The cult of ideologically mandated stupidity in the Ukraine war, from the devastation of Russian artillery to the trash talk of the Freedom Caucus
To quote Frank Zappa, it is not getting smarter out there. Never truer words spoken as to the ideological crippling of independent thought in the Russian Army in Ukraine. But it is parallel to the idiots in the Congressional freedom caucus whom embrace ideology over competence time and time again
First how the Ukrainian military is embracing using ideologically mandated stupidity in the Russian military to their advantage in battle
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A larger issue arises with the employment of counter-battery systems by the Ukrainians. These advanced systems can detect an incoming round and pinpoint the round’s origin prior to it even making impact. As such, modern doctrine requires that artillery systems move immediately after firing to avoid counter-battery fires.
However, the Ukrainians are not necessarily targeting the artillery pieces themselves. Indeed, the Ukrainians have only destroyed a small percentage of the Russian artillery carried into the war, with?fewer than 400 pieces ?destroyed. Rather, once the Ukrainians know the location of the artillery cannons, they also know the general vicinity of the BTG. The Ukrainians can then use their arsenal of drones and electronic warfare systems to pinpoint Russian command posts, vehicles, and troop concentrations, which are subsequently targeted and destroyed.
These issues with artillery likely arose from a lack of training among the Russian ranks. Prior to the invasion, many of the units were under-trained, with large training events likely cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the Ukrainians have decimated the Russian officer corps, forcing the Russians to deploy under-trained officers with little experience into a ferocious fight. These somewhat overwhelmed officers would naturally be attracted to artillery given its firepower and standoff; however, they lack the experixence to know the second order effects from over-using artillery.
Artillery at its most basic level requires three things: ammunition, cannons and soldiers to fire it. The Russians are quickly depleting their supply of all three. As these items continue to dwindle down, the Russians will increasingly turn to other alternatives, including loitering munitions and cruise missile strikes. However, the Ukrainian forces are establishing a robust network of air-defense systems to handle these weapons, and the Russians are reportedly depleting their inventories of them as well.
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This has a counter part in the inanities of the Freedom caucus
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Some GOP lawmakers say that no part of the government should be spared, including the Pentagon.
“Everything has to be on the table,” Ohio Representative Jim Jordan said on “Fox News Sunday,” suggesting lawmakers look to reduce the ratio of general officers to enlisted troops and eliminate “woke policies in our military.”?
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Ideologically brain dead in both cases
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From Strength To Vulnerability: The Decline Of Russian Artillery In The Ukraine War
Vikram Mittal Contributor
I'm a technologist and systems engineer.
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Jan 9, 2023,09:37am EST
Commonly dubbed the “King of Battle,” artillery is a critical asset to any military. Indeed, modern warfare leverages the destructive nature of artillery to shape the battlefield from extended ranges. The Russian military has built their military structure around the?tactical use of artillery , such that each individual Battalion Tactical Group (BTG) includes an artillery battery. This allocation provides substantial firepower for these smaller, tactical units. Russian artillery has historically provided their forces with a large advantage on the battlefield. However, as the war in Ukraine continues to evolve, Russian artillery has become one of their largest vulnerabilities.
In theory, a Russian BTG centers around the artillery. When used as intended, the infantry and armor units, which comprise the bulk of the BTG, are intended to protect the artillery battery, allowing them to position themselves in an advantageous location. The artillery then targets enemy forces in coordination with drones, electronic warfare, and forward observers; they then inflict significant damage and force the enemy to withdraw from an area. The BTG can then quickly seize this territory and repeat the process, driving forward. This tactic worked well in Crimea in 2014, where artillery was responsible for?80 percent ?of the Ukrainian casualties. Given its relative importance, the Russian military has invested heavily in their artillery systems, with many of the newer systems having enhanced ranges and firepower.
During the wider invasion of Ukraine that began last February, the Russian employment of artillery did not go as intended. Russian drones were inadequate for locating Ukrainian targets, and the communication networks were too unreliable for units to share information about the battlefield. As such, the BTG commanders opted to use their artillery to blast away at large areas with the hope of hitting Ukrainian targets. Estimates give that as many as?60,000 rounds? of artillery were fired by the Russian forces per day, most of which did not hit any military target. Indeed, Oryxpioenkop.com only reports 1,810 destroyed or damaged pieces of Ukrainian military equipment.
This overuse of artillery results in a number of issues. First, the high expenditure of rounds resulted in a staggering load on the Russian supply networks and logistic trains. Ukrainian reports claim that the Russians have depleted most of their?artillery reserves . In addition to the rounds, the artillery pieces themselves are typically not made to handle firing that many rounds. Even with proper maintenance, the barrels must be replaced after a certain number of shots, and the Russians are likely depleting these barrels as well. These resupply lines have been a frequent target of Ukrainian artillery, drone and missile attacks.
A larger issue arises with the employment of counter-battery systems by the Ukrainians. These advanced systems can detect an incoming round and pinpoint the round’s origin prior to it even making impact. As such, modern doctrine requires that artillery systems move immediately after firing to avoid counter-battery fires.
However, the Ukrainians are not necessarily targeting the artillery pieces themselves. Indeed, the Ukrainians have only destroyed a small percentage of the Russian artillery carried into the war, with?fewer than 400 pieces ?destroyed. Rather, once the Ukrainians know the location of the artillery cannons, they also know the general vicinity of the BTG. The Ukrainians can then use their arsenal of drones and electronic warfare systems to pinpoint Russian command posts, vehicles, and troop concentrations, which are subsequently targeted and destroyed.
