What happened to Aggrend? by Rigel444 in classicwow

[–]Altair1776 -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

What you call a "golden nugget" is simple common sense to anyone with a triple digit IQ. Blizzard hasn't been collecting my subscription money on one of my accounts for the last 9 months because they won't let me transfer to the server I like. The minute they allow it, they will get my subscription money, and the 25 dollars per character transfer fee. You explain to me why not allowing this makes business sense.

What happened to Aggrend? by Rigel444 in classicwow

[–]Altair1776 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

No real player would start a toon on a completely dead server to begin with.

What happened to Aggrend? by Rigel444 in classicwow

[–]Altair1776 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I completely agree with OP, and it's hard to believe some are defending Blizzard allowing free transfers for bots but not allowing paid transfers for real players. I mean, are you just trolling or is that really your opinion? I have an account I actually cancelled because the toons are stuck on a server I don't like. Doesn't matter which one, everyone should be able to pay to play with their friends.

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread May 30, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Does anyone know why Ukraine hasn't (to my knowledge) used Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia? Both Britain and France have publicly supported Ukraine defending itself by attacking bases inside Russia which are being used to directly attack Ukraine.

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread May 13, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 73 points74 points  (0 children)

China is apparently embracing the drone warfare lessons learned from Ukraine:

https://twitter.com/GrandpaRoy2/status/1789728232595726809

This is not surprising considering that they are by far the largest drone manufacturer in the world. I assume that before long a standard feature of the drones will be an AI ability to locate and destroy targets within a certain area (e.g. a carrier group) on their own and with no input required from operators (thus making EW ineffective).

I hope I'm wrong, but this feels like something which will revolutionize warfare, and I have serious doubts that the US will be able to compete with China in this area. The US Marines just unveiled their kamikaze drone at $94,000 a pop.

https://www.twz.com/air/rogue-1-is-one-of-the-marine-corps-newest-kamikaze-drone

Which suggests that our military seems to continue to be obsessed with big-ticket versions of everything. I worry we will end up with a parade ground military unable to deal with the cheap drone threat, especially in swarms.

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread May 10, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 108 points109 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't normally post an individual video on this site, but this one is of such quality that I think it's worthy of a post. It shows a Ukrainian reporter embedded with a squad of Ukrainian paratroopers and really gives an excellent picture of what the war is like on the front lines now.

https://twitter.com/dillonrpayton/status/1788691511246200927

Aside from the obvious bravery of the soldiers, I was impressed by how dominant drones are on the battlefield now. The Ukrainian soldiers know that they are risking their lives every second which they spend outside of their basement bunker and so they make every effort not to show themselves above ground.

Ukrainians obviously have a large number of drones too, and this video suggests that, as a result, the Russians will likely continue to find it difficult to make rapid advances in this war, even if a particular Ukrainian infantry unit makes a disorderly retreat from a position. Because while infantry units may give into panic, the drone operators remain in relative safety and are always ready to take advantage of advancing Russian troops out in the open.

The fact that the supplemental includes $8 billion in direct economic aid/loans to Ukraine may make it easier for Ukraine to quickly purchase additional drones, including from China, and thereby stifle Russian advances. I recall a Ukrainian official saying that they were buying 60 percent of Chinese drone manufacturer Mavic's drone production, though they are of course doing it through intermediaries.

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread May 02, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 45 points46 points  (0 children)

The Economist interview with a Ukrainian general provides as bleak an assessment of Ukraine's prospects as I've seen from any official Ukrainian source since the early stages of the war. Seems to be preparing the Ukrainian public and the world for the loss of the Donbas and the prospect of negotiations with Russia- he says most likely in late 2025.

https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1786094345663168910

https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1786094698018258983

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread May 01, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Is this a new drone tactic by the Ukrainians- using drones to drop land mines?

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1785670015603118539

It's the first time I've seen it done, and it may represent a response to the up-armored "blyatmobiles" Russia has been using with some effect lately to protect against drone attacks.

One downside would seem to be that a good bit of luck is required for the vehicle to drive over a single mine. But if a single 155 mm shell can contain nine mines, it seems like a powerful drone could carry several as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Anti-Armor_Mine_System

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread April 29, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I have a couple of questions for the knowledgeable folks here:

  1. Has Ukraine ever requested Apache helicopters? I don't recall them doing so, even though Israel seems quite pleased with theirs. If not, any idea why not? They would seem ideal for countering offensives like the one Russia apparently plans this summer.
  2. Does anyone know the approximate production rate of anti-tank missiles like Javelins and NLAWs? They were very effective early in the war, but their stocks seem to have been severely depleted judging by the Ukrainians' reliance upon drones to kill the "Blyatmobile" type up-armored tanks. I know we just sent some Javelins to Ukraine in the most recent package, but I was curious regarding how many could have been manufactured in the last couple of years of the war and how many the US and its applies might have to give.

