Weapons in Ukraine

Welcome to the Slaughterhouse

Posted on August 9, 2023 by prizm

by Nick Mottern and Jack Gilroy, published on Counterpunch, August 8, 2023

What does Ukraine need the most? Its military officials now list five things when asked, Dmitri Alperovitch said in his latest podcast, which was recorded in Ukraine. Those five things are “artillery shells, artillery shells, artillery shells, artillery shells, and more artillery shells.”

U.S. President Joe Biden said much the same when asked a similar question about two weeks ago at the conclusion of this year’s NATO summit in Lithuania.: “What we need most of all is artillery shells, and they’re in short supply. We’re working on that.” Continue reading “Welcome to the Slaughterhouse”

Cluster Munitions Will Change Nothing for Ukraine

Posted on July 28, 2023July 28, 2023 by prizm

by Scott Ritter, published on Information Clearing House, July 13, 2023

I give the last word for today to Scott Ritter, an expert by any standard. [jb]

The US decision to provide Ukraine with the M864 DPICM round is driven by one thing and one thing only….

The Biden administration has announced that it will be authorizing a new tranche of military support for Ukraine
Totaling around $800 million, it will also feature Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, air defense missiles, and anti-mine equipment—and hundreds of thousands of 155mm artillery dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) rounds, the M864.

The United States has, prior to the recent announcement, refused to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine for one simple reason—much of the world, including many of America’s NATO allies—views cluster munitions as representing an unacceptable risk to civilian life due to the high occurrence of “dud” munitions (i.e., munitions that fail to detonate on impact). As a result, cluster munitions continue to kill long after the battle where they were employed has ended. The victims tend to be civilians who stumble upon these munitions and inadvertently set them off. Continue reading “Cluster Munitions Will Change Nothing for Ukraine”

Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions

Posted on July 27, 2023July 28, 2023 by prizm

“I need ammunition, not a ride”
attributed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

from GlobalSecurity.org, July 17, 2023

This article quotes a lot of people who do not agree on what is happening in Ukraine, but it is interesting for that very reason. Pick your poison. But it also describes how they work and what the risks are. Cluster Munitions are clearly a risk to civilians all excuses aside.

Both the Ukrainians and the Russians used cluster munitions during the full-scale war that began in February 2022. A single Dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM) cluster artillery shell can do the job of 10 conventional high-explosive fragmentation shells when destroying most typical targets, which is extremely important in a situation where the supply of ammunition to Ukraine had faced enormous difficulties. Continue reading “Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions”

Military Drones Swarming Ukraine Skies, Other Hot Spots; Anything Goes When It Comes to International Law

Posted on May 22, 2023July 28, 2023 by prizm

by Tara Sonenshine, published on The Conversation, May 19, 2023

Loud explosions rock the evening sky. Streaks of light appear like comets. Missiles rain down. Below, people scramble for cover. The injured are taken on stretchers – the dead, buried.

That is daily life in Ukraine, where pilotless vehicles known as drones litter the sky in an endless video gamelike – but actually very real – war with Russia.

Both Russia and Ukraine are using drones in this war to remotely locate targets and drop bombs, among other purposes. Continue reading “Military Drones Swarming Ukraine Skies, Other Hot Spots; Anything Goes When It Comes to International Law”

Drone Proliferation in the Ukraine War

Posted on May 21, 2023 by prizm

Posted by Monroy Mathias on Security Architectures in the EU, November 2022

Russia’s war in Ukraine is increasingly being fought with unmanned systems. Both sides are using so-called „loitering munitions“ originating from the US or Iran. A new Iranian drone clone could also soon be flying attacks.

Iran wants to export more attack drones to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine. The exact number of units is not known. However, the unmanned systems are said to be part of a package of 1,000 additional weapons, including short-range surface-to-surface missiles. This was reported by the US news magazine CNN. The delivery is to take place before the end of the year. Russia intends to use it to supplement its dwindling supply of small Lancet-3 attack drones. Continue reading “Drone Proliferation in the Ukraine War”

US and Taiwan Plan tTo Equip Kiev Regime Forces With ‘Swarms-of-Swarms’ Drones

Posted on March 30, 2023 by prizm

by Drago Bosnic, published on InfoBRICS, March 28, 2023

There’s very little doubt that warfare has changed dramatically in recent decades, with the tactical gap between leading militaries and those of local powers (or even the usually overlooked small countries) narrowing as the proliferation of unmanned systems continues unabated. With the advent of the information era, the abundance of war footage has essentially eliminated the once-assured readiness of tens of millions to go to war, leaving militaries around the globe struggling to meet their recruitment quotas. Losing even a hundred drones is certainly preferable to having ten soldiers (or even one) killed and/or wounded in action, particularly for politicians and their respective parties seeking reelection. As a result, drones, robots and other unmanned vehicles have become increasingly important. Continue reading “US and Taiwan Plan tTo Equip Kiev Regime Forces With ‘Swarms-of-Swarms’ Drones”

Downing US Drones Saves Thousands of Lives

Posted on March 21, 2023March 21, 2023 by prizm

by Drago Bosnic, published on InfoBRICS, March 16, 2023

This event illustrates what I have long seen as some critical issues with the use of large weaponizable, intelligence seeking drones. Stealth warriors, they fly below the radar, so to speak. Targets may see them, but they cannot ascertain whether or not they are armed. Regardless, the surveillance they do provides information to weapons somewhere, regardless of whether those weapons are actually on the drone. They cross boundaries without raising red flags. These drones play diverse roles in war, but in no case are they innocent like, say, the Chinese weather balloon the US recently shot down off the our east coast. [jb]
Continue reading “Downing US Drones Saves Thousands of Lives”

Drones and the Future of War | People and Power (Video)

Posted on March 12, 2023 by prizm

by William Davies and Rory Challands, published on Al Jazeera, February 23, 2023

The war in Ukraine has seen a proliferation of aerial drones for both surveillance and combat. The military advantages of these relatively cheap systems are obvious – especially for a force taking on a more conventionally powerful foe – and there is nothing so useful to a soldier as knowing what lies over a hill. But does the increasing sophistication of the technology point to a future in which artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons also become commonplace? And if that happens – what ethical questions might it raise? For People and Power, filmmakers William Davies and Rory Challands went to find out.

Come Test Your Gear Against Russian Forces, Ukrainians Urge US Defense Firms

Posted on March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 by prizm

by Patrick Tucker, published in Defense One, March 3, 2023

FORT WALTON, Florida–U.S. defense manufacturers should bring their gear to Ukraine to try it out against an enemy that is more agile than generally perceived, Ukrainian special operators said at a SOF conference.

At least in the electronic spectrum, the war in Ukraine is constantly changing as both sides develop new ideas and countermeasures daily, the operators said, inviting U.S. firms to test their equipment in real battle zones. Continue reading “Come Test Your Gear Against Russian Forces, Ukrainians Urge US Defense Firms”

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