My Latest Video.

Enjoy, if you will.  

 

About Ukrainian Pilot.

The news, of course, have been denied by Ukrops. But they and the West live in the alternative universe. 

A military pilot from the Armed Forces of Ukraine has defected to Russia, TASS reported on Saturday, citing a person who allegedly organized the pilot’s flight over the frontlines. The Ukrainian is an active-duty serviceman who held the rank of “senior officer” with Kiev’s forces, a Russian Telegram channel following the situation has claimed. “The Ukrainian armed forces pilot is currently in Russia and is being interviewed by the Federal Security Service,” a Russian military strike helicopter pilot, identified by TASS as Aleksey Voevoda, told the agency. Russians were reportedly behind the operation. ... In addition, he had reportedly been helping Russian forces since the outbreak of fighting between Moscow and Kiev, according to a claim by the deputy information minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Daniil Beznosov. “The Ukrainian pilot had come down to our side from the very beginning of the special military operation and was helping us with information and in other ways,” the official wrote in a Telegram post.

Thus, it is not defecting per se, it was a return home to a man with integrity and courage. He, highly likely, was given information about circle of suspicion around him and told to escape. He did. I am sure he will be awarded and rewarded by Russia for helping. Good for him. 

But it is embarrassment, of course, for Kiev regime and the new Russian meme started to circulate immediately: 

CNN: In order to avoid hijacking of the aircraft and flying them to Russia, F-16s will be supplied (to Ukraine) without wings. Figures;))

Things Do Malfunction...

 ...once in a while everywhere. Missiles fail to launch, shit blows up in containers et al. But it looks like much touted Patriot AD complex has issues which are consistent. This time in Romania. You don't need the knowledge of Romanian language, but you can easily recognize now so traditional trajectory of Patriot's missile which, and you may have guessed it already, failed to ride the beam to the line of opening of own radar visor and locking on target, and decided to do "let's scare the shit out of everybody" routine and... judge for yourself. 

And, of course, we are still waiting Pentagon's assessment about those Patriots from 404 after they had a visit by Mr. Kinzhal which, as they say, provided only "light damage", LOL)) But for now it is the whole story with NATO as a whole, a hallmark of sorts. But, as the comments of Romanians under the video suggest, they are ecstatic from buying this very expensive and very-very-very awesome complex from the US, wink, wink. Thank you, Google Translate.  

In related news:

Many foreign mercenaries recruited by Kiev soon opt to flee Ukraine after experiencing the gruesome reality of the battlefield, an army officer told CNN on Sunday. Moscow has previously said that Kiev is using soldiers from other countries as cannon fodder to breach Russian defenses. In an interview with the American network, Lieutenant Dmitry Kostyuk said that his platoon, which was deployed not far from Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukraine), a scene of fierce fighting in recent months, was short on personnel and was replenished by 12 foreign fighters. According to the officer, while some mercenaries join the fray because they are attracted to “the romance of war,” others go because they see fighting as their “professional activity” or even “because it is a good line on their resume.”

It is too bad, that nobody explained to these guys that this is a real war, not some BS of patrolling Iraq or Afghanistan with a relatively low risk of getting IEDed or receiving an RPG-7 grenade into the Stryker's side, while shooting unarmed civilians and calling on CAS the moment somebody starts to shoot back. Nope, this is a very different affair. As RT piece quotes:

As a rule, they do not realize what they are getting into. Many people imagine our war as a gunfight with the enemy, but they don’t realize how much artillery there is and that you sit under fire all day, every day, and may not see the enemy at all.

Yes, add here aviation, drones, being seen 24/7 by ISR complex of those backward Russkies, plus getting under a horror of Russian MLRS and then facing off with the guys who are the best close combat fighting people in the world and you get the picture. They don't teach this at USMA at West Point? But who would teach it there? Institution which thinks Patton was a great general--they better wake up to the reality of old and modern warfare and smell the putrid smell of soiled pants by all those Hollywood-"educated" mercenaries. That's the Malfunction on the grand scale. Ask any USMA graduate officer who Katukov was--they will have no idea. Same goes for Rybalko or Lelyshenko, among others. As I said--Malfunction.  

Open Thread.

Use any way you want it.

Some Indicators...

 ...of the lost arms race by the US (I do not even pay attention to Europe). Russians are not impressed with the USAF fighting doctrine, to put it mildly. And, of course, VSU "bridgeheads" which are nothing but slaughterhouses. 

Totally Expected.

But it doesn't matter--main events are always held behind the closed doors. 

DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Russian arms makers appear to have been kept to a low profile at this week's Dubai Airshow, underscoring how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sought to balance its ties with the West and Moscow. Unlike past shows, Russian participation has been limited to the very end of the outdoor area where state-arms makers are exhibiting inside their own pavilion rather than in the main hall. "We have been put a bit away, outside the main pavilion," said a Russian arms industry executive, who declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

As they note, however, Russian Knights have been more than well--represented. As multiple videos show, they have been one of the highlights. 

But then again, it is Reuters. Other outlets report a different picture. 

DUBAI AIRSHOW — Despite the continuation of large scale military operations in Ukraine, Russia pitched up at the Dubai Airshow this year with an imposing industry presence, complete with a standalone national pavilion and a variety of fixed-wing, uncrewed, rotary, space and air defense systems, and air-launched missiles. Many of the firms showing off their wares at Al Maktoum International Airport are under sanction from Washington and its allies. But the open participation of Russian firms has not apparently led the US to lodge a protest with the UAE or show organizers. Asked by Breaking Defense if it had any concerns around the UAE continuing to host the Russian Federation at international trade shows, a US State Department official speaking on background said, “We recognize and acknowledge that countries make their own sovereign decisions about diplomatic and defense engagements. We refer you to the Emirati defense ministry to speak to their defense procurement plans.”

But I have news for those who do not know--shows like these are... well, shows. Signing of the contracts and study of the military hardware is done not at such shows, it is done prior through years of study and research, especially in combat conditions. Guess from three times where the real first serious war in the last 70+ years happens now and how US and Russian hardware compare there. I guess you know the answer. With Sukhoi S-75 getting ready for serial production with AL-51F engine and cutting edge avionics, one has to assume that... Western "analytical" outlets on aviation are full o' shit, like this rag:

Rework Means Delay. The Sukhoi Design Bureau started detailed design of the Su-75 in early 2020, and the LTS-M demonstrator was completed by the Sukhoi KnAAZ plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in May 2021. The same plant is working on the next test aircraft, and future serial aircraft are planned to be produced there.United Aircraft Corp. CEO Yury Slyusar says two test aircraft are under construction and four will be produced in all. It is unknown if he counted the LTS-M mockup in his total.

Sour grapes and butt-hurt begin to dominate Western media.

Yes, we all heard this story before--sanctions, microchips, washing machines. What do ya know.

Something About Subs.

I mean Russian subs and info which was disclosed just today through very respectable magazine Arsenal Otechestva (The Arsenal of Fatherland). As Ria Reports. 

МОСКВА, 16 ноя – РИА Новости. Российские стратегические атомные подлодки "Борей" своей гидроакустической станцией "слышат" под водой в 1,5 раза дальше американских субмарин, говорится в статье нового номера журнала "Арсенал Отечества". "Одним из инновационных средств превосходства подводных крейсеров класса "Борей" является гидроакустический комплекс, который позволяет обнаруживать ("слышать") корабли противника на расстоянии в полтора раза больше, чем аналогичные системы самых совершенных американских многоцелевых АПЛ четвертого поколения класса Virginia, не говоря уже об ПЛАРБ типа Ohio", - отмечается в публикации за авторством сотрудников Военно-морского института ВУНЦ ВМФ "ВМА" капитанов 1-го ранга Виталия Бычкова и Владимира Семилетова. 

Translation: MOSCOW, November 16 – RIA Novosti. Russian strategic nuclear submarines "Borey" with their sonar complex "hear" under water 1.5 times further than American submarines, according to an article in the new issue of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine. “One of the innovative means of superiority of the Borei class submarine cruisers is the hydroacoustic complex, which allows you to detect (“hear”) enemy ships at a distance one and a half times greater than similar systems of the most advanced American fourth-generation Virginia-class multipurpose nuclear submarines, not to mention Ohio-class SSBN,” notes the publication authored by 1st Rank Captains Vitaly Bychkov and Vladimir Semiletov, employees of the Naval Institute VUNTS Navy “VMA”.

So, the revelation mode continues. The MGK (or sonar complex) they are talking about is MGK-600B Irtysh-Amfora-Borey. A similar MGK is installed on Yasen-class (pr. 885) SSGNs. As you may expect, there will be many ass-holes of domestic and foreign "experts" exploding, since it is one thing to spread BS such as by H.I. Sutton or bunch of losers from TopWar, totally another trying to contradict the authorized for release data from actually serving senior officers of Russian Navy published through one of very few truly professional and well regarded by Russian military community magazines. Just a note for your consideration. 

Keep also an eye on Dubai Air Show.