veteran’s corner
Tom Krabbenhoft
11btwk@gmail.com
It’s looking like spring has sprung. Yesterday was the first spin on my motorcycle. I observed lots of people texting and one guy eating a banana split while driving. Be careful and drive safely. If you own a motorcycle consider one of the many runs put on this summer by riding groups in the area. These groups raise lots of money for many charities.
Spring in the Ukraine is looking interesting. Springtime in that region is historically huge for military actions, usually offensive. Mongols, Ottomans, Poles, Germans and Cossacks. Cossacks ironically translated means “free man”. The Russians recently granted the fiercely proud and independent Cossacks special class and privileges in exchange for military service. The Cossacks have had a proud and successful warrior tradition all the way back to the Tartars. Currently there are 16,000 of them in Ukraine, these new freedoms and privileges granted to them will open up potential hundreds of thousands more Cossack troops. A warrior tradition can be even more valuable than numbers, weapons or other factors.
The US has provided up to 50 bridge laying vehicles. These are mounted on M60 tank chassis. The bridge lies on top and has two thirty foot sections, which are connected. It can be deployed in minutes allowing anything to cross a maximum sixty foot crevice, ditch etc. The reason you need bridging capability is to conduct an offensive operation. This could be a huge shift in the conflict.
Last week I wrote about a drone strike that hit and killed Americans. This week I’ve heard Ukraine has purchased 50,000-100,000 FPV (first person view) drones. These drones will be armed with RPG (rocket propelled grenades) which pierce armor. They are being fit with AP (anti-personnel) grenades.
A RPG round defeats armor by piercing a small hole. It does this with what’s called a shaped charge. All the rounds energy is focused on penetrating. Once this happens molten metal of magnesium and iron are splattered inside the vehicle. This will ignite ammunition, electronics and anything else. There are several videos of these drones being used on Russian armor.
The AP grenade consist of an explosive charged that is surrounded by pellets, darts or plechettes. Once detonated these projectiles are directed at troops.
The Ukrainians are perhaps the most advanced fighters on the planet with drones and their successes. The Russians have floundered using drones and almost everything else in Ukraine.
600 Ukraine troops have just graduated from a US led and taught military training course in Poland. Another 1,600 are enrolled currently. These courses are six weeks. I would bet these courses are taught with strictly fighting in the courses. Avoiding the carnival classes that have permeated US training, six weeks should be adequate to train a good fighter.
Always a pleasure to run into readers, thanks Mr. Olson for you and your families service.
Send your veteran-related items to me at 11btwk@gmail.com.