Oh, without a doubt. It will be a live fire testing ground like Spain was in the 1930s.
This is true, but the good thing is that they were originally designed for fighting the Soviets in Europe. Hopefully the original design still holds.
Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion
- Thread starter Wednesday at Stoke
- Start date
The Israelis had better tanks but not having enough meant they were doomed until the Syrians decided to give up and retreat... The Syrians didn’t know they were facing a much weaker unit (less manpower and far less operational tanks left). The time was on their side. The Syrians wrongly assumed the power hitting them could only come from a much superior -in numbers- force... Kahalani‘s brilliance won him and his crew the battle not the tanks…
According to Spanish press Spain is ready to send up to 53 Leopard tanks.
Great news. Solovyov will finally surpass Alex Jones in raging.
He's so angry its getting a bit boring. The entertainment value tends to go away the more idiotic his comments.
I guess eveyone has that breaking point. Guys like Zhirinovsky used to call for nuking European countries a good 30 years. I think he actually died during the angry rant.
Solovyov after the war can always join the standup artists club. I'd love to see him on one stage with Pablo Francisco just for the sake of contrast.
He will surely get the Baghdad Bob treatment and feck off to Belarus or the like after the war, just the former fled to the UAE.
Belarus sounds perfect. At one point, somebody earlier pointed out he looks like Steven Seagal in dark clothes.
- The outfit is so late stage SeagalSIAP
Ukraine needs tanks? We have tanks.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sierra-army-depot
Sierra Army Depot
Doyle, California
One of the largest fleets of armored vehicles in the world, sitting out in the California desert.
NEARLY A MILE ABOVE SEA level in an isolated corner of Northern California, more than 26,000 armored vehicles stand ready. They form the most noticeable part of the Sierra Army Depot, a 36,000-acre repository for the U.S. Army’s tanks, trucks, and armored personnel carriers.
[...]
Over the decades, the stockpile of weaponry at the Sierra Depot grew as the Army started using the arid base to store an expanding fleet of surplus vehicles. Today that includes some 2,000 M1 Abrams main battle tanks that are parked in neat rows, along with vast lots of armored personnel carriers, trailers, trucks, and other miscellanea.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sierra-army-depot
Sierra Army Depot
Doyle, California
One of the largest fleets of armored vehicles in the world, sitting out in the California desert.
NEARLY A MILE ABOVE SEA level in an isolated corner of Northern California, more than 26,000 armored vehicles stand ready. They form the most noticeable part of the Sierra Army Depot, a 36,000-acre repository for the U.S. Army’s tanks, trucks, and armored personnel carriers.
[...]
Over the decades, the stockpile of weaponry at the Sierra Depot grew as the Army started using the arid base to store an expanding fleet of surplus vehicles. Today that includes some 2,000 M1 Abrams main battle tanks that are parked in neat rows, along with vast lots of armored personnel carriers, trailers, trucks, and other miscellanea.
Germany has decided to give tanks to Ukraine. Finally! Let's see how long they will need to implement the decision.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64401211
Ukraine welcomes German tank move as 'first step'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64401211
Ukraine welcomes German tank move as 'first step'
They will arrive in about three months on the battlefield - when training of Ukrainian soldiers has been finished, which will begin immediately.
A surprising detail: Germany is going to deliver the 2A6 version out of active Bundeswehr duty. Most reports before indicated that it would be older and less capable 2A4 out of reserves.
As for mobilization from Russia, not a whole lot of people from Moscow or St Petersburg have been drafted, correct?
At some point, Putin will have round up people from the main cities too, curious to see the reactions then.
At some point, Putin will have round up people from the main cities too, curious to see the reactions then.
Finally speaking in numbers that can actually make a huge difference.
Looking like the abrams decision is part of the longer term solution to modernisation of Ukranian forces, which needs to be done. Leopards will be the short term, assuming they will be getting more than what's been initially announced...
So aside from backing Germany, the US gets to look like they're being tough on Russia without supplying anything that will be used to fight Russians. Sending Abrams would have been an escalation.
Well, they have sent other things... 59 Bradleys is the most recent escalation.
Now that's a big deal.
The US doesn't need that to look tough. Its already contributed more than everyone else combined. Not that the contributions of other countries (especially Poland) aren't impressive given their respective GDPs, but in the end, its the cumulative effect of all nations that are going to make a difference.
The US realizes it's better for it to fight the Russians on Ukraine soil than on German soil.
Pity the Germans are so slow on the uptake.
Pity the Germans are so slow on the uptake.
That’s a potential 182 tanks - absolute game changer
Let's wait for the delivery dates. Looks like for example the Abrams will be newly produced units and only arrive in 1-2 years.
About 100 of them within a few months would be great. It will give UA a big break from the current situation and also give them opportunity to start their own initiatives.
Nice. That would equate to a little over 2 American armored brigades worth of Western MBTs, putting them almost on par with the British Army as far as modern armor is concerned.
*side note: really interested to see if the Challenger 2 tank maintains its streak of having never been lost to enemy fire
Isn't that almost as many tanks as the UKs currently has? Probably more, given plenty of ours aren't in working order.
Yep. On paper, the UK has in the 220ish range.
Doubt Finland is sending 10. 2-5 sounds more believable
It's very much in their interest to help Ukraine. As Sanna Marin said, Russia simply cannot win this war.
We can send 50 once Erdogan and Orban stop being bitches.
Sanna Marin talks well, acts a lot less.
I would send 10. I just don't think that's what's going to happen. Nothing in the conversation here implies that the number will be 10.
It was a bold statement considering they are neighbors.
Finland also share a 1340km long border with Russia and are still not a member of NATO.
I must say the Dutch gov. have impressed me, real leadership right there when you need it the most.
There is no chance in hell that Russia would open a 2nd Front and Finland are well equipped to cope if that did happen. They've got a small military but a very large well trained reserve army to rely on. They are a nation that learnt from the previous time Russia invaded them and have been preparing for that eventuality since.