Larch Dug Up An Interesting Piece ...

 ... on Chinese HQ-9 AD complex. In support of the facts in this piece you have to recall that during recent (few years ago) tensions around Taiwan with the US Navy maneuvering in the area, China moved all its available S-400s and its regiment of SU-35 closer to the coast. Mind you, this is all after non-stop claims that HQ-9 is better than S-400. I omit here this Su-35 saga. Here is this piece and huge thanks to our good friend Larch. 

The Chinese "S-400 competitor" turned out to be weak

Pakistan is dissatisfied with the performance of the HQ-9B complex, which was advertised in China as "more advanced than the Russian Triumph."

Local conflicts, such as the Indo-Pakistani war, are often particularly interesting because of these duels, where systems that were competing in peacetime find themselves on the front lines against each other. The Chinese anti-aircraft missile system, like the S-400, is based on the Soviet S-300PM system.

The first models were presented in the early 1990s, and since then, several modifications have been developed, each more advanced than the last. The latest model, with the letter "B" and an integrated AESA radar and digital combat control system, was introduced by the Chinese in 2021. It was positioned as a "more advanced competitor to the S-400," although the Chinese were the first to acquire the "Triumfs" and are now using them in the most critical areas. But what can not be said for the sake of marketing.

Many countries were quite satisfied with this relatively inexpensive alternative, and it has recently become one of the most exported high-tech products from China's military-industrial complex.

Pakistan acquired the HQ-9B in 2021. Its combat debut took place during the brief conflict in May. However, it was a bit of a misfire. The system managed to intercept some of the French SCALP-EG cruise missiles launched by the Rafales, but it was completely ineffective against the Russian-Indian BrahMos missiles, which caused significant damage to Pakistan's rear airfields.

Shortly after the end of the conflict, Islamabad requested more advanced HQ-19 systems from Beijing, and tried not to even discuss the operation of the HQ-9B. However, it is now revealed that behind this conspiracy of silence lay a deep disappointment with one of China's top air defense systems.

Pakistanis on military forums complained that the complex is highly susceptible to electronic warfare systems, and its missiles require constant target illumination, which in turn quickly attracts enemy anti-radar missiles.

At least one full battery protecting the key Nur Khan airbase was destroyed by Indian Rudram-1 anti-radar missiles. The Pakistani military also complained that the HQ-9B could only shoot down subsonic cruise missiles, even though the advertisement promised that all missiles, including hypersonic and quasi-ballistic missiles, would be shot down.

This example once again proves that the original is always better than a copy, especially when the developer of that copy uses the original Russian Triumph for their own urgent needs.

So, make your own conclusions. 

More Testimonies.

Thanks to Larch for translating this to us. My sources, very credible ones, also tell that it is apocalyptic.

Hazel Strike Damage Report-Anecdotal, Unofficial

As residents of Dnepropetrovsk now tell us, there were practically no explosions, but the earth's vibrations, like during an earthquake, were felt even a kilometer away from the plant — this was especially surprising: the explosions are almost inaudible, and the earth shudders.

In the morning, the territory of Yuzhmash was already tightly cordoned off, any detailed and significant information was blocked, and no one knew about what was happening at the plant. However, there is nothing secret that would not become clear — information began to arrive from Dnepropetrovsk. We have collected the maximum amount of information available to you, literally from crumbs, from the words of different people.

We are well aware that the degree of reliability of this information is not absolute, but here is the invoice that is "from there" today: the blow fell on the territory between workshops No. 7 and 8, in the area of turning and blacksmithing industries. All ground-level buildings and structures on this territory have been reduced to rubble, in some places-to small concrete rubble. There are no large craters, there are a dozen holes in the ground with a diameter of about two meters. Eyewitnesses describe the scene as creepy, apocalyptic. Security around the perimeter and on the territory withdraws all means of photo and video recording, even pens and notebooks are taken away. People tell us that "officials" who speak English, Polish, and French constantly arrive at the plant's territory in tightly tinted minibuses. They say that unknown ammunition hit just those underground production facilities that Vladimir Zelensky boasted about, telling about the imminent appearance of some "formidable missile weapons"in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From the fragmentary conversations of rescuers, it seems that up to the 4th floor there is a zone of continuous destruction, below which rescuers have not yet been able to descend.

