Russia Invades Ukraine, part XI

[crimsonaudio]

This is how local conflicts sppin out of control...

Moldova declares Russian embassy representative persona non grata

Moldova has declared a representative of the Russian embassy in Chisinau as persona non grata, Moldova’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday.

The ministry said that the person in question, who was not identified in the statement, would be “ forced to leave the territory of the Republic of Moldova.”

The ministry also said it communicated its decision to the Russian side and the Russian ambassador in Chisinau on Monday.

The decision comes as missile attacks on Ukraine “continue to escalate the security risks” and as “the citizens of our country are increasingly feeling the disastrous effects of the war,” the ministry said.

It added that attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure “generate increasing threats” to Moldova’s energy security.

 

[NationalTitles18]

Some more context: Earlier on Monday, several houses were damaged in the Moldovan village of Naslavcea – on the border with Ukraine – after a missile shot down by the Ukrainian forces hit the northern part of the village, according to the Interior Ministry of Moldova.

As a result, access to the area was restricted and the number of police patrols was increased. A team led by a prosecutor was working on the scene, the Interior Ministry said earlier on Monday.

 

[Tidewater]

This is how local conflicts sppin out of control...

Moldova declares Russian embassy representative persona non grata

For me, the really weird part is that Russian "peacekeepers" in Transnistria (who have prevented Moldova from reconquering the secessionist province of Transnistria) had been flying in and out of Moldova for years and even using Chisinau International Airport. For years, Moldova allowed Russia to use a Moldovan airport and the troops moving in and out prevented Moldova from re-establishing its authority over Transnistria.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

For me, the really weird part is that Russian "peacekeepers" in Transnistria (who have prevented Moldova from reconquering the secessionist province of Transnistria) had been flying in and out of Moldova for years and even using Chisinau International Airport. For years, Moldova allowed Russia to use a Moldovan airport and the troops moving in and out prevented Moldova from re-establishing its authority over Transnistria.

That's a weird situation, per se, The Transnistrians remind me a bit of the southern confederal holdouts in south Brazil...

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Here's an interesting article on Russia's current thermonuclear arsenal...

Medium -Duds?

 

[TexasBama]

Here's an interesting article on Russia's current thermonuclear arsenal...

Medium -Duds?

I had mentioned this possibility a while back. Given their relatively paltry defense budget, probably half of which gets looted, I'd wondered if they've even been able to maintain these.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Here's an interesting article on Russia's current thermonuclear arsenal...

Medium -Duds?

Interesting and highly informative. I finally learned why a nuclear arsenal needs maintenance.

But I think the author is being too black-and-white. Putin’s options aren’t limited to either (1) funding maintenance of the thermonuclear arsenal, or (2) equipping the conventional army.

He could fund part of the thermonuclear arsenal’s maintenance and fund the conventional army at a basic level.

Or, as I would think is probable: Maintain a dozen or so thermonuclear bombs, fund some of the conventional army at a basic level, force the conscripts to buy their own uniforms and body armor, and steal the rest.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Interesting and highly informative. I finally learned why a nuclear arsenal needs maintenance.

But I think the author is being too black-and-white. Putin’s options aren’t limited to either (1) funding maintenance of the thermonuclear arsenal, or (2) equipping the conventional army.

He could fund part of the thermonuclear arsenal’s maintenance and fund the conventional army at a basic level.

Or, as I would think is probable: Maintain a dozen or so thermonuclear bombs, fund some of the conventional army at a basic level, force the conscripts to buy their own uniforms and body armor, and steal the rest.

Unmaintained or not, they may be the only part of Putin's army he can trust...

 

[92tide]

siap

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1587108643585015814

BLACK SEA SHOWDOWN: A grain convoy has left Odesa in defiance of a RU blockade. Proceeding south, the convoy posses a dilemma for Putin: does he attack merchant ships in international waters, or does he back down and permit UKR to resume grain shipments? https://marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:32.3/centery:44.1/zoom:7

 

[92tide]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1588038478612549632

Traditional law of the skies, if the Russians cannot draw a larger phallus within 24 hours the base legally belongs to us.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Tom Cooper on why the Russian air force hasn't been more effective. Remember that that is really his specialty and what he's written the most books on...

