tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post6214347049395427069..comments2024-03-27T20:37:08.065+01:00Comments on Defence and Freedom: The underrated genius gunUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-56855993467968881662016-03-13T23:33:00.490+01:002016-03-13T23:33:00.490+01:00I know nobody who thought otherwise.
The reports f...I know nobody who thought otherwise.<br />The reports from the Ukraine are consistent with lessons from military history and regarding drones consistent with concepts developed around 1980 already.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-1979551693159915842016-03-13T20:55:34.848+01:002016-03-13T20:55:34.848+01:00Ukraine has proven that Russia still uses artiller...Ukraine has proven that Russia still uses artillery in great numbers.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05201546211919530161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-73606681840843413922011-12-18T22:01:06.152+01:002011-12-18T22:01:06.152+01:00He has a point, artillery is cheap for surface act...He has a point, artillery is cheap for surface action compared to smart missiles (and more accurate than non-smart missiles) and has today some air defense capability. Give it a simple truck painted in camouflage and you have a gun that can quickly move to a new emplacement after shooting. I count on Africa adding guns to their technicals(armed pick-up truck) in the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-25077093175935233232011-08-31T16:49:29.676+02:002011-08-31T16:49:29.676+02:00The same rationale works for a (very large) area d...The same rationale works for a (very large) area defence, too. <br />You can have a thin net of troops in a large area (even individual squads) and they can call for fires over radio. The primary means of lending them some firepower would be artillery.<br /><br />Air power cannot react timely to short peaks of OPFOR activity and mortars have a short range, would require too many units and have longer and more problematic resupply lines than long-range arty.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-45197306669167347682011-08-31T09:49:37.315+02:002011-08-31T09:49:37.315+02:00But when are we going to be attempting to hold a t...But when are we going to be attempting to hold a thin front line?<br /><br />And even if we did, what hope would it have when the only force likely to try and break it would be an armoured Brigade, or larger, force?<br /><br />It made perfect sense for the primarily infantry armies of the second world war, because it was enough to make an infantry opush far too bloody, but the armoured componants usualy cut through such lines with ease. Simple lack of armoured formations disguised this problem.<br /><br />But today thats quite different.<br /><br />As you frequently remind us, there are no front lines anymore, because there arent the 50 infantry divisions required to hold a front line.<br /><br />For an Afghanistan type War, I fully agree with you. I think the UK should have deployed a light gun to every platoon house, with a 360 degreee arc of fire, and a very high arc to allow a good area to be covered.<br />It would have been a brilliant way to provide support fires to TiC, far quicker and far deadlier (due to quantity).<br /><br />But in a "proper" war, the only offensive element any national really has, is a big clunky armoured thing.<br />Which if I understand correctly, in the UK, consists of 57 Challengers 2's, 2 Battalions of Warrior IFV mounted infantry, and a further battalion in APCs.<br /><br />I dont see what threat any reasonable number of guns are.<br />Concentrated, they can be avoided, distributed, they will be destroyed.<br />If in fact, an concentrated number isnt simply over ran.<br /><br />But as I said, I could be wrong<br />It just seems to me that the situation is was supposed to counter has gone.TrTnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-88532201993601556692011-08-30T16:53:57.286+02:002011-08-30T16:53:57.286+02:00"But I just dont see the use in a big war.&qu..."But I just dont see the use in a big war."<br /><br />Artillery is the classic backbone of a far-stretched defence. You don't have enough troops to maintain a proper line? Use your troops to keep an eye on a line and let artillery do the heavy lifting. It's been a classic solution since 1944 at least.<br />You can't do the same with CAS or mortars without requiring much more resources.<br /><br /><br />The self-defensibility of artillery is a 'nice to have' nowadays (and SPHs can play a limited role in security for a largely soft brigade - the MBTs cannot provide security everywhere, after all).<br />Such a capability can be invaluable in times of crisis, but it's of course not purposeful to build a Pakfront with 2A18s.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-72455384995397735552011-08-30T12:14:29.606+02:002011-08-30T12:14:29.606+02:00I just dont see artilery as being a big thing in a...I just dont see artilery as being a big thing in a future war.<br /><br />Handy things in a small war, but in a big war?<br />I dont see the attraction.<br /><br />A 105 with a infrared seeking head is probably overkill for MBTs.<br /><br />A 155+ simply wont be available in great enough numbers to provide sufficient carpet bombing to trouble, much less destroy entrenched troops.