The War of Russian Aggression — as I’ve come to call the war in Ukraine — has to date never failed to astound me. All the things I predicted to happen didn’t, and what is actually happening is equally astounding to me, if not more so. For example, I never expected that our warrior folk in Ukraine would ever see M1 Abrams track prints in Cossack mud. Germany, too, along with other European countries, is sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
I’m dumbfounded that America would give up anything of top U.S. military value. The questions that are scorching my brain are many:
Will the Abrams that Ukraine will receive be configured in the same way as America’s? In the case of the M777 howitzer, a computer timings system was removed from the guns that allows the M777 to chisel down its resolution of accuracy from a few feet in diameter to just inches. (I can’t help but wonder why not give Ukraine the extra accurate M777s. At any rate, I am all for watering down the drinks we serve to the Ukrainians and all foreign countries.)
Western tanks versus the T-14 Armata
The M1 Abrams and the Leopards could well face Russia’s new T-14 Armata tank, which, according to footage, was first seen in action in Ukraine last week.
The Armata has a maximum speed of 50mph and its main armament is a 125mm smooth-bore canon that can fire 600 rounds per minute.
Related: UK intelligence says Russia’s Su-57 is involved in Ukraine war
At the same time, there is also the drone question I bring up (maybe too) frequently.
Tanks are still getting destroyed by small and very inexpensive drones, which some could argue diminishes the value of tanks. For the time being it appears that everybody is going to keep slamming their heads into grindstones and making both more advanced battle tanks and drones.
For now, I’ll keep my griping about arms racing. There is only so long that a man will slam his head against a brick wall until he goes to find a softer wall. If one of these supreme beings gets antsy and starts to think about biochemical warfare. Sure as that does progress the way I describe, then we all know what the greatest fear we have, the N-word — nuclear war.
By Almighty God and with Honor,
geo sends
Feature Image: A T-14 Armata tank reportedly in Ukraine. (War Monitor Twitter via Voenkory Telegram)
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When I read the title of this article, my first thought was, “How the hell did Ukrainians manage to steal Armatas in Russia and bring them back to Ukraine to use?” Personally, I think that’s the only way they’d be used in Ukraine. I can’t see Vladyboy Putin wanting to risk losing even one of his handful of these.
Ive fought in 2 wars the second cost me my right wrist joint and left knee, now i set off every alarm when flying through either gatwic or heathrowe airports!, the challenger 11s were sending to the ukrainians will MOST DEFINATELY NOT let anyone down least of all the Ukrainian heroes! , as for that syphalitic old git putin he has his heart setbon recovering as much of the former ccp as he possibly can NO MATTER THE HUMAN COST!.
All putin wants and hes publically announced this that he (putin) considers himself greater than peter the great and he wants to retire as the new TZAR of ALL he surveys!.
Then hell name his sucessor and in his eyes it will be whoever proves to be as ruthless as he is and has been!.
Putin and his gang of fellow mass murdering war criminals are only interested in one thing and thats lining there own pkckets and they are all very happy to do it at ANY COST, DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN!!.
Ukraine doesn’t have the Abrams yet , so don’t go counting your chickens too soon . The US has
priors for reneging on promises made , ask any American Indian , Nuclear Arms Deal and others
too numerous to mention . Besides which the Abrams isn’t the world’s best anyway as the US claims and has a German made 120mm canon , so where’s all this bragging come from ? Roadside explosives in Afghanistan opened up the Abrams like a tin can. England isn’t handing Ukraine it’s best tank either , just the outdated Challeger 2 . How about giving them your Challenger 3 instead ? There’s only one tank that can outgun the Armata when it comes to firepower , and that’s Germany’s new Panther KF51 with it’s 130mm canon , although their Leopard2-7+ and 2-7V improved models would give Russian tanks a run for their money . So what’s up with neither South Korea or Israel not donating any tanks ? By the time it’s over , I’m guessing Ukraine will never see the paltry 34 Abrams the US promised , so don’t go holding your breath Ukraine . I believe the US is afraid Russia will inevitably capture one or more of their vaunted Abrams and rip off that technology , just like America did with the advanced technology Germany had in WW2 , not to mention it’s best scientists that it forced to work for the US . The Saturn V rocket that put America on the moon was designed by Werner von Braun , not some yank , but they took the credit . Sounds just like Trump , doesn’t it ?
