Posted on 09/12/2022 1:46:23 PM PDT by RomanSoldier19
Please define “numerous”.
Ukraine received 16 HIMARS. It is reasonable to assume that from sheer dumb luck and their heavy firepower, Russia would have taken at least a couple out by now, and at any given time a couple need significant maintenance.
Even that over-optimistic cluck Gen. Hodges says the Ukies need 3-4x. It is a very LONG front, overall.
It seems to me an answer to such modest numbers of HIMARS would be swarms of drones. Many small ones for observation, and tracking once located, bigger (but not Predator size) weaponized drones sent in for kills.
Highly mobile decoys could make the drones’ job harder.
Some Russian aircraft are still active over Ukrainian holdings or we would not see occasional vids of them getting shot down over such. Granted that fighters flying low and fast are not ideal vs. mobile ground targets.
If true about the power plants, it must be that most of the shutdowns were safety /precautionary shutdowns. Big transformers and such are a big deal to replace, and damaged transformers are almost never repairable.
In Gulf War 2 we used specialized carbon fiber munitions to only temporarily knock out power plants and transformer stations, and even so, in a few cases killed transformers, causing lengthy outages.
Anyone know what kind of munitions Russia used?
At one time Ukraine had 16 HIMARS. There are an unspecified number more than that now.
That is besides several similar, and compatible, MLRS.
The US has at least 350 and probably more like 500.
They restored electricity. Its not easy to get rid of electric infrastructure if the owners have basic spares and supplies.
The hard parts to replace are transformers, boilers (if relevant) and turbines. All of these are or can be “hard targets”, and will require multiple hits or very accurate missiles.
One would have to maintain a bombardment to keep the system down. Rather like railroads.
“if”
Well, that might be a pretty big “if”, especially should the Russians keep hitting these targets. There seem to be some reports of that, but I am unclear as to their extent, how many might be duplicate reports, etc.
After 911, the US’ lack of inventory of large transformers was regarded as a liability in the event of a number of coordinated terrorist attacks on units in service. I do not know if that has been addressed here, and would really wonder if the Ukies spent the money to build up reserves.
“can be”, but are they? The US took out transformers at 2 Iraqi transformer stations in GW2, with 20 mm cannon in what I gather to be single strafing runs* at each location. Both stations were down for a protracted period.
*I would hasten to add that these particular attacks were outside our own ROE and not repeated elsewhere, SFAIK / per Human Rights Watch.
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