Ukraine has both the PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles.
I believe the Germans supplied PAC-2 missiles and the US supplied PAC-3 missiles.
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Medvedev raging.
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There was a photo of a crashed PAC-3 in Kyiv, so it looks like they got a version of the current interceptor. Maybe not the latest run, but not antiques. The fact they’ve been shooting down multiple ballistic missiles tells us they’ve been given decent kit.
They’ve probably got a mix of PAC-2 and PAC-3, to shoot down low value stuff with the cheap interceptors and save the expensive ones for the ballistic jobs.
Patriot has never been a shoot and scoot and likely never will be. It’s modular, with the command center far removed from two redundant radars, which are removed from 8 or so launchers.
There’s no problem here. This is the first time a Patriot battery has been specifically targeted in a live fire war with a mass bombardment. It appears to have had a 100% success rate, but even if a radar or a launcher are hit, the system as a whole will survive. Modules can be replaced and launchers have a pretty low replacement value once the missiles are fired. The radar will be pricey, but with two available they should be able to relocate one of them each day to make targeting difficult.
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Excellent announcement
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The Patriot battery they received is the latest and greatest it seems, only been in service in US Army for a few months:
https://twitter.com/noclador/status/1650224771852910594?s=20
https://twitter.com/noclador/status/1650224782191763456?s=20
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Yes. That sounds right.
I saw some mention of them using separate evac teams with orders for others to leave wounded to be collected by those specialists (cannot recall sauce).
That would not be a bad approach in itself if they are actually doing it effectively. But the indications are that they are not.
The video of soldiers stealing from wounded looked more horrendous. But it might have been consistent with orders to leave wounded for evac teams.
I tried to examine video closely but am not good at that and could not be certain whether they were stealing or attempting to get him upright and being resisted. If they could not carry him to safety, leaving him without weapons could well have been more likely to help him survive (more likely to be taken prisoner and less likely to kill himself before any possibility of evac).
Not sure, but video showing PAC-2 was presumably after Theiner said we will know what they have once we see photos.
The April 24 tweet was listing PAC-3 ordered by US as replacements for whatever was sent to Ukraine. Usual practice has been to send older and replace with newer.
I don’t know whether or not classifications of photos of debris are accurate or perhaps based on an assumption that the PAC-3 ordered is also what was sent.
One hour setup for a battery makes it entirely feasible to move batteries after each engagement.
The dismounted Patriot ICC (D-PICC) is a set of equipment which is composed of the same hardware as that at battalion level, but which distributes command and control over the launching batteries, which allows the batteries to disperse over a wider geographic area, with no loss of command and control. D-PICC is deploying to Pacific Command first.[72][73]
That is a fairly slow “scoot” but I would still call it “shoot and scoot” if that is what they can do.
On the other hand, Theiner mentions that:
If Ukraine truly received an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) Engagement Operations Center (EOC), then every russian missile entering the area of operation of the EOC’s launchers will be shot down.
The leaked documents indicated that Ukraine did receive this, and today’s results suggest that the Russian attack has confirmed that they cannot get past it whether it scoots or not and whether the missiles used were PAC-2 or PAC-3.
Either way it looks like Ukraine does now have effective air defense (which should have been delivered long ago to prevent so much damage from not having delivered it).
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My thinking is you could have a leap frog style approach with these batteries. Same with NASAMS, both are pretty static bits of kit. First day Radar 1 is operating, while Radar 2 relocates. Day 2 you take Radar 1 offline and move it down the road, while Radar 2 takes over the duty. Russia seems to be locating these by triangulating the radar signals. The more often they move, the less likely the radar will still be at the location the Russians fire at.
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Yep. Only 1 fire control platoon (radar etc) per line battery, which is the main target, not the 6 launchers in the battery or their reloads.
A battalion of 4 to 6 batteries protecting a city could have continuous 24 hour coverage with say 90’ displacement travel and emplacement time for each scoot and 90’ engagement time. Each scoots for half the time and shoots for the other half. So 2 to 3 batteries with 12 to 18 launchers (and 12-16 missiles per launcher) continuously available for shooting.
Might need lower proportion of shoot to scoot but could certainly scoot more than once per day and faster than enemy could evaluate results and fire again against radars known to be still functioning.
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Yesterday’s Katz:
Battle for Airpower | Why Russia Is Losing Air Supremacy (English subtitles)
Explains the importance of Ukraine’s defeat of initial Russian expectation of overwhelming air superiority despite lack of intel on where Ukraine air defences would be moved to. Describes Putin’s destruction of Russian airpower.
Today’s:
Angels’ Alley | Explaining Donbas Kids’ Deaths From 2014 Onward (English subtitles)
Returns to Marinka, a Russian speaking city in the Donbas, completely destroyed by its “liberators”.
Describes the propaganda commemorating Russian children killed, supposedly by Ukrainian attacks on the separatist regions. Provides details of the shelling of Marinka since 2014 and the true story of one of these celebrated Russian victims of Ukrainian Nazis, in fact killed by Russian shelling of Marinka.
Ok don’t call it NATO, call it the free world.
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Russia may have indeed got one
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Probably temporary. Its objection relates to the Peace Plan drawdown being used exclusively for Ukraine, when it was set up for wider access.
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Looks like they are developing a pathway forward to get F16s - UK and NL leading the charge
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Possibly connected to the grain corridor deal and the 18 May date set by Russia. Quadrilateral talks are continuing on the grain corridor and the MOU with Russia. Insults and alternative facts were traded at the Security Council.
Russia has been impeding shipments at the Bosphorus and currently there is little to no cargo traffic to and from the Ukraine ports.
There were Russian sourced reports a few days ago of Russia menacing NATO planes, claiming they were encroaching on Russian airspace (Crimea).
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