Ukraine

[red vtec]

If Russia wins Ukraine, it will open the door for all despots to invade neighbours, 

[bogle]

Just now, red vtec said:

If Russia wins Ukraine, it will open the door for all despots to invade neighbors, 

You are absolutely correct on that point.  They already annexed Crimea which we should have protected back then.   

[red vtec]

Taiwan will be next China are just waiting, I watched an interesting interview with Nixon 

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

They should be getting their first F-16s in theatre after the winter. I wonder what impact they will have? You just don’t hear much about the success of close air support. Plenty of aircraft lost to surface to air missiles on both sides it seems. All the aviation success seems to come from medium or long range stand-off cruise missiles, which can be launched with impunity from a safe distance.

[bogle]

1 hour ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

They should be getting their first F-16s in theatre after the winter. I wonder what impact they will have? You just don’t hear much about the success of close air support. Plenty of aircraft lost to surface to air missiles on both sides it seems. All the aviation success seems to come from medium or long range stand-off cruise missiles, which can be launched with impunity from a safe distance.

Agree that cruise missiles seem to be doing most of the damage.  I've seen a few Russian helicopters taken out mostly by RPGs. I just hope the F-16s will help and get their soon enough to help. 

 

[ramjet]

May someone more knowledgeable than me explain how the USA is stopping any sort of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia?

I keep hearing and reading about it, but I thought Zelensky controlled that?

[drdoom]

Peace talks with Russia? How in the world does that make sense if Russia is permitted to deal from a position of strength after this war of aggression? This is an historic juncture during which rising China and declining Russia each need to be stood up to with force appropriate to maintaining international rule of law, imperfect though it may be. They have been afforded ample opportunity to trade cooperatively, travel freely and strike alliances  yet they have done so with malice.  

[ramjet]

Believe me, I agree with you. I am just puzzled why people, even Americans, keep laying the lack of peace talks on the USA. 

 

[Kimbers]

Green Party. It says it all. 

If the Green party got in throughout Europe we would all soon be run by other countries. 

Imagine in WW2 if they had been in! "No we need to keep sending delegations for peace talks",

"Yes but we've already lost 20 delegations to the concentration camps",

"Ahhh that's just you bloody Capitalists blocking any peace, they tell us they are being forced into invading country after country due to everyone not listening",

"But they literally kill anyone we send",

"No they don't that's just lies and we will shout down anyone who says different, Peace and non invasive bargaining is the way to go!"

"Ok. we'll send another delegation to have lunch with them, We'll serve them a good old British Roast Beef to sweeten them up!"

"Eating Meat? Are you trying to kill everyone on the planet! You are the devil and we will exterminate you for having your own opinion!"

Joins the Axis.........

See how it goes?

 

[exeterjeep]

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has rejected a request to send cars that do not comply with the city's Ulez emissions scheme to Ukraine, instead of scrapping them. It states that the appeal for vehicles was made by Mr Khan's counterpart in Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. A spokesman for City Hall is quoted saying that altering the Ulez scheme, to export vehicles to Ukraine, is not possible within the current limits of the Greater London Authority Act.

does seem to set his own rules when he wants to.

[ramjet]

Why can't he send them? it's not like they aren't going to get scrapped in Ukraine eventually, so same outcome, just timing.

To not send them to Ukraine is ridiculous.

They wouldn't ask if they didn't need them.

[C8RKH]

On 11/12/2023 at 17:05, bogle said:

Protecting democracies across the world is the US most important job. 

You used to have the President of the Free World. Not any more.

Your Presidents these days feel more like shyster "grabbing" small time gangsters who are running the dope on the streets in Chicago, or Detroit.

Unfortunately, in the UK, our Prime Ministers seem to be no better at all.

