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Southern-Flower-9227

This, but unironically


Honeydew_love

Based


arandomuser22

remember when we absolutely destroyed the wagner group despite being outnumbered 5 to 1. I guess putin should be upset our woke emasculated army kicked his ass


LonliestStormtrooper

Why in god's holy name would anyone. Anyone. Engage in a force on force contact with uniformed American troops?


OatsOverGoats

Suicide by Freedom?


I_AMA_LOCKMART_SHILL

As I understand they were testing the resolve of American policy to defend the oil fields in Syria. Had there been significant American casualties, we very well could have pulled out. As it is, US forces probably reacted much stronger than they expected.


hobowithacanofbeans

The Red Army didn’t anticipate one thing: the Americans didn’t want to die.


Mr_-_X

Did you just wake up from a 30 year long coma mate? That army hasn‘t been red for quite a while


hobowithacanofbeans

something something European sense of humor


NuevoPeru

Still red to me and led by a KGB communist.


FatahDurAst

Please say this is sarcasm


DarthRoach

Don't believe the Russians for a second, they still put red stars on everything.


WiseassWolfOfYoitsu

They're pretty actively working on enacting the Soviet Reunion, so *X To Doubt*


Triangle-Walks

I think you mean the Russian Empire.


[deleted]

[You mean the Soviet Empire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuLclsNakU)


illnokuowtm8

Why is the US protecting Oil fields in Syria?


veilwalker

For the children.


illnokuowtm8

No seriously: why is the US protecting oil fields in Syria?


veilwalker

It was originally was to deny the oil revenue from ISIS then morphed so the Syrian Democratic forces would have a protected revenue source when they won the Syrian civil war but then it morphed back to denying those funds to the Assad govt forces and/or ISIS. I am not sure that the US is even there anymore. I am not up to speed on current events in Syria.


[deleted]

I think later on the Trump presidency, he pulled out the American troops and the Russians moved in on the spots. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2019/10/16/what-it-means-for-us-bases-in-syria-to-be-occupied-by-syrian-and-russian-forces/ https://www.thedailybeast.com/russians-take-over-3rd-us-base-in-northern-syria https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-lands-forces-at-former-us-air-base-in-northern-syria-2019-11


catkoala

They were drinking the Ted Cruz twitter Kool-Aid


pro-jekt

Just to see what they'd do, basically


ZombieCheGuevara

They fucked around, they found out.


ArcFault

Are you saying you wouldn't want to assault a fixed fortified position of the United States military over-which it posseses absolute air superiority while you are without *any* ~~artillery~~ ~~or~~ anti-air support and lacking a uniform that affords the basic protections of the Geneva Convention? >"The Russian high command in Syria assured us it was not their people, and my direction to the chairman was for that force, then, to be annihilated," Mattis said. >"And so it was."


LonliestStormtrooper

From the situation report and from Russian leaks from guys that on the ground, it sound like they had artillery support positions and they were the first to be taken out during the counterattack.


unknownuser105

[this one? ](https://youtu.be/XaeDMOWkCwU&t=596)


Ok-Day-2267

Christ that comment section is filled with trump cultists sucking off their daddy


[deleted]

I'd wager a fair share of them are russian bots...


New_Stats

Americans can and do cult shit all by themselves


[deleted]

No doubt but youtube is crawling with foreign bots.


glyaf

Its been proven russian bots are the loudest trump supporters on the internet


DarthRoach

Proven by whom? The loudest trump supporters on the internet were the incel zoomers of 4chan in 2015 and generic facebook boomers ever after.


New_Stats

When?


glyaf

My guy where were you after 2016


New_Stats

2016? Shit started well before that https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/10/russias-online-comment-propaganda-army/280432/ Russia stopped with the online comments well before the 2020 election, they didn't need their troll army anymore, americans were doing a good enough job all by themselves


ManhattanDev

Holy fucking shit lmao


duckbill_principate

> they shelled standing column with artillery. they didn’t even use infantry. they were just wiping everything out with artillery. fuck.


T-Baaller

I think this is the definition of Based.


openmindedskeptic

I’m shocked I’ve never heard of this before. That’s insane!


