The War in the Ukraine

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Atomicfrog

Major
Registered Member
plawolf said:
Maybe a little far fetched, but I have wondered for a while on the potential of using hovercraft as a surprise breakthrough element to get armour and troops safely across heavily mined and/or waterlogged open fields at speed.

Most mines used in the conflict are traditional pressure pad trigged, so hovercraft might be able to pass over without triggering them. But the biggest benefit would be to pass over terrain that might have been written off as impassable to catch the opponent off guard.

Almost certainly a moot and purely theoretical idea now that both side’s spring offensives are looking more like summer ones at best, and since neither side have the needed hovercraft fleets for such a gambit. Of the two, it’s Ukraine who would be more likely to take such huge risks (and almost inevitably heavy losses in the assaulting forces and high likelihood of getting cut-off and surrounded, a bridge too far style, if follow up relief forces could not achieve the breakthroughs needed to reinforce and relieve them). Maybe if Ukraine didn’t scrap and sell their 4 Zubrs they might have been tempted to have a go with them and maybe catch the Russians out. Would have been cool and ironic to see Leo2s storm out of Zubrs in an alternative timeline.
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Fast moving hovercraft could be hard to hit with artillery but shrapnels would be quite damaging for the skirt. I see hovercraft a bit the same has helicopter. Fragile asset but huge hovercraft can carry quite big payload. WOuld be interesting to see in action indeed.

Other choice could be small ATV, helicopterscarrying squad with ATGM and other assets. Something like the Chinese Lynx military ATV vehicules could be quite an asset in that situation. You don't need a big path for moving firepower after they landed and multiple weapon system could be carried. Would be glass cannon but you can even hide them in small buildings !
 
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Tam

Brigadier
Registered Member
Destroyed Ukrainian T-64BV at the Ugledar sector. Things start to get ugly at Ugledar.


Destroyed Ukrainian vehicles at Bakhmut, looks to be transport vehicles including civilian ones. I presume given the thick mud this is at the Road of Death.


Lancet-3 takes out an M777 once again, this time at the Kherson sector.


Russian ATGM hits a Ukrainian position at a trench. I presume this might be a Kornet with a thermobaric warhead.

 
plawolf

plawolf

Lieutenant General
sheogorath said:
Likely, and avoid any damage to the gun itself while being transported or joyrided during paint.
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I cannot think of any other examples of IFVs needing their cannons removed for transport.

I suspect the reason the cannons where removed might have been more down to how the Ukrainians are transporting a lot of their military hardware to the front - hidden in commercial HGVs.
 
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Anlsvrthng

Captain
Registered Member
sheogorath said:
It seems to be SOP for Bradley transport, though. This picture is from 2020.

Guessing the gun and its recoil mechanism is delicate enough that any knock will either damage the whole thing or bend the barrel, so might as well remove it completely.

View attachment 111118
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Is it designed for war, or as a static display thingy?


Usually during war this kind of equipment could expect more serious forces and abuse than during normal rail transport.

So, either there is another reason, or this equipment is never intended for frontline.
 
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