Tom Cooper

 

[Go Bama]

Tom Cooper on why the Russian air force hasn't been more effective. Remember that that is really his specialty and what he's written the most books on...

Tom Cooper

Excellent Tom Cooper article. Thanks.

 

[BamaFlum]

Tom Cooper on why the Russian air force hasn't been more effective. Remember that that is really his specialty and what he's written the most books on...

Tom Cooper

That’s fascinating! What are the service hours for US fighters?

 

[TIDE-HSV]

That’s fascinating! What are the service hours for US fighters?

Not that easy to find, but on the F-4, the hours were extended from 450 to 600...

 

[crimsonaudio]

Tom Cooper on why the Russian air force hasn't been more effective. Remember that that is really his specialty and what he's written the most books on...

Tom Cooper

Good grief, the russkies are more backwards (and technologically lacking) than I ever would have imagined just a year ago. Wow.

 

[crimsonaudio]

That’s fascinating! What are the service hours for US fighters?

Some perspective:

History Hour: F-15 first 10,000 flight hours

On the 13th of January 2012, the McDonnell Douglas F-15E-47-MC Strike Eagle, 89-0487, became the first F-15 to have logged over 10,000 flight hours. Regularly assigned to Captain Justin Pavoni, Pilot, and Lieutenant Colonel David Moeller, Weapons System Officer and commander of the 335th...

www.aerotime.aero

The Strike Eagle was begun as a private venture by McDonnell Douglas. Designed to be operated by a pilot and a weapons system officer (WSO), the airplane can carry bombs, missiles and guns for a ground attack role, while maintaining its capability as an air superiority fighter. Its airframe was a strengthened and its service life doubled to 16,000 flight hours. The Strike Eagle became an Air Force project in March 1981, and went into production as the F-15E. The first production model, 86-0183, made its first flight 11 December 1986.

 

[Go Bama]

Some perspective:

History Hour: F-15 first 10,000 flight hours

On the 13th of January 2012, the McDonnell Douglas F-15E-47-MC Strike Eagle, 89-0487, became the first F-15 to have logged over 10,000 flight hours. Regularly assigned to Captain Justin Pavoni, Pilot, and Lieutenant Colonel David Moeller, Weapons System Officer and commander of the 335th...

www.aerotime.aero

That's really incredible when you compare 16,000 hours for our jets vs 1000 at best for the Russians.

Putin is going to bankrupt the whole country if he hasn't already. I wonder what Russia will look like 50 years from now.

 

[crimsonaudio]

That's really incredible when you compare 16,000 hours for our jets vs 1000 at best for the Russians.

The JSF (F35) is rated at 8,000 hours service life. F16 is rated at 12,000.

I guarantee our MTBF is much, much higher than the russkies as well - service life pays dividends both in the short and long term...

Putin is going to bankrupt the whole country if he hasn't already. I wonder what Russia will look like 50 years from now.

That domino appears to have already bit tipped - it's just a matter of time now. Now that we see how badly prepared the russkies are for real war, it's obvious how much money was funneled for personal gain rather than being dumped into development.

I may not support our military-industrial complex as it stands but it results in a hell of a war machine compared to what Putin has. They're barely more advanced that Saddam's Republican Guard was...

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I wonder if the service life is between overhauls, or if the 12,000 hour rated service life anticipates interim overhauls.

IOW, is the 12,000 rated service life (1) between overhauls, or (2) the point at which the airframe becomes unacceptably fatigued, never mind how many overhauls it’s had?

If that thing can fly for 12,000 hours with no major overhauls, that really is something.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I wonder if the service life is between overhauls, or if the 12,000 hour rated service life anticipates interim overhauls.

IOW, is the 12,000 rated service life (1) between overhauls, or (2) the point at which the airframe becomes unacceptably fatigued, never mind how many overhauls it’s had?

If that thing can fly for 12,000 hours with no major overhauls, that really is something.

I'd be sure there is interim maintenance. The interesting thing is Russian "routine" management doesn't seem to mean much...