Russia’s newest supertank will blow up every bit as easily as every other failed weapon in their arsenal, thanks to typical overhype, lack of the newest needed microchip technology and legendary Russian corruption. Guaranteed.
Whatever drugs you are on seem very potent.
Werner von Braun was given full credit for his work on space program. He and the rest of the German scientists that came with them help develop our own homegrown rocket scientists.
Apparently, you are unaware of rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. Goddard experimented with rockets in the 1920s and 30s. His work was co-opted by the German rocket pioneers. They even gave him credit. The Germans had funding, Nazi Germany,
Keep your tanks in Moscow and sent 50 megatons to Washington please.
Rat
“I’m dumbfounded that America would give up anything of top U.S. military value.”
The Abrams is just a platform. A platform that is over 40 years old now. Saudi Arabia, Australia and a bunch of other countries have purchased the platform. Australia basically got a brigade of the first variant for refurbishment cost back in the 00s (a thanks for being part of the coalition against Iraq)
It all comes down to what weapons systems and upgrades are included. Ukraine won’t be getting the depleted uranium armour option, let alone the full reactive armour package. Then there’s the battlefield information systems, targeting and optics, top mounted Javelin, drone control and EW counter measures, unlikely to be included in the platforms sent to Ukraine. Without all those things, they could be extremely vulnerable if not employed correctly. That’s without going into the issue the things have a turbine engine in them that needs aviation fuel.
And even then, they aren’t invincible, there are plenty of ruined Abrams in Yemen courtesy of Saudi incompetence. Without real time battlefield info, advanced targeting systems and protection from other weapons systems they are basically a container to keep your body parts in.
As for the T14, there’s footage of one being skull dragged off the streets of Moscow because it broke down in a parade. How many are in service? And don’t get me started on 600 RPM, where are all the shells going to go to fire at that rate?
The main game was always the Leopards for Ukraine. Piston engined, diesel fuel, a little bit smaller so can fit on the bridges and roads of Eastern Europe.
Hilarious to think the Russians have a game -changer waiting in the shed. Like a star player on the bench , unused until the game is over half over? Even if this tank had mobility or parts issues, just let it sit and defend. Park it on a hill and the mere sight of it would give infantry pause. But its more than that. My bet is its image, like the Russian military is all baloney. Probably cant get over tank traps and when it arrives in Kiev it notices one small problem : its alone with no infantry
Russia is a cornered rat asking all and every low life country to partake in its dirty war, scared as it is, it’s taken off quickly to gain as much ground as it can take before these new tanks arrive and slaughter the remaining Russian army, have you heard the word carmer! It’s just about to hit Putin and his country, he has no more armaments or to obtain parts, he’s on borrowed time. He’s destroyed his country and has put the place in a destitute way, poor families who have lost there kids in such a way, he will answer for the lyes he has said to his people.
It would seem that for tanks to remain viable in the age of inexpensive drones they would need to be outfitted with radar and anti-air defense mechanisms (small caliber guns, lasers, etc.).
The 125mm smooth bore CANNOT fire 600 rounds per day, let alone 600 rounds per minute. Russian propaganda? What gives? The 14 Challenger 2 tanks could wipe them out even with under trained Ukrainian tankers.
That’s got to be a typo. 6 rounds a minute or maybe?
I noticed it too. I’m assuming there’s a coax on there that can fire something closer to 7.62 at close to that rate. Don’t think there’s anything on earth that can fire 600 125mm rounds a minute. A whole battalion of those couldn’t do that collectively.
600 rounds per minute is 10 per second. For something like 125 mm, that is a lot of firepower! The barrel would melt.
Where could the tank store 600 rounds
The T-14, 8 gears in reverse and one forward gear. It comes with back up lights and rear view mirrors. The smallest book in the world? Russian war heroes.