[bogle]

At least Rudy G. got justice to the tune of $148 million.  He can't afford lawyers anymore so it would be nice if he shuts up.  Unfortunately, I believe he's mentally ill as well as being an alcoholic which is not a viable excuse for crap he spews.  Amazing he chose to go down this path of self-destruction.  It's only when the rest of his conspirators are rounded up and held accountable, that's when this thug/gangster style politics will hopefully dissolve. 

[exeterjeep]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68086188

says,

Britain should train a "citizen army" ready to fight a war on land in the future, the head of the Army has said.

But General Sir Patrick Sanders warned that even with an increase in reserve forces it "would not be enough".

He highlighted the threat from Russia and pointed to steps being taken by other European nations to put their populations on a "war footing".

 

[C8RKH]

1 hour ago, exeterjeep said:

steps being taken by other European nations to put their populations on a "war footing".

 

So that will be Sweden then. Germany is massively ramping up it's weapons manufacturing capability, I believe Finland too.

The problem is that our parents and grandparents generations were part of the "empire" generations. We are softer, but fook me, the younger generations will complain like hell. You can imagine it.

"Hey Bro, WTF, there's no toilets in these trenches and where's the bloody Starbucks - I need a frappe Vanilla mocha chocka thingy!  It's my right, I'm entitled....."

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

You could fit our entire army inside Old Trafford football stadium and still have over a thousand empty seats.

[exeterjeep]

33 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

"Hey Bro, WTF, there's no toilets in these trenches and where's the bloody Starbucks - I need a frappe Vanilla mocha chocka thingy!  It's my right, I'm entitled....."

and things like, need to charge my phone to update FB, add pics to IG and upload my TT videos.

[Bibs]

1 hour ago, LotusLeftLotusRight said:

You could fit our entire army inside Old Trafford football stadium and still have over a thousand empty seats.

Does this fit in there too?

And to be fair, Old Trafford has a capacity of 74,310.

Quote

As of 1 October 2023, the British Army comprises 75,983 regular full-time personnel, 4,097 Gurkhas, 26,546 volunteer reserve personnel and 4,548 "other personnel", for a total of 111,174.

 

[C8RKH]

5 minutes ago, Bibs said:

Does this fit in there too?

Possibly, if it's not in the dry dock for another repair  Looks like we've still not bought the planes for it haha.

 

[march]

8 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

Looks like we've still not bought the planes for it haha.

And not enough support vessels.

[C8RKH]

2 minutes ago, march said:

And not enough support vessels

If only we knew where a whole bunch of inflatable ribs might be. Oh wait.....

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

42 minutes ago, Bibs said:

Does this fit in there too?

And to be fair, Old Trafford has a capacity of 74,310.

 

I was referring to the linked BBC article which says our army totals 73,000. Not sure what a Navy carrier has to do with the price of fish.

[red vtec]

18 hours ago, Bibs said:

Does this fit in there too?

And to be fair, Old Trafford has a capacity of 74,310.

 

In Truth we don't have enough aircraft to go on them, so we tie up with the US and we don't have enough support vessels to run carrier fleets. There are rumors they want to scrap HMS Bulwark and Albion which are the Amphibious assault ships. We have a hollowed out armed forces as it stands, a few grand projects such as the carriers, Subs etc.. but no manpower or weapons to support them. Further more the RAF is on a knife edge, increased sorties is shortening air frame life, along with a shortage of stores of ammo etc... 

[C8RKH]

I agree @red vtec, if only we didn't just waste so much money in this country we could have a decent health service (so not the NHS), decent military, and decent local services like education etc.

[drdoom]

1 hour ago, C8RKH said:

I agree @red vtec, if only we didn't just waste so much money in this country we could have a decent health service (so not the NHS), decent military, and decent local services like education etc.

Describes the state of things in Canada aptly, quite likely others in the Western world. That said, Russia is a hopeless bucket of s&*te and venerable China would be wise to mind who they choose to quarrel with. A great deal of adaptation can quickly proceed when sufficient motivation is brought to bear, though better for all to do business rather than fight.