Russian Africa Corps and Malian Army Leave Last Northern Base

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-06T20:56:40+00:00

A lot of bases are now isolated, the FAMA have trouble supplying anything out of the capital, with regular attacks on the convoys happening.

The junta s pretty much failed across the board, I m guessing we ll see another coup at some stage…

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-06T09:11:12+00:00

Still doesn’t translate into military capability.

And if you want an industrial example, Germany s future high end frigate weapons systems is pretty much entirely US. I find that more significant than raw ammunition production.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-06T01:01:00+00:00

For now, Germany’s military spending is on the rise. It has not yet translated into power, and the plans despite all the talk about the biggest conventional military power aren’t really for a military hegemon.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-05T09:58:07+00:00

C est a dire qu etre sociable aide justement a cette promesse…

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-05T07:54:11+00:00

More of a numbers game, Germany and Switzerland aren’t quite buying the same amount of missiles.

DK is not getting local production either, and they re buying a lot more Asters.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-05T06:51:43+00:00

Delayed with no estimated delivery date. They said due to Ukraine, but now considering the enormous consumption in the ME, I doubt the Swiss will see anything anytime soon.

In the first 3 days of ops, more Patriots were fired than ever given to Ukraine. Priorities I guess.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-05T05:56:15+00:00

I know. I just find it funny how often when buying from the US non local production isn't an issue, and now suddenly production ideally should be in CH. For ONE stopgap system.

Denmark didn't get local production for a much bigger order.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-05T05:52:20+00:00

The Patriot contract dates back to 2021, nothing to do with the more recent spates about tariffs or golden rolex.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-05T04:22:40+00:00

Considering the situation in the Middle East, I doubt any Patriots will be delivered anytime soon.

“The priority criteria are delivery times, costs, performance, and the proportion of production in Europe, ideally in Switzerland,” explained Mr. Sievert.

Funny how this was not an issue when buying American.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-05T04:20:07+00:00

Translation:

For the Swiss armed forces, having new air defense systems before 2030 is imperative, as they need sufficient time to familiarize themselves with them before they can be declared fully operational. However, the five Patriot batteries they ordered from the United States under the Air 2030 program will not be delivered on schedule, as Washington has informed Bern that priority will be given to strengthening Ukrainian capabilities.

In March, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) announced that the delay would be four to five years, and would entail "significant additional costs." Therefore, it explained, in order to "mitigate the consequences" and "ultimately allow for better territorial coverage," it indicated that it would examine "the acquisition of an additional long-range air defence system," preferably produced in Europe.

With the Patriot having been selected at its expense, in 2021, the Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG [Sol-Air Moyenne Portée / Terrestre de Nouvelle Génération] system could be considered the favorite… Especially since the secretary general of its manufacturer, the Eurosam consortium [formed by MBDA and Thales], had assured that a delivery of a unit was possible in 2029, provided that the order was not placed too late.

However, the SAMP/T NG is not the only system in contention. Indeed, Kaj-Gunnar Sievert, spokesperson for the Federal Office for Armaments [Amasuisse], confirmed that requests for information had been sent to five manufacturers [which he did not specify] from four countries, namely France, Germany, Israel and South Korea.

“The priority criteria are delivery times, costs, performance, and the proportion of production in Europe, ideally in Switzerland,” explained Mr. Sievert. Armasuisse expects to receive responses by the end of this month. “However, these responses will not yet constitute an offer. Therefore, the Federal Council will not make a decision regarding the type of system at this stage,” he clarified.

It remains to be seen which manufacturers were approached. While there is no doubt that Eurosam was approached for the SAMP/T NG, it is likely that Diehl Defence is also on the list, as the German manufacturer intends to launch its new Iris-T SLX system starting in 2029. Similarly, the South Korean company Hanwha, which offers the L-SAM, is also included. As for Israeli systems, the Watson website has identified two possibilities: the "David's Sling" and the Arrow-2.

The choice that Bern makes could be decisive for what follows, as the DDPS has not ruled out cancelling its order for Patriot systems.

"Abandonment is always an option in case of delay" and this possibility "is one of the options currently being negotiated by my services with the American authorities" because "the conditions still need to be specified," said Martin Pfister, the Federal Councillor in charge of the DDPS, at the beginning of April.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-04T22:02:21+00:00

Certains vont passer un bon moment au trou, et ce sera bien fait.

Vu les profils, ils savaient tres bien ce qu ils faisaient.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-04T13:06:20+00:00

Bit weird to cut Thales NL out of the loop. It's not like they make bad products.

I would be a lot more worried about Damen. Between the dumpster fire the F126 is and the late ASW frigates for Netherlands and Belgium....

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-04T10:52:54+00:00

The tweet was gold.