I beg to differ! The Russians beat the Germans hands down as 7 out of every 8 Germans was killed by a Russian. The USA administered the coup de Gras but the cake was baked long before we even entered France in 1944. The Russians had been slugging it out with the Germans for four long years, and had the Germans not invaded Russia, the Allies would have had zero chance of ever successfully invading France.
Agreed.
Operation Barbarossa was a slow motion disaster for Hitler.
Not so true, Germans froze as they were like the Russians are to day, under prepared for the cold climate in the Russian lands.
When Russians approached the Germans were frozen.
Living in the past are we.You using it to justify the present?
Lol, that’s great
Of course, the forward care is used when the enemy gets behind them
For such a small article there sure are a lot of comments… The 600 rpm seems to be a careless typo, which should have been corrected during the author’s review; apparently, there was none. What Armata can or cannot do remains to be seen. In 2014 the model had numerous design problems; who knows what was corrected by now?
A more interesting point is Abrams’s ground pressure, which is not suitable for the Central European Plains. It would not be able to keep up with the infantry in Ukrainian mud, not to mention crossing small bridges. That fact should have been mentioned somewhere in the article and the comments. Who cares what T-14 can do? It’s still lacking top-attack defenses… And I’d like to know how “Armata has a maximum speed of 50mph” is germane to the combat.
Good point. I don’t think Ukraine or US wanted to send M1 tanks. It is more symbolic. The deal was to get Germany to send their Leopards, which they would not do without our M1 for political cover..
I was thinking likewise: political cover. Also, existing and ubiquitous logistics chain for the Leopards.
“ground pressure not suitable for “Central European plains” 🤔 do tell, where is the Abrams’ ‘ground pressure’ suitable for? What is the mystical quality of Ukrainian mud that makes it so much more challenging then oh say Western European or even Continental US mud??
The Abrams, like the Leo 2 & Challengers were all designed to repulse a Soviet armored thrust through Central, into Western Europe 🙄
In all kinds of mud, I might add.. just don’t get stuck in Ukrainian mud. It must be thicker cuz all the Russian blood.
At the end ofWW2 Russias industrial production was greater than Germanys. The sloping armor on their tanks was given or stolen from Germany before Hitler decided to invade Russia. They had a mutual non-aggressive pact before the invasion of Poland. A good book to read in Tigers In The Mud written by a German tank commander on the Eastern Front. What bothers me more is the current incompetent tyrant and chief who is commanding this war from our current Idiocracy. He is potentially making the same mistakes that Germany has made having wars on two fronts, the Pacific against China and Korea and against Russia in the East. Tyrants like Putin and Biden don’t care how many people have to die to achieve their delusional goals. We could have been peaceful leaders through strength but we abdicated for Wokeness instead.
Really George? You are asking why the US is not giving up all its military advances to a corrupt nation like the Ukraine? ….I can’t believe the internet is filled with “wannabe” journalists.
Please stop calling Ukraine corrupt. EVERY national government is corrupt!!
America has a senile professional politician as President, who is worth many millions more than he ever earned in an elected career spanning over 50 years. Corrupt?? Ya think?
OK, so let’s all stop filing… it is the law that never was, and it is a complete sham since the people at the top don’t file either.
He’s the puppet for the corrupt congress hahaha
I believe Ukraine is or was corrupt, but Russia is the pot calling the kettle black
They take the cake
Ukraine should be equipped 25,000 HIMARS with long-range capabilities and stronger warheads. Russian aggression will end quickly and international war criminal Putin and his Kremlin oligarchs will pay for their numerous war crimes.
Thats basicly a t72 with a body kit lmaoo
You don’t seem to know much about the precursors of this conflict. Start reading books on geopolitics from 25 years ago.
We don’t have 25k HIMARS
Well put. So true just add more armament to the ukrainian and this abuser will be done soon. Stop politics and kill putin done!!!
