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Feb 22, 2024
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Do you think they should let the drones hit their targets? Do you consider the cost of the target when do your math?

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That's why there are also CIWS systems like the Phalanx, with 20- and 30-mm guns

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Feb 23, 2024
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CIWS means "Close-in weapon system".

So, these are approximately up to 2.5km range (see eg the Gepard as a large gun-based system for the upper range).

If the drones were armed with missiles, obviously a gun-based CIWS isn't the appropriate tool, you need missiles like the Sea Sparrow for medium range engagement

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To make things worst, in case of Ukraine their own oligarchy is making trouble all the time. Mentioned chaos and absdurdity with UA grain transit thrue Poland (caused by chaos in EU export/import reagulations) is helping only warious "handlers" both in UA and in Poland, who are trying to ear profit from manipulations with export declarations and selling UA grain - declared as "technical" - on local markets as consumable. And local grain produces? Especially those big ones have their storage full of grain from 2023 after they sow a lot more than in 2022 (when there was shortage), but now, when UA was able to re-open its corridor thrue sea, the wolume of grain on market is too much.

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Yes sure. This is of course good enough reason to hit barely functioning economy causing in orders of magnitudes more damage then farmers suffer.And , hand on heart, do anyone really believe they stop if their demand will fulfilled?

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The main problem with the Ukrainian grain/sunflower seeds etc is that it is cheap - and this also because Ukraine is in no positions to emit pretensions. This attracts a lot of "smart" people that want to make profit, all over Europe, or else. IMHO, a reasonable tax would solve the problem of the farmers. Otherwise, the wholesalers or manufacturers will continue to prefer the cheaper raw material, despite all protests.

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The situation with grain and oligarchs causing trouble is a classic case of self-inflicted wound.

Going for personal gain and profit at such times is not always the best strategy - it may backfire very badly

(and I still wonder, why were Russians permitted to enter southern Ukraine virtually unopposed in 2022? Who let them in?)

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Maybe we should have a go fund me for all these Czech artillery shells that have been found

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I do have a feeling we'll all end up crowd-funding ZSU.

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Звучит не очень перспективно:(

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Crowd-funding? Oh, I thought the same - until helping 3rd SSO buy themselves a new Shark...

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I am in.

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It's a LOT of money for crowd-funding, but still the cheapest solution for governments to prevent larger conflict...

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We're already 'crowd-funding' Ukraine - though our taxpayer's money.

Time to take care that money to end where it really matters, instead of being misused by incompetent politicians.

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I am (in CZ) relatively satisfied with the approach of the government and the president to Ukraine, but this is quite a big bite for a state of our size and wealth...

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As nowadays companies hardly pay taxes you can put the brackets away from crowd-funding. At least this way we are doing something reasonable in our interest with it.

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That's the next point: we need laws enabling systematic prosecution of oligarchs and corporations involved in tax avoidance.

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Well, with Jean-Claude Juncker there was the biggest proponent of tax avoidance head of the EU commission. What he did as Luxembourgs PM is the opposite of what you are proposing.

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....the same all the US administrations since Eisenhower are doing - with well-known consequences.

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What’s the military situation in Gaza? How much of Hamas’s tunnel network and military apparatus has been deteriorated/affected?

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That's extremely hard to assess, because the only data available is that form Israel - and Israel is lying all the time.

(Shouldn't mean the 'Hamas' is not lying. Just that it's not releasing details of that kind.)

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Say whatever you will about israel, I agree, but hamas has to be taken out. Same with houthis and other extremist trash. If you live in 14th century, fuck off back to that timezone.

Can't wait for china to attack Taiwan. Then it becomes fun!

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....are you saying fuck off to all the others applying methods from the 14th Century?

To this, for example?

https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1760342114104189378

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Bibi speaking of morals. Tom, that is clearly beating your sarcasm.

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A nicely balanced perspective; thanks!

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I have to stop coming here. This gets more depressing every time in come here. Maybe Ukraine will go the nuclear Route. More and more people are talking about that. Oh well what a time to be alive. Great stuff as always Tom. Thanks for your perspective.