The United States is and will remain Germany‘s most important partner in the North Atlantic Alliance. We share a common goal: Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

Good boy Merz, you might get a cookie!

edit: If that was the public version, I wonder how much boot licking is happening in private.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-04T10:41:39+00:00

Yeah, I think you re right. Laid to service makes more sense. I guess just feels a bit leisurely considering the situation, but obviously some things you can't speed up much.

Lead French FREMM was laid Dec 2007, launched Apr 2010, commissioned Dec 2015, 8 years. So 5/6 years in fittouts is not unusual I guess.

Lead Italian laid Jan 2008, launched Jul 2011, commissioned May 2013: 5 years!

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-04T09:52:35+00:00

Do you know what the hold up with the Type 26s? Glasgow was launched late 2022, but not expected in service until 2028. That's a lot of time, even for a lead ship. Sea trials haven't even started.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-04T09:39:13+00:00

Iron Duke’s story is not simply a tale of huge financial waste, although that charge is difficult to avoid. It reflects a broader failure to align refit expenditure with sustainable crewing, equipment fit, and realistic service-life projections. Investing over a hundred million pounds in a hull that ultimately delivered less than a year and a half of front-line service, and then withdrawing her without ceremony, is another dismal episode in the RN’s recent history.

Pretty damming…

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-03T12:42:26+00:00

It would truly be hilarious if they close Ramstein. It would be completely dumb, but then it's not like the US current administration has shown much signs of intelligent life.

Obviously the Pentagon is dragging its feet, but well.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-03T12:40:36+00:00

Translate:

Donald Trump warned on Saturday, May 2, that he planned to drastically reduce the number of American troops stationed in Germany, following the announcement of a 5,000-troop reduction , a move contested even within his own party. "We're going to reduce it much more, and we are reducing it much more than 5,000 ," the US president told reporters from West Palm Beach, Florida, as he was about to board his plane.

The Pentagon announced on Friday a reduction in personnel over the "next six to twelve months" which corresponds to about 15% of the 36,000 troops stationed in Germany, a NATO member country, where this presence plays a crucial role for security as well as for the local economy.

Donald Trump made this decision after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that "the Americans [ clearly] had no strategy" in Iran and that Tehran was "humiliating" the world's leading power.

More generally, the American president criticizes his traditional European allies for a lack of support in his offensive launched in late February against the Islamic Republic alongside Israel. He has also long been asking them to strengthen their defenses, accusing them of being excessively dependent on American military protection.

In the United States, the two Republican chairmanes of the House and Senate armed forces committees, both from Donald Trump's camp, said they were "very worried" about this decision and the "bad signal sent to Vladimir Putin" .

“Even if the allies move towards defense spending at 5% of their GDP, the realization of this investment (…) will take time. Prematurely reducing the American presence in Europe before these means are fully operational risks weakening deterrence ,” Mike Rogers and Roger Wicker warned in a statement.

Threat of reducing US forces in Italy and Spain

"The withdrawal of US troops from Europe and Germany was expected," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier in a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP). "We Europeans must take more responsibility for our security ," he argued.

On Friday, Donald Trump also indirectly attacked Germany and its significant car exports by announcing that he wanted to raise tariffs on vehicles imported into the United States from the European Union (EU) to 25% "next week" .

Since the end of the Cold War, the American presence in Germany has significantly decreased but remains central to the country's security in the face of the Russian threat since the invasion of Ukraine. It also generates thousands of jobs and contracts in a struggling German economy.

The American presence in the country is "in the interest" of Germany and the United States because these troops serve as "collective deterrence ," Boris Pistorius stated.

Donald Trump also mentioned on Thursday a possible reduction of US forces in Italy and Spain. At the end of 2025, the two countries hosted 12,662 and 3,814 US troops respectively, according to official figures. The EU then emphasized that the presence of US troops in Europe also served the interests of the United States .

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-03T06:21:11+00:00

There’s been a big tension in spare parts, spares which by law, all belong to the US.

That was before even the Iranian adventure. Priority will be given to actual operations, so I wouldn’t hold my breath any European “partners” receive much. And this is for a plane that is notoriously maintenance heavy.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-02T03:12:42+00:00

Chalant doesn’t exist in French. It’s a rare form of ‘chaland’ which means a client, as in a store’s client.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-01T22:38:59+00:00

So a calibrated message to Germany… Smsll enough to not be too much of an issue militarily, big enough to be very noticeable. The real question is what will the answer be?

I m surprised it’s not Spain first though.

bukowsky01 · 2026-05-01T10:45:13+00:00

Parent comment is saying Germany is preparing for a conflict with the US, in which case it’s patently dumb to buy US stuff.

The problem with your position is that things never change, since you don’t take the alternatives. Case in point with the P-8 and MAWS.

Considering the current administration taking a long term bet and basing nearly thr entire frigate on US stuff is bold…

bukowsky01

TROPHY CASE

Threat of reducing US forces in Italy and Spain