These issues with artillery likely arose from a lack of training among the Russian ranks. Prior to the invasion, many of the units were under-trained, with large training events likely cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the Ukrainians have decimated the Russian officer corps, forcing the Russians to deploy under-trained officers with little experience into a ferocious fight. These somewhat overwhelmed officers would naturally be attracted to artillery given its firepower and standoff; however, they lack the experience to know the second order effects from over-using artillery.
Artillery at its most basic level requires three things: ammunition, cannons and soldiers to fire it. The Russians are quickly depleting their supply of all three. As these items continue to dwindle down, the Russians will increasingly turn to other alternatives, including loitering munitions and cruise missile strikes. However, the Ukrainian forces are establishing a robust network of air-defense systems to handle these weapons, and the Russians are reportedly depleting their inventories of them as well.
Since the start of the invasion, very little has gone as planned for the Russian forces. The lack of training and experience, particularly by Russian officers, has led to the overuse of artillery. The Ukrainians have successfully exploited this issue, turning what should be a large Russian strength into one of their largest vulnerabilities.
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whereas
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White House Rips McCarthy-GOP Deal as Path to ‘Defund’ Military
Story by Justin Sink???Yesterday 5:07 PM
(Bloomberg) -- The White House accused GOP lawmakers of seeking to “defund” the military, seizing on an agreement to elect Kevin McCarthy speaker of the House that may lead to defense spending cuts.
Representative Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, speaks after becoming House speaker during a meeting of the 118th Congress in the House Chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. McCarthy achieved his long-held ambition of becoming House speaker after quelling a rebellion by GOP conservative hardliners, but at the cost of further weakening his precarious position within a sharply divided party.
“This push to defund our military in the name of politics is senseless and out of line with our national security needs,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. “There is bipartisan opposition to defense cuts because making us less capable of keeping the American people safe and advancing our national security interests would be a profound mistake that our nation cannot afford.”
As part of the arrangement with conservative dissidents to win the speaker’s gavel on the 15th ballot early Saturday, McCarthy agreed to insist on capping discretionary spending across the government at $1.47 trillion for fiscal 2024 — about $130 billion less than in 2023.?
Some GOP lawmakers say that no part of the government should be spared, including the Pentagon.
“Everything has to be on the table,” Ohio Representative Jim Jordan said on “Fox News Sunday,” suggesting lawmakers look to reduce the ratio of general officers to enlisted troops and eliminate “woke policies in our military.”?
And other Republicans have complained about the scope of US military aid to Ukraine, which will total $45 billion this year.
While spending cuts of the magnitude McCarthy agreed to are sure to face opposition both from the White House and the Senate, including from many GOP senators, the deal underscores the compromises the House speaker will have to make as he tries to govern with just a five-seat majority.?
Lawmakers are expected to vote Monday on a rules package for the House linked to the spending cap. At least one Republican – Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas – has said he will oppose the measure because of the threat to defense spending.
Democrats are eager to exploit such intra-party disagreements to paint Republicans as increasingly controlled by extremists, after Donald Trump’s presidency and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the capitol.
The White House’s statement echoed 2020 accusations by Republicans that Democrats sought to “defund the police” after some liberal Democrats proposed eliminating or cutting local law enforcement budgets over police killings of Black people.
But it’s not yet clear what practical impact the provision of McCarthy’s deal limiting spending will have on future appropriations.
In recent decades, the House Rules Committee – which traditionally is filled with loyalists to the speaker — has regularly blocked attempts by lawmakers to challenge legislation that exceeded spending caps written into a budget or rules package. But McCarthy offered holdout conservative lawmakers seats on the influential committee to secure the votes needed to become speaker.
Influential conservatives like Jordan have indicated Ukraine funding will be in their sights in the new Congress.
“Frankly, we better look at the money we send to Ukraine as well and say, ‘how can we best spend the money to protect America?’” Jordan added on Sunday. “I think that’s what the people elected us to do.”
And McCarthy himself told Punchbowl News last year he would not provide “a free blank check” to Ukraine.
“Ukraine is important, but at the same time it can’t be the only thing they do, and it can’t be a blank check,” McCarthy said.
However, other senior House Republicans – including incoming Appropriations Committee chairwoman Kay Granger – have said they do not support cutting defense spending. The office of conservative Representative Chip Roy, who helped negotiate the deal to make McCarthy speaker, said on Twitter Monday that it was a “lie” that the agreement required defense spending cuts.?
“During negotiations, cuts to defense were NEVER DISCUSSED,” Roy’s aides tweeted.
The clash highlights the increased risk of a government shutdown in the coming fiscal year – and the rapidly changing political alignment in Washington following November’s election. Just last month, President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation that ordered a $45 billion increase in defense spending above the White House’s fiscal 2023 budget request.
The president’s team also sought to balance criticism of Republicans with assurances to overseas allies that American support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion remains strong.?
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Monday that US aid would be “rock solid” through the remainder of the fiscal year, noting Congress provided $7 billion more for Kyiv’s war effort than Biden had requested.
“I do not see that money getting taken away from us,” Sullivan said. “And, therefore, our ability to have the resources to support Ukraine with both the security assistance it needs, as well as the economic, humanitarian, and energy assistance it needs, is confirmed.”
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Andrew Beckwith PhD