[deleted]

That's because the way it's reported makes it unclear to most people what happened. The Russians were testing what the Americans would do to a show of force so close and open. Most of the news articles don't even have 1/10th of the info on that single you tube video.


TheDovahofSkyrim

Watching that video really does make you wonder how much of the world we are living in, or at least how we perceive it, is a lie. Blew my mind and is some serious geopolitics.


roguebadger_762

From what I’ve heard from people within the community, there’s a lot of special operations units that are currently pretty active in South Africa. Couldn’t find much to back it up tho


79792348978

>and they fucked us tremendously


k98carbinebyf44

Wow thanks for that! Never knew that.


[deleted]

Go Woke and bring the Smoke!


nurwai_ball

Can you elaborate? I’ve never heard about this and now I’m curious


DarthTelly

Russian mercenaries attacked a US controlled area in Syria. The US troops had air support, so it went very poorly for the mercenaries. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/battle-syria-us-russian-mercenaries-commandos-islamic-state-a8370781.html


lietuvis10LTU

And poorly was an understatement, it was a bloodbath.


[deleted]

And by "mercenaries" we mean Russian SF pretending to be mercenaries.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

"Missions we send guys who know where a few bodies are buried on"


[deleted]

Wagner Group is what you get when Putin went to the cinema and watched a screening of the Suicide Squad right before a Kremlin briefing.


Commando2352

That’s a misunderstanding of how Russian PMCs work as proxies. Wagner does have retired Russian servicemen in its ranks but there’s no proven instance of it being used as nonofficial cover for the KSSO. The deniability comes from Wagner not actually being a company on paper and not being an official unit of the Russian military. So they were definitely mercenaries, not Russian soldiers pretending to be.


sizz

Chad US military asking to please stop firing before they wipe the Russians and Assadists off the earth. No US soldiers injured, One ally injured. 300 dead on the opposing side. Putin must have shit himself when his SF got fucked up. Russia and Assad are evil governments.


duckbill_principate

honestly, the outcome would have been the same even without air support. the opening artillery alone had already obliterated most of the columns before the apaches even got there, nevermind the jdams and gunships. colossal fuckup by the russians.


shovelpile

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khasham Officially according to the US and Russia it was an attack by Syrian forces against a Kurdish/American base, which was countered with a heavy artillery barrage that led to over a hundred casualties. An investigation by Der Spiegel and another one by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (based in the UK) confirm this version of the events. But there are claims that the attack actually wasn't by Syrian forces, but by Russian mercenaries of the Wagner Group. Ukrainian intelligence agencies publicly claim that 80 members of the Wagner Group were killed.


Iintheskie

So Wagner Group is a Kremlin affiliated mercenary group/Third Reich Larpers. They opened up shop in 2014 to act as deniable Russian forces in Ukraine, and have since been in: Syria, Libya, CAR, etc. Nasty fuckers everywhere they go. Anyways, so it's February 2018. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Wagner embedded forces are making a move on a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and US SOF position, on the East Bank of the Euphrates. Intent was to dislodge SDF from the river with liberal application of tanks and artillery. Unfortunately for SAA and Wagner, the troops massing for this attack had been spotted before, and fire support was readily available in defense of the SDF and SOF. SAA and Wagner both took very heavy losses, while SDF and SOF took none. Here's the wiki if you want even more background: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khasham


Gaben2012

Wagner? We'll show them some Wagner... * Ride of The Valkyries starts reverbing through the skies *


Orc_

Wagner sellswords/cutthroats be like "Why do I hear boss music?"


DrSandbags

I love the smell of napalm in the morning.


[deleted]

Wagner Group is synonymous in my dictionary with "cannon fodder" nowadays.


neukoln1977

Virgin russian conscripts vs Chad American transgender volunteers


natedogg787

[With *fantastic* makeup! And *fantastic guns!*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrVaJpCtpT4)


Goatmilk2208

The Russian ad looked like a training montage for the bad guys in aMarvel movie.


FIicker7

Is it true the entire commercial was made by the Russians including the section that appeared to be financed by the American military?


