Ukraine Watch...

[Catweazle]

I might have been reading too much sci-fi, but I thought they could use ion motors and charge from solar cells.

EDIT// I looked it up, they still need consumable Xenon gas or similar.

[mr brightside]

More likely, we have a proxy war on our hands.

Without any doubt at all.

It's always been a proxy war, that's the way i see it anyway.

[adam2]

I might have been reading too much sci-fi, but I thought they could use ion motors and charge from solar cells.

EDIT// I looked it up, they still need consumable Xenon gas or similar.

Yes, a traditional rocket uses either two materials that react with each other, such as liquid oxygen and kerosene, or a single fuel such as hydrazine. Hot gas is expelled at speed and thereby propels the vehicle.

Ion drives are still relatively new, they use electricity to accelerate reaction mass to a much greater velocity than chemical rockets can achieve. This greatly reduces the amount of reaction mass needed. In principle almost anything could be used as reaction mass, but in practice Xenon is preferred.

Most satellites have small rocket engines in order to keep them in a stable orbit. They would otherwise tend to slowly drift away from the desired position. Some satellites carry enough fuel to move to a completely different orbit, for either surveillance or communication purposes. Moving a satellite is very expensive because it becomes largely useless when all the fuel is used.

If a satellite is near the end of its life, then moving it is cheap.

[Vortex2]

A Boeing P8 Poseidon was within 100 miles of the Moskva on the day the Russian cruiser sustained catastrophic damage. (The Times)

Well, well, what a surprise.

Boeing’s Poseidon MRA1 (P-8A) is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with sensors and weapons systems for anti-submarine warfare, as well as surveillance and search and rescue missions.

I hope this one went home with everything it took off with.

[Vortex2]

Britain poised to sideline NATO and act alone if Putin launches chemical attack in Ukraine
BRITAIN could act unilaterally if Russia launched a chemical attack in Ukraine, a minister has suggested. (Daily Express)

So Britain on its lonesome may attack Russia ... hmm ...

[dustiswhatweare]

Britain poised to sideline NATO and act alone if Putin launches chemical attack in Ukraine
BRITAIN could act unilaterally if Russia launched a chemical attack in Ukraine, a minister has suggested. (Daily Express)

So Britain on its lonesome may attack Russia ... hmm ...

Well it is the Daily Express, surprised they didn't manage to shoehorn Princess Di in somehow. And as for the Gov. minister, well, another dead cat, they're all over at the moment stinking the place up.

[PS_RalphW]

there were reports in popular papers 4 days ago that the SAS were in Ukraine already, 'training Ukrainian soldiers'.

The more considered papers did not report it.

[kenneal - lagger]

A Boeing P8 Poseidon was within 100 miles of the Moskva on the day the Russian cruiser sustained catastrophic damage. (The Times)

Well, well, what a surprise.

Boeing’s Poseidon MRA1 (P-8A) is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with sensors and weapons systems for anti-submarine warfare, as well as surveillance and search and rescue missions.

I hope this one went home with everything it took off with.

Apart from locating the Moskva the rest of the planes anti submarine weapons system wouldn't have been much good until after the ship had sunk.

Are you saying, Vortex, that we shouldn't be helping Ukraine in its battle with the bullying would be Russian Empire? Are you saying that we should just let Putin get on with his genocide against the Ukrainian people and then turn another blind eye when he started on the Baltic states and Poland. When should we actually stand up to the bully? When he and his horde are on the ferry over from Calais?

[Vortex2]

Are you saying, Vortex, that we shouldn't be helping Ukraine in its battle with the bullying would be Russian Empire? Are you saying that we should just let Putin get on with his genocide against the Ukrainian people and then turn another blind eye when he started on the Baltic states and Poland. When should we actually stand up to the bully? When he and his horde are on the ferry over from Calais?

I just don't like feeling that this is all theatre in a higher level game being played by the USA.

This has been brewing for several years ... possibly/probably kicked off by US interference in Ukraine.

The gung-ho simple minded pro-Ukraine propaganda in the UK is especially annoying.

The whole affair stinks to high heaven- and large numbers of Ukrainians and Russians are dying as a result.

[Vortex2]

"According to the US Navy, the aircraft in US service carries lightweight Raytheon Mk54 anti-submarine torpedoes. It may also carry other torpedoes, missiles, free-fall bombs, depth charges, mines, or sonbuoys in its weapon bay. Air-to-surface and air-to air missiles, such as Harpoon anti-ship missiles, SLAM or AGM-65 Maverick land attack missiles, and AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-120 AMRAAMs can be carried on the underwing hardpoints."

Also, the US Navy is in the process of integration of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

[UndercoverElephant]

If the Russians could have got away with blaming the Americans for sinking their flagship, they would have done so. Probably they'd have done so even if the ship was actually sunk by a Ukrainian missile.

[PS_RalphW]

I would not be at all surprised if the Moskva found its missile defence radars inexplicably jammed in the moments before they were hit by the Ukrainian missiles.

The cold war was always about plausible deniability. I do not expect it has changed at all.

US media are reporting unnamed sources that some of the top table in Russia are very unhappy with Putin, but see his power as too embedded for him to back down or be replaced.

The UK MOD assessment is that the first day of the new Russian offensive made little headway on the ground

[UndercoverElephant]

The UK MOD assessment is that the first day of the new Russian offensive made little headway on the ground

I wonder if the second phase of this war is going to be even more disastrous for the Russians than the first phase.

[dustiswhatweare]

UK media are reporting unnamed sources that some of the top table in the UK are very unhappy with Johnson, but see his power as too embedded for him to back down or be replaced.

Sorry, soft target. Couldn't resist.

[clv101]

I would not be at all surprised if the Moskva found its missile defence radars inexplicably jammed in the moments before they were hit by the Ukrainian missiles.

Indeed, the biggest question for me is why the ship seemed completely unable to defend itself from what should have been a fairly trivial attack. Wonder if we'll ever find out.