infantry?

I reckon you'd be right - there isn't enough of them for that purpose, and using them as regular infantry squanders their expertise as well.

In terms of skills, they'd be fine used as regular infantry, as they have the basic training done. It's just a waste of resources, they're simply not meant to do that. Probably lose them to a sudden artillery barrage.

Russia is a bit different in this, as some of the Spetsnaz brigades are essentially elite infantry in large formations, mostly those recruited from the conscripts, with the real operators being professionals.

edited 24th May '16 2:51:09 AM by TerminusEst

Yeah, "Spetsnaz" is actually a blanket term that can be used to describe anything from "slightly more training than the average soldier" to "high speed low drag tier 1 operators operating operationally". So although the fact that there were more Soviet special forces than the entire BAOR (IIRC) sounds alarming, it isn't quite as bad as you might think.

Also, interesting fact: the Type 42 destroyer was the first modern Western warship to have an all gas turbine powerplant arrangement, consisting of two Olympus gas turbines and two Tyne turbines. Before then, they typically had gas turbines only to provide a limited sprint capability.

Portuguese spy caught passing 'Nato secrets' to Russian handler in Rome

How good are the Spetsnaz anyhow? I've read articles that claim anywhere from them being major badasses to authors claiming JSOC as a whole doesn't take them seriously at all.

Supposedly the Mujahideen considered US Army leg infantry to have similar levels of training to the Spetsnaz units they faced.

I literally just answered that question.

"Spetsnaz" is literally just a shortened form of the Russian for "special purpose [troops?]" IIRC. This, naturally, means it's a pretty wide umbrella term that covers anything from SAS tier spec ops to units that are slightly better than the norm. So it's very dependent on the exact Spetsnaz you're confronted with!

The names to be scared of when it comes to spetsnaz are Group Alfa and especially Group Vympel. Those are GRU's black ops teams.

edited 24th May '16 10:26:38 AM by LeGarcon

I was referring to their Tier 1 teams, lol

They claimed JSOC doesn't even take their black ops units seriously.

Yeah that doesn't sound right at all. Vympel is a force to be terrified of. Specializing in infiltration and sabotage, usually of strategic and nuclear facilities. They've also got a strong suit in asymmetrical warfare.

Alfa's had some major fuckups since they're handling counter terrorism now but I'm not so sure I'd write that off due to incompetence. Hostage rescue was never their job, they were always trained to breach and clear the Capitol Building in record time and make sure not even the janitors left the building alive. Not save people.

What's with people thinking that since the USSR fell, Russia's military turned completely into a Third World Second Rate force?

Triumphalism. Which continues to this day with comments of "Russia can't do this" or "Russia can't do that", all the while Russia does exactly that.

The problem was not so much skill, but the systemic corruption and the lack professionalism after the fall. This has been fixed largely in the Western military district (which is easily the best) and I think 40% of the forces were modernised by the end of 2015. Whether that actually means anything is to be seen. I'd love to see a full-scale intervention in the Middle East, would be interesting.

I think the only thing that they haven't seem to have shaken is the lack of tactical level leadership, according to the few who had to fight the regulars in Ukraine.

edited 24th May '16 10:55:36 AM by TerminusEst

Though isn't a lot of that Putin's wish to simply freeze the conflict rather than win?

The Russians could take Ukraine before the week is over if they wanted. The few times that we can actually prove that proper Russian forces were involved in the fighting the Ukrainians took immediate and catastrophic losses. They barely survived, let alone stood up to them.

Now holding it would be another story entirely though. No way in hell would that happen.

edited 24th May '16 11:03:34 AM by LeGarcon

Rather I think he knows that there's nothing to win, or at least the military planners do.

I remember one of the volunteer guys from America, or somewhere from the West, saying when the regular troops hit, the Ukrainians buckled immediately. The part that got more difficult was the ensuing house-to-house retreat, in which it was not uncommon to suddenly run into a lone Russian who had gotten separated.

edited 24th May '16 11:07:21 AM by TerminusEst

Garcon that's not exactly something in there favor, Ukraine is utter shite teir.

Cheeki breeki can only take you so far.