<br /><br />Artilery is a solution looking for a problem.<br /><br />Yes, it makes a functional direct fire anti tank gun. But so does an infantryman with a 1kg light anti tank rocket or two.<br /><br />Range is useful for harrassing enemy infantry and making them keep their distance, but there are no infantry divisions anymore.<br /><br /><br />In a small policing role, battalion, or even companies, would find a light gun extremely handy.<br /><br />But I just dont see the use in a big war.<br /><br />The only capability the enemy likely has for agressive action will be an Armoured Brigade, which is what, 50 tanks and several thousand supporting Infantry in IFVs and APCs.<br />Youre going to need a lot of tightly packed guns toi block that, and to stop the foce simply going around, youre going to need a lot of such forces.<br /><br />But I could be wrong.TrTnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-35564497049537771182011-08-28T13:02:37.003+02:002011-08-28T13:02:37.003+02:00I don't think we still have any dedicated arty...I don't think we still have any dedicated arty formations either. These things existed in WW2.<br /><br />A MRL is a much easier approach for long-range guided munitions. Guiding a fin-stabilised rocket is far easier than guiding a spin-stabilised shell.<br /><br />105 and 155 mm calibres aren't ideal by far, but here to stay. Same for the oversized 227 mm MRLRS calibre.<br />These calibres are standardised and there's a powerful technological lock-in. The widespread ban on ICM won't change this.<br /><br />Btw; guided projectiles are in a high-end conventional war probably as important for their ability to disguise their origin against counter-artillery radars as for their other advantages.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-89086856519980226812011-08-28T10:33:13.746+02:002011-08-28T10:33:13.746+02:00Uh, I didn't even know we had any artillery br...Uh, I didn't even know we had any artillery brigades these days, considering how few regular brigades and divisions NATO has at its disposal. But I do get the idea of not attatching these cumbersome pieces with a mobile strike division: After all, formations move at the speed of their slowest units. And there is a lot of potential if these 8 inchers were outfitted with something like the *long range guided glide projectile (the 6 inch version of which has a range of 100 KM!). A reach like that would make them an invaluable asset for providing an umbrella of protection and fire support over large areas. Who needs fighter bombers when you have those?<br /><br />*I would even go so far as to argue that such rounds should be mass producedd for all arty: It would make the concentration of shell fire for major assaults much more conveniant and swift. BTW, sven, would you ever consider dumping the 105mm and 155mm in favor of a good compromise howitzer, like the 122mm?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-5034027677434889132011-08-27T13:08:20.660+02:002011-08-27T13:08:20.660+02:00A dedicated artillery brigade for Schwerpunkt acti...A dedicated artillery brigade for Schwerpunkt actions, assigned to the theatre command.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-91176637613361548462011-08-27T02:22:59.280+02:002011-08-27T02:22:59.280+02:00'A greater shell weight was not emphasised muc...'A greater shell weight was not emphasised much; 149-155 mm was identified as practical calibre limit for standard artillery.'<br /><br />Lets say there was some perceived NEED -whether rational or not- for a greater shell weight, employed through, say, a handful or two of super heavy (8 inch) gun-howitzers. What level of command would they best be put them under: Battalion, regimental, etc. And who would get the best use out of them, a light infantry division, or a heavy infantry brigade?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-39220491709876276962011-08-26T15:59:31.827+02:002011-08-26T15:59:31.827+02:00TD, that principle, the Arbel platform, Schießpilz...TD, that principle, the Arbel platform, Schießpilze and the 25pdr's platform had all the same problem: The spade could be stuck and difficult to unstuck plus after traversing it's not rock solid in the ground again - unlike a three trail or cruciform carriage.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-50701163053968779242011-08-26T12:34:43.704+02:002011-08-26T12:34:43.704+02:00Hi Sven,
The L118 Light Gun in UK and others serv...Hi Sven,<br /><br />The L118 Light Gun in UK and others service took a different design approach to 360 degree traverse. Instead of a split leg carriage it has a bent tubular carriage combined with a circular traverse platform. This provides the advantage of 360 degree operation and very rapid setup and take down to avoid counter battery fires (as much as practically possible)<br /><br />Using a platform instead of traversing it by moving the entire gun also allows your reference point to be maintained.<br /><br />On your other points, the Light Gun also has a very high elevation angle and whilst not as long in service as the 'D30' its been going strong since 1975 and has only this year been upgraded for the umpteenth time, this time with new direct fire sights. Direct fire it seems is still alive and well in Afghanistan.think defencehttp://www.thinkdefence.co.uknoreply@blogger.com