So… I don’t know why you got it wrong… But it is very VERY hard to take you seriously when you open your analysis of tank’s obsolescence by claiming the T-14 armata’s 125 mm main gun (or ANY tank’s main gun) fires at 600 rounds a minute… The only way that sentence could be correct is if you claim you meant to say “600 rounds an hour”
No tank can fire 600 main gun rounds per hour, or probably even per day.
So a couple of Armatas might have made it to Ukraine. Probably for the same reason that one or two made it to Syria: so that Russia can say that the tank has “been proven in combat” or somesuch in order to drum up foreign sales. It is very unlikely that the armata will be manufactured in sufficient numbers to make any difference in Ukraine, assuming that there are any there at all being used in actual combat.
Armatas we’re never in Syria, they’re still in state trials so there’s no way they’d be in Syria. Since the last time somebody claimed t-14s were in Ukraine was fake, I’m extremely skeptical of this article.
Might be an editorial slip, or not understanding that 600 rpm refers to a seprate machine gun and not the 125mm main gun. Editors – where are you?
The coax fires 600 rpm.
Totally agree, 600 rounds a minute Wow, impossible.
10 rounds a min w Russian equipment?? Ok it’s your story
Agreed, even 6 cannon rounds a minute is unlikely. Reporting “facts” like this brings the whole report in question. Plus, wasn’t the M1 designed for warfare in Europe? Go Illinois!
Funny. I grew up during the Cold War … saw the Wall fall … saw Gorby and Ronnie shake hands … Perestroika. All of it.
The concept of the CCCP Bear is dead and gone. If Russia had the assets people speculate that they do – and that those assets had qualified/trained operators and mechanics – Ukraine would have lasted only a few days, NOTWITHSTANDING THE HEROIC ACTS OF THE UKRANIANS – the saddest thing in this fight is that the Politbuero or however you spell it, isn’t erasing Putin. The fact that the powers that be can’t take out this judo clown tells me volumes that the Russian military is weak and fed with conscripts. The Ukranians are beating Putin, a leader who suppresses free press. A leader who fears free press is a leader of an initiative that is failing.
Russia is weak. Sure … they have hardware… but at the end of the day, the West beats them in every area save sub numbers. Subs are irrelevant in Ukraine.
Ukraine will prevail in this fight – but as we in the west engage Russia (and beat them), what does a psycho (Putin) do to save face other than escalate? Can someone please put a round above his ear? I’ll make a 3 lb Texas brisket for whoever does that.
One of the best comments to this pretty poor article! The Armata T14 will never be produced in any significant numbers (if at all) and even if they do it is still a Russian built piece of equipment…
Someone in the Kremlin must have the will to sacrifice themselves to do away with Putin…he is the primary problem. Instead of concentrating on building a prosperous Russia he dreams of what never really was – even if it costs Mother Russia everything!
Sad part is this asshole is willing to drag most of the world down doing it.
Mike
Done! Now I want my brisket please thx XD
But I do wish it was that simple.
With respect to calling it a “war of Russian aggression”, this is even less fitting than calling the US civil war the “war of Northern aggression”. And as an old Leopard tank soldier, I can tell you that any manual loading is never as quick as a good automated setup.
Lol … hoepper.. it’s your position that Russia is justified to mobilize and seize sovereign territory whilst killing its civilians? Neanderthal…
You don’t seem to know much about the precursors of this conflict. Start reading books on geopolitics 25 years ago.
If Chinese wanted to move their troops to Mexico, we would be flying our flags in Mexico City right now.
Russian armor will be chewed up by western tech … last I checked, there are no Russian SAMs in Ukraine … do you really think for a moment that our contractors won’t kill any Russian tank if the Russians escalate? Russians should stick to making underage porn … the soldiers don’t want to be there. There was no threat to Russian soil. There was no motivating escalating factor. Troops aren’t focused without a reason to be focused.
Putin is an artifact. Artifacts deserve to be buried and forgotten in archives. Long live Ukraine
Automated loading is stupid. My loaders can out do any of them.
Manuel loading is superior because you can choose what round to load. If you have anti tank rds loaded and then a fire team with anti tank rockets shows up, have fun watching your turret go 30 feet in the air as your tank is wrecked.
