Remember to be courteous and polite in all of your interactions within the gates of Shrewd'm.
- Manlobbi
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy❤
No. of Recommendations: 17
Ukrainian Special Forces just snuxk truckloads of drones into Russia hidden in the back of trucks which were then parked near airfields deep in Russia.
The drones flew off the trucks and destroyed one third (41 planes of Russia’s bomber force.
https://adamkinzinger.substack.com/p/emergency-vid...Amazing ingenuity. The kind of ingenuity that Pete Hegseth is doing his best to eradicate in the US Armed Forces.
No. of Recommendations: 12
No. of Recommendations: 9
Here's a Reuter's link:
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense...Clever.
Warfare will never be the same. Someone could just as easily do that here in the USA. I doubt most bases are secure against drones, or more specifically, waves of drones.
A lot of conventional strategies are going to have to change. This conflict has had a few Billy Mitchell moments, except with drones instead of carriers. Though, from what I've read, we are heeding those lessons this time (unlike with Billy Mitchell).
I think Ukraine will win because it's existential for them. Unless Russia is willing to commit to hundreds of thousands of Russian dead, they will eventually have to give up. Just like they did in Afghanistan, or we did in Vietnam (and Afghanistan).
Though "win" is relative. Nobody is really "winning" in this conflict.
No. of Recommendations: 2
I would not compare it to Pearl Harbor. It reminds me more of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo.
When the delivery really delivers use Shangra-la Trucking.
I wonder if there are more truckloads of drones stationed around other targets.
No. of Recommendations: 21
wzambon:
Amazing ingenuity.And humiliating for Mad King Donald, who repeatedly dismissed Kyiv’s ability to fight without U.S. help, claiming Ukraine holds “no cards in this war”.
Well, they just played one hell of a hand.
On Sunday, a clandestine drone operation hit as many as five different airfields deep inside Russian territory, striking at least eight and possibly dozens of Soviet-era nuclear-capable heavy bombers, which are today impossible to remanufacture.
And the way Ukraine did so is worthy of a Robert Ludlam thriller.
Its domestic security service smuggled in 150 First Person View (FPV) drones in concealed compartments on the top of multiple shipping containers, undetected by Russia’s own sprawling counterintelligence organs, which were then loaded on the backs of articulated lorries and driven to within striking distance of their targets.
At the push of a button, the tops of the containers popped off, allowing a swarm of lethal unmanned aerial vehicles to ascend which then struck their unsuspecting targets; lines of Russian bombers fully fueled and awaiting takeoff.Kyiv did not inform the Trump administration of its plan, which Zelensky knew was in the works when he was forced to sit through the childish tongue-lashing delivered jointly by Trump and JD Vance in the Oval Office last February.
With a few hundred thousand dollars worth of FPV drones, Ukraine eliminated about $7 billion of the Russian air force, delivered a huge win for NATO, and, best of all, made Donald Trump and JD Vance look like incompetent fools.
Sweet.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/06/02/ukr...
No. of Recommendations: 1
wow.
first, this makes a joke out of biden's (and subservient EU) longrange strike restrictions and slow-walking help.
it had a chance to change the course of the war were it early, and a known-to-be-possible trump followup had clear repercussions detrimental to all.
as noted, with trump+gabbard+hegseth, there is 0 chance ukraine will ever share serious covert plans of any type, but will still have to scoop intelligence under purview of a generic process.
frankly, they should also be wary of allies with rightwing leanings looking to bribe trump for something.
a few more of these events, and we will be treated to trump boasting less about russia.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Ukraine has pretty much won the war. Putin was peeing in his pants when told of the destruction. Let's see how many high-ranking officials commit suicide ("have accidents by falling out a window")in the near future.
made Donald Trump and JD Vance look like incompetent fools.
Nothing can be done to make them appear good enough to be even merely "incompetent fools".
No. of Recommendations: 1
I read somewhere just over the weekend but don't remember the source that the number of bombers represented 1/3 of their strategic bomber force.
No. of Recommendations: 4
Ukrainian Special Forces just snuxk truckloads of drones into Russia hidden in the back of trucks which were then parked near airfields deep in Russia.
The drones flew off the trucks and destroyed one third (41 planes of Russia’s bomber force.
