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Jan 31
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Researching Ukraine's avatar

You basically restated what I said, and you mislead on the price. As someone who does research for a profession, let me give you some free advice (guaranteed to be worth what you pay for it! 🤣). There is no such thing as complete research. Even PhD students who spend years doing it for one dissertation will tell you that more research could always be done. All that to say this, eventually you have to "go to press".

Now, the $5 million price tag is pre production scale. After a plant and assembly line is dedicated to it, the price goes down. Also, are you quoting Tomahawk production cost? Export cost? What "block" are quoting?

We basically have to take the articles at their word. That's why we read multiple. Because you and I don't know the details. Which, is the secondary point of my article. No new details.

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Sid Eschenbach's avatar

Thanks for your information. Anything that helps Ukraine is a great thing... and please get off of Xitter. It's really feeding the wrong people. thanks

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TommyThePurpleCat's avatar

The US keeps using Ukraine as a weapons testing ground.

Everyone is getting something out of this war, except Ukraine.

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Donald Hill's avatar

They lose national sovereignty if they stop fighting.

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TommyThePurpleCat's avatar

They will lose a part of their sovereignty no matter what they do.

That became an inevitability already back in 2014.

The question now is whether they will lose their future too.

If what Budanov said is true, they should negotiate now, while they can

still somewhat hold the front lines.

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Donald Hill's avatar

That is not a guaranteed outcome. I think Ukraine should make their own choice.

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TommyThePurpleCat's avatar

They've been making their own choices since 1991.

Back then, they were an industrial and military behemoth with 52 million, educated people. Vast resources and potential.

But I agree, they should continue to make their own choices. It is their country to wreck.

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Vadim's avatar

Ukraine is getting weapons, albeit usually too few and too late...

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klosp's avatar

"GLSDB debacle?"

Was/is it a debacle. As I recall the GLSDB was a not playing with house money project run by industry thus with limited testing under its belt. Really more a solution looking for NATO countries and or the US to notice they had thin production chains and very small stockpiles or precision strike weapons and even say back in the day Libya could stain those. I don't in principle recall it claimed to equivalent to say the ATACMS replacement PrSM or say a ground launched SM-6. I know it rolled out to Ukraine slow (-er than expected) and seeming below the highest expectations but debacle? Could somebody clarify that. I mean if you really want something to everything you ask well and than everything else well you really are kinda stuck paying for the SM-6 and I can't imagine you are going to get a cheap fast good enough solution to do the same. My understanding is some of the Franken-SAMs have worked out well. Overall I would expect some such good enough fast things to be underwhelming and some to be successful with caveats. I mean really we are talking several years of high intensity war and WW2 produced a lot no good stuff in the same time - as well as good stuff. Even the vaunted and very expensive B-29 was kind of of failure and really only successful in the very particular situation in the Pacific.

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Researching Ukraine's avatar

You summed up the issue quite well. Long wait time, suseptible to EW. Had it been shipped faster, like the Bayraktar drone (sp), it would have had a brief and effective moment in the sun. But, since it took a year to materialize the battlefield had changed.

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klosp's avatar

Fair enough. I am curious one aspect of the GLSDB was the use of laser painting which would seem address some of the jamming issues (at least those aimed at GPS). Was that simply not feasible? That is nobody or no thing around to do that? Or was that system vulnerable to disruption as well.

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Marton Sunrise's avatar

I thought the problem with the GLSDB was the bomb did not separate from the rocket correctly so it could not be used before this problem was fixed.

The idea to use up the large surplus of small bombs in a useful way was good but turning the idea into practice was a failure.

Has it been abandoned or are they still trying to fix it?

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Researching Ukraine's avatar

I don't know if it's been completely abandoned. The basic idea is sound.

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Martin Belderson's avatar

Anti-ship missile? Does Ukraine need more of those now they're producing the Neptune domestically? And isn't precision targeting in the marine environment far easier than on land? Is there any evidence it would be as accurate as ATACMS?

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Researching Ukraine's avatar

USVs have run off the Black Sea Fleet. I'm not sure what is easier.

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Marton Sunrise's avatar

Any updates on these rumours?

Persistent rumours that Israel is now supporting Ukraine with military supplies since Russia and Iran left Syria, I don’t understand the connection but no doubt there are smarter people here who do.

For example, US military cargo planes have been tracked flying from Israel to an airbase in eastern Poland.

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Tupolev16's avatar

90 Patriot missiles were said to be delivered.

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Nick Fotis's avatar

It's been rumored that Israel is sending weapons and munitions of Russian and Iranian origin confiscated from Hezbollah groups back to Ukraine.

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Nick Fotis's avatar

Judging from various websites, it's still early for getting a cleaner picture of these developmental programs

https://www.twz.com/air/air-to-air-anti-drone-interceptor-set-to-evolve-from-cheap-cruise-missile-program

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Actae's avatar

Interesting article! Thanks Benjamin!

It seems Ukraine is progressing some of its long-range weapons programs as well "Unique development: drones that can carry a 250-kilogram bomb and cover 2 thousand km have appeared in the army"

https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2025/01/31/7496223/index.amp

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Inspired defender of Ukraine's avatar

Tom, I've seen your interview with Svetlana Nemyrja. I totally agree with you, but Tom you've made a mistake. You're mistaken. Increase your critics to the highest level and you've got a prize. The revolution has happened in February 2014 because the Ukrainian people do not want to wait for the changes after 10, 20, 30 years. Russia attacks Ukraine because it is the good time for invasion. Ukraine wants to change after Yanukovich, but Russia won't. Ukraine is weak in the force and Russia uses it. The President, and the high command can't have changes, only the Ukrainian people can suppress the Ukrainian authorities. Zelensky, Syrsky, Shmygal do not do anything good for people. They think about themselves.

P.s. I will send the comments further if I will alive on the frontline.

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Inspired defender of Ukraine's avatar

Sorry, I've made a mistake. Ludmila, not Sveltana. I apologise for my mistake.

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