Hmmm… Except half the population of the South (ie the ENSLAVED population) welcomed no longer being enslaved with Northern liberators…
*Cough* So is this the part where you claim that in the Ukraine (which actually has free press and legitimate elections unlike Russia) there were tons of enslaved Ukrainians in droves welcoming the Russian liberators?
Also… your claims about how much better autoloaders are… just kind of falls apart when considering the M1 Abrams spanked its auto loading So it equivalents (most lost tanks were due to friendly fire). Also the auto loading carousel beneath the tank crew design favored by most autoloader designs has proven to be one of the most catastrophic tank design mistakes to date… As evidence by the “Jack in the Box” trademark popping of the turret into the air when all the ammunition beneath the crew explodes.
It was the war of northern aggression.
Get over it, you lost
Who wrote this?? We’ve got thousands of Abrams tanks that have been collecting dust for decades. The army keeps saying we don’t need anymore of them but the politicians want that money to keep flowing.
600 rounds a minute?? For a main gun?? Try 10.
Ditto “600?” Barrel melt. Prolly thinking speed of autoloader rather than sustained rate of fire. Or a typo.
In other news, what journalist does proofread his writing? Answer: One who is younger than 55 or went to Auburn University. Roll Tide.
And now I are one. “Doesn’t.”
Frankly from what I’ve seen on the internet almost nothing is vetted, proofread or edited.
This war should have never been started and by all intents and purposes, over. Ukraine never stood a chance against Russia in a ground…..no country in the world could fight Russia in a ground war. They are an industrialized nation that makes their own weapons and artillery 24/7/365.
NATO/US were absolutely feckless with their sanctions and military aid to Ukraine. If the western media stopped with the pro-Ukrainian propaganda and reported the truth on the ground of what has occurred in Ukraine, the world would be sick to their stomach. Dead Ukrainians are being stacked up like cordwood and the corrupt media continues to lie.
Just another evil atrocity created by the US/NATO alliance, hopefully NATO is disbanded after this embarrassment. It is antiquated, incompetent corrupt alliance.
If anything in your comments had any connection to reality, Putin would be vacationing in Kyiv anytime he wanted to. The only evil in this situation is coming out of the Kremlin. It is funny that when Putin conducted his mobilization more Russian men ran for the border than ended up in his military.
As for disbanding NATO, there is good chance that the Russian Federation will go the way of the Soviet Union at the end of this war. Putin may suffer the fate of Ceausescu.
Lol ‘no nation could defeat Russia in a ground war’ lol … first … the RUSSIAN PEOPLE don’t support this campaign.
Second… Afghanistan comes to mind. I think those warriors fared pretty well against the Bear, even before it was gelded.
No nation could defeat Russia in a ground war? The Ukraine is.
Are you going to claim that Russia steadily losing territory is part of the “Master Plan”?
Jack….that is one of the dumbest comments I have read…with respect.
No nation could take on Russia???? Really???? Russia has proven their absolute ineptitude in this war that THEY decided to fight. Their battle tactics and logistic issues have been exposed to the world as being 3rd rate.
Yes they have huge numbers of Soviet Era equipment but mostly it is junk…
They have one of the worst command structures in field of battle that has ever been seen…
Their only fall back position is using Nuclear threats and just creating massive amounts of civilian targeted destruction as they cannot seem to actually fight directly against any force….
Sorry, but you could not be more wrong, IMHO of course!
Russia is obviously much weaker than thought by the West. To be unable to take out a neighboring nation in hours suggests Russia is a Paper Tiger and their only real threat is nucs. However looking at Europe suggests that a warlike nation could put Europe especially Germany, France, UK, and Italy would triumph quickly-no real interest in self defense.
Jack Johnson, you are correct. MSM keeps telling the world that “Zelenskyy” is winning, etc. Further that more armaments are coming to Ukraine everday.
