Ukraine - Russia Conflict
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RDM developing artillery ammunition with 150+ km range - defenceWeb
Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) continues to evolve its ammunition portfolio, with the development of a ramjet-powered 155 mm artillery round that will have a range of 155 km keeping the company at the forefront of long-range artillery ammunition. In 2019 RDM set a world record for artillery...
www.defenceweb.co.za
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Footage of an attack by a Russian Ka-29 helicopter on Ukraine's new missile naval drones in the area of the northwestern coast of the Crimean Peninsula. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense "Group 13" used in this attack for the first time a new modification of naval drones equipped with two air-to-air missiles, presumably R-73 and R-60. This decision made naval drones more dangerous weapons, but at the same time made them easier to destroy, since missiles on drones are easy to detonate. Five unmanned boats of the Ukrainian army were reportedly destroyed. According to Ukrainian media reports, a Russian boat was destroyed; this has not been officially confirmed by Russian media. The video shows an alleged attack by a Ukrainian naval drone.
Ukraine, EU defense firms discuss setting up local production
An more integrated defense industry could help solve compatibility issues plaguing the use of 155mm artillery shells, said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
www.defensenews.com
Patriot back online:
liveuamap.com
Russian Su-34 crashed near Valuyki, the crew killed Belgorodskaya oblast' - Ukraine Interactive map - Ukraine Latest news on live map - liveuamap.com
Russian Su-34 crashed near Valuyki, the crew killed. Live Universal Awareness Map Liveuamap is a leading independent global news and information site dedicated to factual reporting of a variety of important topics including conflicts, human rights issues, protests, terrorism, weapons deployment...
liveuamap.com
«Opération Chrysalide»: comment la France organise la livraison de missiles Scalp à l’Ukraine
"Operation Chrysalis: how France organised the delivery of Scalp missiles to Ukraine
At a time when Ukraine, which is in difficulty, is calling on the Western camp to supply it with as many weapons as possible to halt the Russian advance, RFI reveals the French method of supplying the Ukrainian forces with Scalp cruise missiles without touching its own strategic stocks. A secret operation based on an unprecedented industrial scheme. Story.
At a press conference on 16 January 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron announced new arms deliveries to Kiev. For the first time, the President gave a precise figure: "Forty Scalp missiles" for Kiev. This is the second time that Paris has handed over such weapons to the Ukrainian forces. But where do these strategic missiles come from?
The programme has been named "Chrysalis", in reference to the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly.
France has identified several batches of Scalp cruise missiles placed in "cocoons" in its arsenals. A cocoon is a watertight package used to protect and preserve equipment with a view to its possible return to service.
Two types of stock have emerged: on the one hand, old missiles that have reached the end of their life but are still intact. On the other, cocoons containing missiles that are no longer fit for service because they have been cannibalised: in other words, a certain number of parts or components have been removed to keep other Scalp missiles deployed in Air Force squadrons in working order.
They must therefore be returned to the factories where they were assembled, in France. More specifically, in Bourges, at one of MBDA's manufacturing sites, where these missiles were produced from the 2000s onwards.
Simplified procedure
An overhaul of the equipment is planned over a period of three months, to complete and pass a battery of tests on each missile. This is a streamlined procedure, because Paris is certain that the Scalps sent to Ukraine will not be stored again, but will be fired against Russian targets in the next few weeks. Short-term consumables.
The operation began in January, as soon as the President's announcement was made. "A source close to the matter said: "This was a very effective economic approach, since the Scalps that came out of the cocoons were destined to be 'scrapped' [destroyed] anyway. So they were delivered to Ukraine at an ultra-competitive price, "a quarter of the value of a new missile", according to our sources. The operation is entirely financed by Paris via the French aid fund for Ukraine. What's more, "this meccano [scheme] has no impact on the needs of the French forces", they conclude in Paris.
An all-out search for weapons
Apart from Chrysalide, the strictly Franco-French programme due for completion later this year, the French authorities are also looking elsewhere. They are looking for all kinds of munitions: Scalps, but also 155mm shells for artillery and ground-to-air weapons for the defence of the Ukrainian skies.
There are also 'export' versions of Scalp missiles, and here again the main idea is to ensure that those that have reached the end of their service life, or those that could be sold, are used in Ukraine. This idea has been circulating with insistence since the beginning of the year.
Some customers of the French defence industry have ordered large quantities of the Scalp in a version slightly different from that used by French squadrons. However, a source close to the manufacturer told RFI that these versions cannot be programmed using French computers. The missiles therefore have to be adapted so that they are compatible with the mission preparation system that Paris has made available to Kiev.
Discretion is the order of the day on this sensitive subject, but it is likely that if these 'export' missiles are sold, they will undergo some changes on the assembly lines so that they can be used by the Ukrainian air force. The range of these 'export' Scalps is slightly shorter, and some of the software is different.
As for the industrial plan, several scenarios are possible: the most favourable case would be "a direct sale to Ukraine with the purchase of a new missile at the end, that's the best", says a person close to the matter, with a finger firmly planted on his lips. Shhh... it's a well-kept secret.
The architect of victory in the Black Sea
The first aircraft were delivered to Ukraine in the second half of 2023. In August, Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky dedicated a Scalp missile, writing on its sides: "Glory to Ukraine".
The first shot fired targeted a Russian command centre in the Luhansk oblast, which until then had been beyond the reach of the Ukrainian arsenal. But the Scalp missiles, with their 300-kilometre range, were above all the architects of the Black Sea victory.
On 12 September, a major missile attack destroyed two ships in dry dock in the port of Sebastopol, a large landing ship and a kilo-class submarine, the Rostov sur Don.
On 22 September 2023, a salvo of missiles penetrated the Russian ground-air defence and hit the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, again located at the Sevastopol naval base, injuring and killing high-ranking officers. Admiral Victor Sokolov was reportedly killed in the attack, although this information has not been confirmed.
On 4 November 2023, the Kerch shipyard came under a massive attack from around ten missiles, and a Russian warship carrying Kalibr cruise missiles was damaged.
The Scalp missiles enabled the Russian fleet to be pushed back into the easternmost part of the Black Sea. A victory that enabled Kiev to protect the port of Odessa and secure a naval corridor along its coast, enabling grain exports.
A "game changer" on the front line too
The Scalps also played a part in destroying major logistical resources supplying the Russian front. Its penetrating warhead can destroy buried fortifications.
The missile, with a range of 300 km, can penetrate several metres into concrete and detect the cavity where its 450 kg charge is to be detonated. Its high degree of accuracy means it can drill a hole into which a second missile can be inserted.
In addition, its inertial and visual navigation system enables it to fly in "GPS denial", i.e. without satellite positioning capability. Finally, it can release decoys to attract the enemy's ground-air defences and thus penetrate the depth of the enemy system. In military terms, the Scalp is a real "game changer".
Brittney Griner, in new memoir, says Putin weaponized her Blackness
WNBA star Brittney Griner writes in her memoir "Coming Home" that she was used as a “pawn” by Russian president Vladimir Putin when she was detained in a prison weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine.
us.yahoo.com
Ukraine Situation Report: Half Of North Korean Missiles Used By Russia Failed, Kyiv Says
Ukrainian authorities paint a dismal picture regarding the accuracy and reliability of the 50 or so KN-23 missiles provided by Pyongyang.
www.twz.com