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What is Ukraines nuclear route?

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Nuclear weapons for Ukraine, that is the way!

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Dear Tom,

Thank you for you work and honest thoughts.

You really help to navigate through the thick forest of lies and propaganda.

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Please keep up your good work!

It is appreciated!

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That's wonderful and valuable how PCR and PCR population predominantly supporting Palestinians and two state solution. Maybe that's why they exercise cultural (and real too) genocide of Uyghurs. PCR may offer Israelis to relocate to the free space in Xinjiang, so the Palestine would be free from the river to the see. No need of two state solution! And I do understand why Iran, Arab countries, Turkey etc. are all so content with it - because PRC is such a peace maker in the near east! And that's worth of few dirty Uyghurs, isn's it? They are not proper Muslims anyway - drinking vodka and so on.

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Well, if 'we' (the West) support Israel in its mistreatment of Palestinians, hand on heart: who are we to teach the Chinese about their mistreatement of the Uygurs (and other minorities in the PRC)?

What kind of 'higher moral ground' do we have?

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The double morale hight? Unfortunately nothing new.

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Omgsh morale in the international politics ... man, it's time to grow up. Point is, PCR support Palestinians just to disrupt US power, otherwise they do not care. If the situation would be vice versa (and it "almost" was), China would support Israel. They do not f*ck care about some human rights miles away. Same for PCR population predominantly.

And same for Turkey, Iran, Arab countries ... They often weep "we Muslims are one family", but they just play their power games. They know they can shout against US, Israel, but are shut up against China just because they and China understand but power and China know how to play the power game with them. E.g. see https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/deportation-08092019171834.html

Yes the same holds for US and West. They often speak about morale but plays their power games, too. (The morality talk cause their international politics fails sometimes.) That's the reality. Criticism accepted. But to compare it with "better" PCR? Good thing about the West is we (and Turkey, Saudis, .. too.) may criticize it and West they do something good occasionally at least. And I agree it fails with Palestine miserably - but it should be some more serious analysis and debate why.

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I'm not talking about morale, but about international laws and regulations.

Military occupation including mass murder, ethnic cleansing, mass detentions, torture - all the things Israel is doing to Palestinians and the West is hornily supporting - are against all the possible international laws.

If our governments ignore international laws and regulations, then we cannot expect anybody else to do so; in such case, Russia has the right to invade Ukraine and vage a war of extermination of Ukraine, too.

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Yes, but why to mingle PRC as a good example into this? PRC and PRC population supports predominantly whatever is in the interest of Chinese imperialism. They do not care about peace and humanity more than the West.

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'Good example'? What 'good example'?

This is the example of how far distant from reality is the current US government (and, so there be no doubts: all of governments in the 'United States of Absurdistan').

First they beg the Chinese to join them, then they demonise and threaten them. Meanwhile, they complain about the Russians butchering Ukrainians and the Chinese butchering Uygurs, while helping with all powers Israelis butcher Palestinians.

Is that what you call serious behaviour? Respecting international laws?

Why the fuck is that so hard to understand?

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Thanks tom . .

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Pardon me, if I understand you correctly in conclusion, you are referring to taking arms in your hands and going to front line to make this "victory" against "Putler" ("Russian people")?

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Don't know about you, but I feel a bit too old for that. Sober analysis, supporting crowd-funding and similar activities is meanwhile more of my style.

If you want to donate, kindly let me know: have a ZSU unit in a need of a very special UAV.

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Спасибо Вам за все, что Вы делаете.

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Yes, please: I'd be honored to contribute to a very special UAV

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Thanks lot. Depending on where you are, options are as follows:

For US$:

Company Name: CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION CHARITY FUND OF REGIMENT SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO

Bank: JSC CB "PRIVATBANK",

1D HRUSHEVSKOHO STR.,

KYIV, 01001,

UKRAINE

SWIFT: PBANUA2X

IBAN Code: UA503052990000026005045103261

Company address: 3D SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO STR., KROPYVNYTSKYI, 25009, UKRAINE

Beneficiary: CHARITABLE DONATION FOR A SHARK

For €:

Company Name: CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION CHARITY FUND OF REGIMENT SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO

Bank: JSC CB "PRIVATBANK",

1D HRUSHEVSKOHO STR.,

KYIV, 01001,

UKRAINE

SWIFT: PBANUA2X

IBAN Code: UA373052990000026005025106266

Company address: 3D SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO STR., KROPYVNYTSKYI, 25009, UKRAINE

Beneficiary: CHARITABLE DONATION FOR A SHARK

For PLN:

Company Name: CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION CHARITY FUND OF REGIMENT SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO

Bank: JSC CB "PRIVATBANK",

1D HRUSHEVSKOHO STR.,

KYIV, 01001,

UKRAINE

SWIFT: PBANUA2X

IBAN: UA483052990000026003025104099

Company address: 3D SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO STR., KROPYVNYTSKYI, 25009, UKRAINE

Beneficiary: CHARITABLE DONATION FOR A SHARK

For UAH

Company Name: CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION CHARITY FUND OF REGIMENT SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO

Bank: JSC CB "PRIVATBANK",

1D HRUSHEVSKOHO STR.,

KYIV, 01001,

UKRAINE

ЄДРПОУ: 44698121

IBAN: 𝗨𝗔𝟳𝟭𝟯𝟬𝟱𝟮𝟵𝟵𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟮𝟲𝟬𝟬𝟲𝟬𝟬𝟱𝟭𝟬𝟱𝟬𝟵𝟯

Company address: 3D SVIATOSLAVA KHOROBROGO STR., KROPYVNYTSKYI, 25009, UKRAINE

Beneficiary: CHARITABLE DONATION FOR A SHARK

If per PayPal: fund.450@gmail.com

Purpose: ‘For Shark’

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Thank you very much!

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I share your pessimism. Although the last two years at the beginning pleasantly surprised by the principled resistance to Russian aggression, surprisingly decisive steps were taken (gas, sanctions...), but at the same time they revealed a COMPLETE unpreparedness for any major conflict and, above all, the inability to even begin to change it in a period of two years . Terrifying for EU residents.

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Personally, I think it's not a coincidence. 800k shells don't appear from anywhere. President Pavel shares the information about the shells at a proper moment when Avidiivka has fallen. And the shells can delivered in a short time to Ukraine. How do you like it?

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Me? Very much.

France, Greece and Cyprus - not the least...

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No, it's not personally for you, it's a Rhetorical Question.

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how are the 800k shells related to Turkey?

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Thank you very much for your honest reviews of world events. I am from Ukraine, and an independent view of events is very valuable to me. I am glad that you support us in our struggle. I can't say anything about Israel and Palestine because I don't have the opportunity to analyze in detail everything that has happened there in recent decades, but your view seems to me to be more honest than the position of the EU and the US.

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I would like to read your opinion on the state of the Royal Navy. I find it unbelievable that a country which is a world class player of turbofans have so problem-ridden ship/missile engines.

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Mate, sorry: I'm avoiding topics I know nothing about. Right now, all I 'know' about the Royal Navy is that it has got 2 aircraft carriers, perhaps 20 frigates, and lacks 8,000 sailors to man all of that.

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if you are referring to the Trident missile problem, these are USA-source, not British

(and turbofans have nothing in common with solid rocket boosters)

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Also the engine failures of the Type 45s, and the aircraft carriers.

I think nozzle materials and manufacturing is close.

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Quite different.

Turbofan engines are a whole different level of engineering, with monocrystallic air-cooled turbine blades, etc, while solid rocket boosters often use ablative nozzles and quite different materials and pressures used (you can think of SRBs as giant steel-cased firecrackers, and you won't be too far from the reality).

The Type 45 gas turbines are also different animals (essentially electric power generators), in which the problems seem to be located into the intercooler segment (so, they are using large diesel generators for main propulsion) https://www.navylookout.com/final-cure-for-type-45-destroyer-propulsion-problems-announced/

The aircraft carriers seem to pass through the typical teething pains inherent in such custom and limited edition designs. Propeller shaft vibrations etc is nothing new for newly built ships which have to be ironed out

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Thanks!

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