Zitat:These sorts of combined operations involve hundreds of aircraft and thousands of people in a tightly choreographed dance that takes a lifetime to master. But when managed correctly, these overlapping operations allow a military to dominate the skies, making life much easier for the ground or naval forces below.

Unfortunately for the Russians, the recent modernization of the Russian air force, although intended to enable it to conduct modern combined operations, was mostly for show.

Zitat:Sehr schöne Bilder russischer Panzer- und anderer Fahrzeuge für die Parade 2022:

https://www.vitalykuzmin.net/

Wirklich sehenswert !

Zitat:UVZ Uralvagonzavod starts serial production of Magnolia Arctic self-propelled artillery gun

According to Joseph P. Chacko in Frontier India, Russia has begun mass production of its newest arctic artillery system nicknamed "Magnolia", produced by Uralvagonzavod (UVZ), part of Rostec. In the Autumn and winter of 2021, the system was successfully tested in cold temperatures in northern latitudes. Artillery units deployed in the Arctic and the Extreme North will receive Magnolias. [...]

The first reports about the Magnolia project appeared in 2018. The Magnolia’s features were revealed for the first time at the Army-2019 international military-technical event when the developer presented promotional materials for self-propelled weapons for inspection. The first Self Propelled Gun model was on display during Army-2020.

The Burevestnik Central Research Institute designed it in the framework of Nabrosok R&D, which also produced 2S41 Drok self-propelled mortar and 2S40 Flox gun. It was reported that an artillery weapon on a two-section transporter was designed with a universal 120 mm gun. The 2A80 gun of Magnolia can operate as a howitzer, a mortar, and a cannon. The cannon can fire high-explosive, fragmentation, incendiary, thermobaric, cluster, etc. projectiles up to 8.5 km away, and the range may be extended to 10 km when employing guided rockets. The rate of fire is ten rounds per minute and an ammo load counts 80 rounds.

The self-propelled artillery system Magnolia is built on the armored two-link tracked carrier DT-30PM chassis. The combat compartment is mounted on a two-section tracked platform of an upgraded Vityaz DT-30PM snow-and-swamp-going vehicle. The front section with a five-roadwheel chassis carries the driver’s cabin, power plant units, and system elements.

Zitat:Main Directorate of the General Staff and Special Forces

The Main Directorate of the General Staff (GU) – formerly and still colloquially known as the GRU – is the special service of the Russian Armed Forces. The GU holds responsibilities comparable to Western military intelligence organisations, such as collection on enemy military dispositions and technical capabilities, as well as identifying critical targets in the event of conflict. The organisation also maintains wider capabilities related to political warfare and direct action, which can be used in support of political warfare or conventional operations.

The GU is structured into two kinds of directorates: those with regional responsibilities, which are primarily tasked with building up access to target countries’ elites, and those with functional responsibilities – cyber, satellite intelligence, special operations, and so on – which are not geographically focused. The service also has an extensive network of long-term illegal officers – operating abroad without diplomatic cover – often tasked with penetration of institutions that the Russian government wishes to influence or extract information from. The GU operates significantly beyond a narrow military mandate.

In fact, the relationship between the GU and the General Staff has been complex. The GU has its own Spetsnaz forces that are responsible for direct action, such as the attempted assassination of the Skripals or the sabotage of armaments production as carried out in Czechia. The Directorate’s operatives tend to work in pairs and usually divide responsibilities between logistics personnel and handlers. In Ukraine, GU teams tended to recruit groups of locals to conduct sabotage and other activities, who would be directed by the handler, while the logistics officer would manage communications with Moscow and the smuggling of arms and other equipment across the border.

GU Spetsnaz have also generated proxy forces through which they can conduct expeditionary operations. Most notable, perhaps, was the formation of the Wagner Regiment in 2014. Although the Wagner Group – as it became known – has been widely described as a mercenary organisation, it is routinely accompanied by Spetsnaz officers from the GU, who help to coordinate its activities and facilitate the support the group receives from the conventional Russian military in its operations in Libya and further afield. During the high point of Russian operations in Syria and now in Ukraine, Wagner Group companies have been cut across to fall under the command of the conventional Russian military.

During Russia’s military reforms, the utility of special operations forces was recognised, with a desire to significantly expand the capacity for such activities. There was, however, a significant tension between the GU’s strategic priorities and the operational priorities of Russia’s conventional forces. For this reason, Russia established a Special Operations Command and generated Special Forces units (SSO) tasked with more conventional military reconnaissance functions. The SSO tend to be assigned in support of a conventional group of forces in conflict, though they can also come under GU direction outside of conventional conflict.

Zitat:Omsktransmash delivers modernized TOS-1A flamethrowers to Russian army

According to topwar.ru on September 25, a batch of TOS-1A Solntsepek heavy flamethrower systems was handed over to the Ministry of Defense. According to the press service of the company, the order was completed ahead of schedule. [...] According to Omsktransmash’s press service, an undisclosed number of TOS-1As were sent to the military as part of the state defense order. Since recently there has been no information on the conclusion of contracts for the production of new TOS-1A systems, but there is a contract for the modernization of vehicles already delivered to the troops, topwar.ru reports.

As previously reported, as part of the modernization developed at Omsktransmash, the TOS-1As receive modern launching equipment, improved built-in dynamic protection, a GPS/Glonass navigation system, and new tracks.

(24.12.2022, 11:23)26er schrieb: .... aber wahrscheinlich brauchen sie einen Träger für ihr nationales Ego.