This puts a big plan in Putin's plans for sure.
Evidently they drove a bunch of tractor-trailers up near the airfield and drones swarmed out from them. Very little human involvement.
(BTW...somebody would have had to have told the Ukrainians about the op tempo of that base and when those planes would be parked.)
The kind of ingenuity that Pete Hegseth is doing his best to eradicate in the US Armed Forces.
Unsubstantiated comment.
No. of Recommendations: 8
The kind of ingenuity that Pete Hegseth is doing his best to eradicate in the US Armed Forces.
Unsubstantiated comment.
Pete Hegseth is pursuing a strategy designed to stifle initiative and creativity.
Firing much of the top echelon of military, initiating multiple rounds of polygraph tests will decrease honest communication and increase the focus on professional survival in all areas of the military.
This is the lesson we learn when we view how militaries of authoritarian regimes are turned into unimaginative tools that stifle initiative and creative thinking.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Pete Hegseth is pursuing a strategy designed to stifle initiative and creativity.
Unsubstantiated comment.
Firing much of the top echelon of military, initiating multiple rounds of polygraph tests will decrease honest communication and increase the focus on professional survival in all areas of the military.
Comment carries the assumption that the "top echelon" had "initiative and creativity". Also unsubstantiated.
This is the lesson we learn when we view how militaries of authoritarian regimes are turned into unimaginative tools that stifle initiative and creative thinking.
A conclusion 100% unsupported by anything said in the post.
No. of Recommendations: 8
A conclusion 100% unsupported by anything said in the post.
Only if you can’t read.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Only if you can’t read.
Your assertions /= facts.
Tell me. What's your opinion of the LCS program? Should we promote those folks?
No. of Recommendations: 2
The kind of ingenuity that Pete Hegseth is doing his best to eradicate in the US Armed Forces.
Unsubstantiated comment.
Kegseth is not bright enough to have any ideas--ever.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Tell me. What's your opinion of the LCS program? Should we promote those folks?
Perhaps. I can’t say. The LCS program did turn out to be a bust- most of that due to breakdowns and mismatched capabilities. So the engineering folk responsible for the failure of propulsion systems and other mechanical issues? At least their work should be reviewed, but I imagine Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics are already sudying that.
As for the mismatched capabilities, this seems to be a problem at the Pentagon. Whether the military planners made glaring errors or not, the fielding of a littoral component to the navy is not a bad idea.
Should those in the upper echelons of the Corps be chastised or fired for their reconceptualization of how UsMC forces will be re-equipped and deployed on eastern Pacific islands?
This is exactly the kind of thinking that needs to be encouraged by Hegseth, but he’s too busy scouring the Pentagon for leakers and traitors, as well as firing capable people because they are black, brown or female. This sort of behavior tamps down creativity and encourages silos and professional withdrawal from rocking the boat.
Drones and how to use them- an entire avenue of exploration and innovation that will not be vigorously explored by those afraid of losing their jobs.
And this disparity between authoritarian regimes and innovative, democratic regimes, is exactly the reason Ukraine has fought a numerically superior foe to a standstill.
Authoritarian regimes lack a full measure of creativity and do not encourage personal initiative. And every temper tantrum that pete Hegseth has only serves to underscore this failure of an outdated, top down approach to military power.
No. of Recommendations: 0
Since day one I seem to be the sole person afraid of pushing a nuclear superpower with little to lose - into a corner.
No. of Recommendations: 9
Since day one I seem to be the sole person afraid of pushing a nuclear superpower with little to lose - into a corner.
Letting him have whatever he wants works even worse.
And it’s not like he has nothing to lose. He could lose quite a bit more than he has.
No. of Recommendations: 4
As for the mismatched capabilities, this seems to be a problem at the Pentagon. Whether the military planners made glaring errors or not, the fielding of a littoral component to the navy is not a bad idea.You can start off with a reasonable idea and still mess it up. The Pentagon's procurement process is beyond a mess. It needs to be redone completely.
Put it this way: it shouldn't take nearly as long to design new things as it does.
Should those in the upper echelons of the Corps be chastised or fired for their reconceptualization of how UsMC forces will be re-equipped and deployed on eastern Pacific islands?