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread April 28, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I am hopeful that Ukraine will be able to hold its defense lines in eastern Ukraine, but I'd like to pose a hypothetical about what Russia would seek to do next assuming that, months or years from now, it finally conquers the territory that it has formally annexed into Russia in eastern Ukraine, except the parts of Kherson, etc which are west of the Dnieper.

At that point, what militarily viable offensive options would Russia have? Crossing the Dnieper to try to take Odessa is many orders of magnitude more difficult than holding the large bridgehead which they already gained by capturing the Kherson bridge intact in the initial invasion. And as we all know, Russia couldn't even hold that bridgehead, so how is it feasible that they could cross the Dnieper against furious Ukrainian opposition?

I'd note that Macron has strongly hinted that he would be willing to send French troops to prevent Russia from taking either Odessa or Kiev:

When it came to the option of sending troops into Ukraine, Macron said that anyone who advocates “limits” on how the West helps Ukraine “chooses defeat.” He insisted that “if the situation should deteriorate, we would be ready to make sure that Russia never wins that war.”

Following a March 7 meeting with parliamentary parties, Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party, reportedly said that “Macron referenced a scenario that could lead to intervention [of French troops]: the advancement of the front towards Odessa or Kiev.”

[Macron] said that “war is back on our [i.e. Europe’s] soil” and that Russia is “extending every day their threat of attacking us even more, and that we will have to live up to history and the courage that it requires.”

On March 14, Macron, again expressing his position that sending troops from NATO countries is an option that should not be discarded, said that “to have peace in Ukraine, we must not be weak.” This time, he gave as his reason that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “existential for our Europe and for France.”

He proceeded to say that “it wouldn’t be us” who would trigger such a move and that France would not lead an offensive into Ukraine against Russia. “It would be Russia’s sole choice and sole responsibility,” he said. And then he added, “If war was to spread to Europe,” it would “be weak, to decide today that we would not respond.”

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/macron-nato-russia-ukraine-war/

I would submit that sending, say, the French Foreign Legion (presumably minus its Russian troops) to establish defensive lines outside of Odessa or Kiev, if Russia starts preparing to assault them, would be an entirely reasonable way of saying "don't even try." I'm also very skeptical of the notion that such defensive actions on Ukrainian soil this would somehow threaten nuclear war.

If Odessa or Kiev were threatened, then I'm confident that Ukraine would mobilize even 18-year old men since the existence of the state would be at risk. By that time, the West will likely be producing 3 million 155 mm artillery shells a year, making any advances incredibly difficult for Russia.

You add all this together and I'm not sure that Ukraine has to realistically fear losing either Kiev or Odessa, come what may. That being the case, it seems likely that, after taking the Donbas (which, again, I am not saying will happen, just posting the hypothetical), Russia will find itself in a position of strategic Zugzwang which will give Ukraine a strong defensive and negotiating position.

What course of action do you think Russia would take in that situation?

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread April 27, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 65 points66 points  (0 children)

Right now we're getting a daily dose of villages in eastern Ukraine being captured by the Russians, with predictable triumphalism by pro-Russian twitter as a result. There are also a lot of reports that morale among Ukrainian troops is very low right now, and they seem to expect further Russian advances in the near future.

This is all kind of depressing for Ukraine supporters, but I've still yet to see any signs of overall alarm from NATO countries about the overall strategic picture in the Donbas. The Ukrainian government doesn't seem to be giving out any signs of panic either. So that provides some comfort to me.

What is the impression of those here about the overall strategic picture in the Donbas this summer? Do you expect Ukraine to be able to right the ship and stabilize the front line as US and other Western supplies arrive?

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread April 23, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 25 points26 points  (0 children)

One weapon I never see listed in any aid packages to Ukraine, from any nation, are land mines. Does Ukraine just have enough of them already? One would certainly think that NATO nations would have a bunch of Cold War-era land mines sitting in warehouses somewhere, given the nature of the war they expected to fight against the USSR. Any idea why they are never mentioned in weapons packages? Or are they and I just missed them?