What the corrupt MSM neglects to remind the world, is that EVERYDAY INNOCENT IKRAINIANES and UKRAIAN cities and fields are being destroyed. Years from now, after the war “ends” somehow, with foreign troops and equipment still occupying Ukraine, Ukraines will have LOST ALL of a once formidable CULTURE. Bye, Bye.
Russia is losing and will lose, hell they just leave their armor for Ukraine, soldiers run the other way, get drunk and fight each other.. good soldiers..
I don’t know why people think this person is a Russian. they just list some facts about the different tanks involved and also that not everything that we’re sending is the absolute most advanced version. that’s just a fact. it will be true of the m1 tanks also. any of the m1 tanks they have exported so far have not had the same armor as the ones that we use ourselves.
Ex tanker here:
T-14 has a 3 man crew, all seated in the hull. Sounds great till you have a main gun round jam/misfire and you have to clear the gun. Human loaders are faster and give you an extra crew member to complete enormous and continuous maintenance tasks these beast require.
Auto-loader is suspect and implicated in a lot of catastrophic kills western tanks survive because we protect main gun rounds.
How is that Russian resupply working? Heard its shoddy at best. No fuel and you have a state of the art bunkers at best.
Finally any combat vehicle is heavily influenced by crew skill secondary to training…Russians are suspect in this area.
As usual, Geo, your article is informative and presents a perspective that comes from the insight of one who has experienced much in the field of battle and strategy. There is a wide audience that values your opinion including, myself. I found the information about the M777 howitzer interesting, and I too would rather hope the US watered down the drinks it gave to the Ukrainians or other foreign countries. It’s how it should be. One should always keep the advantages of its patent or ownership. Let’s pray for a resolution to this useless war. Too many lives on both sides lost.
Sounds to me like you’re on the side of the Russians. By the way, this can’t stand alone as a sentence; ‘If one of these supreme beings gets antsy and starts to think about biochemical warfare.’ OK? Then what? Do you check your writing before you publish an article? And what ‘supreme beings’? Only Putin has such weapons, and you have to be a total Russian propagandist bot to call him ‘supreme’ anything but the murdering ex KGB goon that he is. Don’t hurt yourself writing….With love from Ukraine
Russia has a hard time defending the reputation of its tanks, the introduction of the very limited number of the Armata tanks (considered to be mainly a parade item) ultimately will end up being another toaster in Ukraine. Better save them for parades.
The Abrams going to Ukraine are the export model not the top of the line one currently being introduced into our own army and that of a few allies like Poland. I’m not so sure Russian drones are a tanks worse enemy as far as direct kills. Ukrainian drones and Russian tanks different story.
I found a typo regarding the main gun of the Armata tank. I have it posted here in this article as a 125mm smooth-bore canon that can fire 600 rounds per minute.
I don’t know where those other 594 rounds came from but the Armata tank’s main 125mm Smooth-bore canon will only fire six rounds per minute (sustained rate).
geo sends
Can the Armata even carry 600 rounds……and any metal barrell that large having 600 rounds going through it in one minute will last about 55 seconds
Excellent catch…. We’re probably replying to a Russian loving propagandist.
WTF are you blathering on about?? He starts the article by calling it “the war of Russian aggression”. No pro-russian bot is describing the war that way. They won’t even call it a “war”.
I don’t usually bother wasting my time replying to such nasty comments as you have left in this forum, but I find your comments offensive. I can assure you that this author is neither a bot nor a Russian-loving propagandist.
It wasn’t a typo. It’s just an egregious error. The Armata is estimated to have a rof between 10-12 rounds per minute. How do you get from 10 to 600 with a typo??
The T-14 is also armed with the Kord 12.7 machine gun. Guess what it’s rof is?? When I Googled “t-14 rate of fire”, guess what the first result I got was?? I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t for the main gun.
The author of this article obviously did about 5 minutes worth of “research” on Google and couldn’t pick out the obvious problems because they have no clue what they’re talking about. Ditto for the editor, assuming there even was one…
I find your comments offensive and your sarcasm uncalled for. Why don’t YOU google George E Hand IV and within 5 minutes of your research,you’ll discover the caliber of man he is!