Ops-Normal.org

Russia is running a full court press in both domestic and proxy media, with the usual threats of nuclear war. The permission granted to Ukraine to use western-supplied weapons inside Russia has got putin and his cronies really bricking it. I don't think anyone's fooled any more. It's going to be fun...

Biden-Trump debate to have commercial breaks, for the first time ever. CNN have declined to say how many or how long. Chances of them going to commercial every time Biden has a 'senior moment'? Meanwhile, his ad challenging Trump to the debate had 5 jump cuts in the 13 seconds, about 9 words per cut...

You'll probably get off with crucifixion, for a first offence

Those Chechens arrested for the 'terrorist attack' looked like the Kremlin had taken some pretty heavy irony objects to them

The appointed independent safety guy used to be in charge of nuclear safety for the USN, so should be beyond reproach.
However, he's subs, not an aviation guy, so he can only tell them what's wrong, not how to fix it.

Russia bans felons from running for office, which is why putin had Navalny found guilty in a show trial. And then killed in prison.

Now it seems to mean that if it isn't explicitly forbidden, it can be done.

That's freedom for you...

The key point, unmentioned here, is that Port Kavkaz is the other end of the replacement ferry (for the Bridge) from the Kerch port hit yesterday. What these strikes also do is tell Ukraine how effective the Russian area defences, including EW (e.g. GPS jamming) are. There is a report and video of a...

I'll have a bottle of bubbly handy also!

Sweeping changes just means they are admitting that the QC process for the last few years has been deeply flawed. How many faults got through? We don't know. Nobody knows. We just wait for more bits to fall off the aeroplanes, or the aeroplanes to fall out of the sky. Again. Me, I'm waiting from a s...

The reason for yesterday's strikes on the Kerch ferries becomes clear. Now neither they nor the crossing port can be used. https://mstdn.social/@noelreports/112531302246014480 This now means taking the Bridge down leaves no alternates. It would make sense for the Bridge to be hit soon, before Russia...

..the bits will hit you about half a minute later doing 500 mph.

A drone hitting an oil storage and transfer depot on the Russian coast just south of the Kerch Bridge The drone tracks in from the SE, that is opposite in direction from Ukraine, so it's taken the long way round. https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1796083746778550291 The point for me is that it's ...

The Czechs are on board too with Ukraine striking Russia on Russian soil with their stuff. Best I can work out, this only leaves the USA and Italy. And Italy is probably only holding out because the US has insisted they do (behind closed doors). I think either Biden will cave in a week, or we will d...

Basics, basics, basics...Shut That Bloody Door! A Russian MT-LB drops off a squad of soldiers, but no one shuts the rear doors. A Ukrainian drone hits the outside but, although smoking, it's still driveable and the MT-LB heads back towards friendly territory. Then a second Ukrainian drone is flown i...

A graphic showing what I said earlier about where the Saab mini-AWACS can patrol.
The place I mentioned, Cherkasy, is roughly in the centre of the 4 points marked. https://mstdn.social/@noelreports/112530125286541102

The Bridge attaches to Crimea, and is therefore a legitimate target under all current restrictions. However, I agree with the principle that the use of US weapons is admitted to be allowed after first use. Indeed, it would make military strategic sense for attacks on Russian soil to commence with a ...

Just to confirm that the Danes, Cloggies and Noggies are happy for their F16s to be used to attack Russia. Rumour control is that Biden is edging towards agreeing for US weapons to be used against Russian soil. I suspect, as with supplying Abrams, that if everyone else is doing it then (a) the suppo...

Philosophical Thought for the Day: Rants from my friends, especially about large companies, governments, and associated call centres, seem to be increasing all the time. Do we have, in general, a situation which will inevitably continue to deteriorate? Senior managers at the top with little knowledg...

I don't think the Ukrainians need to detect the incoming Russian cruise missiles before the border, nor do they have to be on patrol 24/7. Thus the Saab AEWs can sit well back over somewhere like Cherkasy to do their work. I expect the Russian's best option will be to hit them on the ground, from lo...

Some footage of Ukrainian drone operations. Note how they solve the main problems I mentioned. Target search and acquisition is generally done by a second, patrolling drone which is recoverable and reusable. The cheapest possible drone is used for the self-destructive strike. Humans identify the tar...