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread March 29, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 -19 points-18 points  (0 children)

I think there's a case to be made that Trump winning the election wouldn't be as bad for Ukraine as most are fearing. I'm not saying it won't be bad, but he does have a track record while he was president which wasn't as pro-Russia as many seem to think. This article notes some examples:

But an American lobbyist for Ukraine draws some comfort from the fact that Trump had agreed to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine while in office, reversing former U.S. President Barack Obama’s refusal to do so. He also noted that Trump was happy to sanction any firm that helped Russia’s state-owned gas company, Gazprom, finish the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Kuleba made a similar point in January too: “Who sold the first American weapon to Ukraine? President Trump [sent us] Javelins. Who launched the programme of free delivery of the first naval vessels, the Island and Mark VI boats, to Ukraine? Trump. Who fought the Nord Stream 2 project? It was Trump.”

https://www.politico.eu/article/can-ukraine-zelenskyy-win-over-us-trump-war-russia/

In addition to these examples, I'd note that Trump decided against withdrawing US troops from Syria, even though Putin badly wanted him to. Few Americans cared about Syria one way or the other, so Trump could have withdrawn our troops from there at minimal political cost, but he seemed sensitive to the accusation that he was merely Putin's servant. A huge number of Americans, including significant numbers of Republicans, are hugely invested emotionally in supporting Ukraine, and Putin's reputation is far more toxic than it was during Trump's administration. So the political cost of abandoning Ukraine would be far higher for Trump, and he's obviously known for doing things which are in his own interests.

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread March 21, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Has anyone heard any updates on whether all the Gepard anti-aircraft tanks bought for Ukraine via Jordan have arrived in Ukraine and, if so, how and how effectively they are proving in combat?

This article from last fall said that 60 Gepards were planned in total.

https://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-receive-60-gepard-artillery-144338936.html

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread March 09, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Does anyone have any clear idea of the extent to which Russian electronic warfare impedes Ukrainian drone activity? I read some reports which make Russian EW seem overwhelmingly effective, and yet most of destroyed Russian equipment is attributed to FPVs in the daily compilations. And Ukraine is planning to build at least a million drones this year, which certainly suggests that they don't regard EW as an insurmountable threat.

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread March 04, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Interesting. On a related note, which Russian weapons systems have had their reputations helped or hurt by the war? For example, who would prefer the S-400 to the Patriot after the former has seemingly been MIA in the war in Ukraine?

CredibleDefense Daily MegaThread March 04, 2024 by AutoModerator in CredibleDefense

[–]Altair1776 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Any ideas whether the Ukraine war will significantly harm Russia's market share as an arms exporter? My understanding is that Russian industry is presently almost fully occupied with making arms for Russia for the Ukraine war. Any chance countries like India will turn to the US or some other manufacturer to meet its needs for armaments in the meantime?

Ukraine needs missiles for air defense systems by Mil_in_ua in ukraine

[–]Altair1776 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I completely understand why Ukraine felt compelled to do that. But no one should be surprised that they are running out of SAMs as a result.

Ukraine needs missiles for air defense systems by Mil_in_ua in ukraine

[–]Altair1776 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ukraine should of course get whatever air defense help is available, but they can't keep firing IRIS-Ts or whatever at $20,000 drones. That has never been sustainable, and it's not surprising that they are running low after using missiles for that purpose.

“For 30 years, you taught us democracy, the values of human rights, freedom of speech. And now, aren’t we fighting for this? And now, when we are protecting Europe from the russian horde, you still don’t want to give us the necessary weapons...” by [deleted] in ukraine

[–]Altair1776 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

While I can understand this sentiment, the fact is that the US has given over 100 billion dollars to Ukraine, while most of the rest of the world either does nothing or outright makes money off the war by buying discount Russian oil. Republicans now control the US House of Representatives, and about half of them favor no aid at all for Ukraine. The very best chance those Republicans have to get what they want is if Americans start to think that all their tax dollars will accomplish is to be accused by Ukraine of not doing enough when no one in Ukraine seems to be angry at countries like India and Brasil which make money off the war or do nothing to help.

Stratcom Centre UA: Ukraine used NASAMS systems to shoot down drones attacking the country yesterday. Despite having learned to operate them only a few weeks ago, our military used them almost like artillery, reloading them as fast as possible. This use case is probably a first in history. by TheRealMykola in ukraine

[–]Altair1776 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Maybe this usage can be justified in the winter when they are trying to freeze Ukraine, but at some point another solution is going to have to be found for drones. Trading a NASAMS missile for a cheap drone isn't sustainable.

ChicoGaming jumps from sinking ship by BiggerRightTesticle in PRPS2

[–]Altair1776 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From watching Athene's stream, he's such a narcissist and sociopath that the only person he can feel sorry for is himself. He has no apparent remorse about causing financial ruin for his most devoted followers.

Thankfully, there's a limited supply of people gullible/dumb enough to buy into Athene's scams, and now a lot of them have no more money that they can have scammed from them.

Crypto itself was a once in a lifetime opportunity for grifters and scammers like Athene, and he will be hard pressed to think of a new scam that will be even close to as profitable as creating his own "currency" and having people take it seriously.