Taking away the Corps' heavy tanks was stupid especially in light of Air Force finally getting to retire the A-10.
firing capable people because they are black, brown or female. From what I've seen, he's removing people who were Peter Principled up too high.
This sort of behavior tamps down creativity and encourages silos and professional withdrawal from rocking the boat.LOL. Here's a book you should read the next time you talk about how creative the Pentagon is:
https://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-Chan...Col. John Boyd is literally the father of the modern Air Force: his principles of Energy Maneuverability Theory gave us the F-15, the F-16 and the A-10 as well as led him to create the "OODA" loop (which is now the backbone of American tactical execution).
So why did this literal genius only get to Colonel? Because of the Pentagon.
Drones and how to use them- an entire avenue of exploration and innovation that will not be vigorously explored by those afraid of losing their jobs.So wrong I don't know where to start. Go Google Anduril Industries. And 'Loyal Wingman'. And 'Collaborative Combat Aircraft'.
No. of Recommendations: 4
Since day one I seem to be the sole person afraid of pushing a nuclear superpower with little to lose - into a corner.
Russians are brutal realists. Sooner or later somebody's going to decide that Putin is doing enough harm that he'll be the one thrown out of a window.
No. of Recommendations: 11
Since day one I seem to be the sole person afraid of pushing a nuclear superpower with little to lose - into a corner.
Sure, just let Putin invade any country he wants to.
Brilliant.
No. of Recommendations: 1
just let Putin invade any country he wants to.
Start with China and then NK.
Fun fact: Store lots of drones off Russian territory--but in international waters.
The fleet of international black market oil vessels begins to get VERY nervous. Lots of fat slow targets that could damage their economy for many years (decades?). No oil exports means no external revenue. And THAT crashes the Russian economy.
No. of Recommendations: 1
EU and allies crossed most every redline threat from putin in offensive cyberwarfare.
EU and allies crossed most every redline threat from putin in nuclear engagement.
it seems MAGA support is , uh, something other than bed-soiling fear of russian threats.
fear not, the strategic defense under-education program has commenced :
https://gazette.com/news/local/us-military-faculty...trump's daily inspiration for an impenetrable golden dome will not work.
No. of Recommendations: 1
trump's daily inspiration for an impenetrable golden dome will not work.
The STDs won.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Another indicator of Zelensky being smart - keep security on that plan, not trusting Trump or Vance with it for even a second.
I hope our sigint and intelligence services stayed mum to CrazyinChief if they did suspect / know UKR was up to something.
No. of Recommendations: 0
Since day one I seem to be the sole person afraid of pushing a nuclear superpower with little to lose - into a corner.
Sure, just let Putin invade any country he wants to.
Brilliant.
***
Alpha Wolf W Bush "You're with us, or you're with the terrorists"
What's next? Should abortion clinics sound the alarm if you walk by?
C'mon go easy on those doctors will you? Regards to Jerry and Phyllis and Dobson and Wolfowitz and your other buddies.
No. of Recommendations: 3
The Golden Dome is a fool’s gold!
I spent a portion of my carrier working on the concepts of missile defense systems. This isn’t a new defense
problem. In the mid 1940’s there where already studies of how we might defend against missiles
like the Germin V2. 1n 1955 Bell Labs started developing concepts for Anti-Ballistic Missiles which led to
the Nike Series defensive missiles. The Sprint I and Sprint II followed from the 60’s till ’72 included nuclear
defensive warheads and nuclear hard electronic components. For the 1972 The SALT ABM treaty with the
Soviet Union both countries destroyed a portion of their capabilities. The US continued research on the
technologies required but did not put anything new in production. Regan rekindled the effort with the
Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) in the 80’s. Of all the many innovative concepts I saw I never saw a
single one that I couldn’t visualize an less expensive offensive that negated the defensive system.
In a Nuclear war the first offence has a very high probability of first strike advantage. But as has been pointed
out so many times in the past the concept Mutually Assured Destruction means that both sides have built
systems that even if attacked first will annihilate the other in return.
But unfortunately Mutually Assured Destruction between the US and Russia does not protect every
Independent company like the Ukraine not a member of a mutual defense treaty like NATO
