Posted on 02/16/2023 12:36:18 PM PST by Mariner
Another day, and yet more worrying news from the frontline: Ukrainian troops are firing as many as 6,000 artillery shells a day to try and beat back Russia’s new offensive. It is an expenditure rate the West is struggling to feed; so high that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said that Ukraine’s forces could run out of ammunition unless they use it more sparingly. His comments remind us of an essential truth: that brute force and, critically, the ability to sustain and replenish it over an extended period, is historically what wins wars in the end.
This rule counters the orthodox interpretation of this war so far. For many, Ukraine’s early success against apparently overwhelming Russian force suggested that high-tech weaponry – and nimbleness in strategy and deployment – were enough to defeat larger forces. It also vindicated the British military consensus that we should invest in cyber, computers, unmanned vehicles, and “ranger” units to train, advise and mentor allies rather than in combat infantrymen, heavy armour and other conventional weapons – sometimes disparagingly referred to as “legacy” capabilities.
Every day, Russian guns are blasting out three times as many shells as Ukraine’s, but Moscow’s defence industry is on a war footing, with production ramping up and no sign of ammunition shortages. The current arms race between Russia and the West, which we are losing, should serve as a dire warning over the state of our own national defences.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
In WWII, it sure seemed like Russia was losing until Stalingrad.
Every day, Russian guns are blasting out three times as many shells as Ukraine’s, but Moscow’s defence industry is on a war footing, with production ramping up and no sign of ammunition shortages. The current arms race between Russia and the West, which we are losing, should serve as a dire warning over the state of our own national defences.
The U.S. needs to take note. We no longer have a rapid response capability when it comes to replacing military arms.
Just-in-time production could be the death of us all.
I heard that if you include rockets and missiles in that category, Russia is firing almost ten times that amount.
Maybe they should have stocked up on ammo before they poked The Bear.
We’ll just outsource it to China . . . maybe not such a good idea after all. Which means SloJoe will go for it.
The military has to keep learning these lessons. Remember the fools who thought fighter planes wouldn’t need guns any more, back in the 50s? Au contaire.
For that matter WW2 strategic bombing had very mixed results. This doesn’t stop politicians from buying into the easy winning of wars through air power. You run out of smart munitions very quickly. Then it’s back to dumb bombs and artillery.
The biggest gap in technology during war were probably during Vietnam and Afghanistan. We can see how effective “wonder weapons” ended up being.
As long as they can protect their supply lines they can keep moving forward until the wall collapses.
It’s not failure so much as Putin thought he was going to roll Kiev completely, failed massively, but then dug in for a very long conflict while NATO/Zelensky thinks a successful offensive or two with sanctions is enough to beat Putin.
Putin removed his economy from the west’s years ago and has shifted his income source from Europe to India/China. His people are behind him too, because many of them realize that if Putin loses, the western capitalists will flood the country, break it up, and trade it off like they did in the 90s.
Also, as you stated, Putin’s murdering Ukrainian soldiers left and right with artillery and his FLIR-fitted drones. Just wait for a cold soldier to light up a cigarette or small fire and boom, another group gone.
It’s so sad because hundreds of thousands have died for no reason.
Yes. But some Generals and Colonels and procurement bureaucrats made some nice retirement swag by promoting that “just in time” nonsense. Always remember what’s really important.
Sounds like Infantry "Dick" here never had to field incoming from a peer opponent...
“This rule counters the orthodox interpretation of this war so far. For many, Ukraine’s early success against apparently overwhelming Russian force suggested that high-tech weaponry – and nimbleness in strategy and deployment – were enough to defeat larger forces.”
It all depends on what kind of war is being waged. In the beginning of the war, Russia was trying to do a “blitzkrieg” type of operation, and so that is why Ukraine had early success with unconventional tactics to counter that. Now we are back to trench warfare, and it takes different tactics to overcome that.
“Sounds like Infantry “Dick” here never had to field incoming from a peer opponent... “
Not a single western military has since 1945.
Correction:Not since 1951.
The early Norklandians were tough as nails, and skilled too.
“The military has to keep learning these lessons.”
You don’t get promoted in the military (or corporations, or government bureaucracies, or universities, etc) for saying “we should keep doing the things that have worked for us in the past”. You get promoted if you say “I have a great new idea we should try!”
“The biggest gap in technology during war were probably during Vietnam and Afghanistan. We can see how effective “wonder weapons” ended up being.”
Well, in Iraq (both times) and Afghanistan, they were very effective... against the conventional forces. We mopped them up in weeks. However, they proved not so effective against unconventional forces like insurgents. The lesson we should learn is that no one strategy is going to work against every opponent, and that flexibility and adaptability are king.
Agree entirely.
Worse, the Russkies (and by extension the Chicoms) are learning invaluable lessons about the West and about warfare unto itself.
“Well, in Iraq (both times) and Afghanistan, they were very effective... against the conventional forces”.
Only because of AIR DOMINANCE.
Total Air Dominance.
If you don’t have dominance over your opponents airspace, armor and artillery will roll over you.
More like ten times, around 65000 shells a day and that does not stress Russian production capacities. Hohos are being outgunned by a factor of ten..
Ah...
Another arm chair general thread.
Russian Economy: War Footing
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U.S. Economy: Woke Footing
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