This is the information we have today from the scene of the event, the obvious absurdity and hyperbole of "classic witnesses" we tried to weed out, leaving only what we found similar to the truth.

https://cont.ws/@krestianin/2926853

Now if anyone wonders why Russians didn't release satellite photos of the site yet:

1. Could be weather and Russians will not use high resolution radar scans, they would prefer pure optical to be shown to public;

2. Russians, justifiably, are waiting for Western propaganda to come up with some photo-shopped BS and then release Russian visuals;

3. All of the above combined. 

Larch Brought It Up...

 ... about Shaman and I wanted to reserve it for tomorrow, but since Larch brought this guy up. Here is his latest, released 13 hours ago and a few minutes ago there were 880,000 views, now they "counted down" those to 813,000. Doesn't matter. The TSIPSO went immediately to work smearing this with their excrement comments prepared in London and D.C. But here he is with his latest My Battle (Moi Boi) during his tour of Novorossiya and singing it for fighters of SMO. As you have concluded, for free...

So, Friday came earlier this week.

What's Wrong With This Picture Or...

 ... as Larch succinctly put it: 

It's like world sports. WADA has basically eliminated Russian athletes from all competition, so the US and a few others can dominate. Otherwise the Russians would be taking the medals. 50 years ago I recognized that the US and the West Europeans did not want to compete in business, sport or science. It's only gotten worse with their phobias.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute issued a new "research" paper called Who Is Leading The Critical Technology Race. It is a typical pseudo-academic BS written by people who have no clue, but it could have been dismissed out of hand if not for one feature which is a dead giveaway of a profound butt hurt in Washington, who, as Larch told me, financed this "study", LOL. Get a load of this table)))

How about that! Even Iran is featured in advanced aircraft engines, while Germany and Korea are in the Top 5 of Space launch Systems. Can you see who is conspicuously absent? Right, those backward Rooskies, the only nation which has air-breathing hypersonic engine and weapon such as 3M22 Zircon--the rest of the world is not even in the same league--not to mention the fact of the space exploration and use which would detach the economic bottom from German or South Korean economies if they ever tried to attempt to emulate one tenth of Russia's space program.  Ah, yes, South Korean Naro-1 is nothing but Angara-1 Russian vehicle. Not to mention the fact that this is beyond the technological reach of but three countries, and you know which countries they are. 

How Germany, South Korea and UK ended up in this list is NOT a mystery but a great demonstration of the combined West being a sore loser across the board, to the point of producing such BS "studies" by credentialed cretins who for a certain sum of money will whore themselves out. I speak about them and US generals today in my latest video:

Here is you Saturday primer...

Andrei Raevsky Posted...

... about "dirty bomb".  

While zombies like Brandon and his “genius” VP are clueless about any of that, there must be at least a few folks in the Pentagon or the letter soup agencies who understand the simple fact that the way things look now, the Hegemony has three options:

• Be defeated
• Declare victory and leave (same deal, just with a tiny fig leaf for modesty)
• Commit suicide by attacking Russia directly

Not very good perspectives.  So here is one more: how about creating total chaos and hope that something advantageous comes out of it?  In other words, while setting off a dirty bomb will do nothing in purely military terms (it sure won’t stop the Russian military), it will create such a huge political reaction that the current situation will turn into total chaos, panic, rumors, lies, etc.

Read Andrei's excellent dissection of the whole "optics" strategy of neocons. It always was about optics. And the issue of hate fits very well with Larch's summary:

Correct analysis. But a simpleton suggestion about Ukraine staying neutral could have avoided the war. Ukraine by construct, development, inducement and process could only be what it is, a proxy suicide bomb of 40 million lost souls thrown against the Russian military. They embrace the task. They seek the rich rewards for their leaders who press forward with the suicide. They use every Slavic cell in their body to seek death as they try to kill Russians. Ukraine had zero interest to its core and against its survival instinct in being neutral. The very last thing on a list of a million things would be for them to choose neutrality. This is European wishful thinking. It is the illogic that pervades Europe.

This is also how hatred becomes a strategic factor.