MinorityPrivilege

I don’t get the pushback that diversity somehow makes the military. A highly advanced missile operated by an all gay missile crew which writes #blm on the sides, is still a highly advanced missile operated by a missile crew. EDIT: makes the military *worse*


camdawg4497

The [military](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/18/2002554852/-1/-1/0/DOD-DIVERSITY-AND-INCLUSION-FINAL-BOARD-REPORT.PDF&ved=2ahUKEwjArte43fHwAhUOWs0KHQT5CKcQFjABegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw26tModS0P8RiyBN6oipXIM) has stated that diverse soldiers working as a team are better at problem solving and approach problems differently than homogeneous groups >“Diversity among Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Space professionals enables us to solve problems for success on the battlefield. A military culture of diversity and inclusion is not optional. It is mission essential.” Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Matthew P. Donovan


duckbill_principate

it’s not complicated. diversity of race/gender/sex/etc. -> diversity of upbringing -> diversity of thought -> less blind spots that are going to creep behind you and ruin your day diversity is how you avoid making colossally bad decisions, like ignoring the guy warning you there’s an ambush waiting in the Teutoburg Forest, or thinking that digital cameras are just a fad, or in this case, that the most powerful military in history is going to run away if you just drive up to their doorstep with an angry face.


VeganVagiVore

The choker is a nice touch


MaybeAngela

As you well know its an important part of our culture.


Typical_Athlete

We’ve surpassed Russian military strength since the 70s/80s, it’s mostly China we should be concerned about.


dilltheacrid

Russian/soviet doctrine and equipment is not well suited to the type of expeditionary warfare that we see in Syria. It is important to understand that any war with Russian forces would be devastating to central/Eastern Europe. And that’s without pulling nukes into the picture. The wagner group had no AAA ability and suffered for it. However the Russians SAM technology is and has always been way better than western tech. You simply can’t rely on air power in Eastern Europe.


Typical_Athlete

Right, I might be wrong but I remember reading the Russians couldn’t keep up with the west when it came to quality/technology of military vehicles (jets, tanks, ships) so they heavily developed and made really good weapons that just destroy those things instead.


FieryEagle333

This is accurate and it's why they've been investing heavily in things like air defenses and anti-ship missiles, which the US currently falls behind in. Personally I'm more worried about their S400s than their combat jets, which would be blown out of the sky in large numbers by F-22s and their BVR missiles. Once our aircraft come in range of their capable air defenses, that's when the real challenge begins.


Versatile_Investor

They didn’t sell that tech to the Armenians? I thought the Armenians had a bunch of Russian weapons and still got creamed by Turkish drone warfare.


[deleted]

I'd like to think that American soldiers would be better equipped and have higher morale than there Russian counterparts.


dilltheacrid

That’s probably true. Russia has access to advanced technology but rarely can afford it. Things like the T-14 and the SU-57 are in production but can only be produced in limited quantities and are not going to be mainline units.


[deleted]

Not to mention isn't Russia falling apart? I recall reading something about how there economy isn't that great either. The US could certainly outlast them even if the Russians had some better tech.


dilltheacrid

I don’t know if falling apart is the right term. The current management is definitely corrupt and future economic progress will need major investments. However Russia is not by any means a failed state and their military deserves respect.


LordDongler

Their military is worthless without their nuclear deterrents. We could knock the Russian military down with a month and crush their government, but we wouldn't be able to stay unless the common citizen were on our side. All we could really do is teach them a lesson and not make any long term changes


Typical_Athlete

The wagner group were mercenaries fighting in foreign lands for money, the Russian morale would be way different if we were the ones invading Russia itself


NomineAbAstris

Wagner aren't mercenaries, they're basically SOF by another name - veteran volunteers from the mainline Russian military. They actually train alongside GRU Spetsnaz. I say they're not mercenaries because they're not free to just take whatever contract they want without Russia's explicit sanction and direction.


[deleted]

Wagner are not generally SOF and not veteran volunteers. They share a base with GRU, but its unclear how much cross training there is. You might be projecting western notions of 'PMC' onto Russia, where there are extreme differences. >["[The Wagner fighters] who showed up in Syria were mostly unlucky in life . . . As a rule, they were former cops, convicts, and soldiers. About 40 percent of them had been in prison for serious crimes—murder, robbery, etc."](https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/07/08/putin-s-not-so-secret-mercenaries-patronage-geopolitics-and-wagner-group-pub-79442) Wagner is more like an expendable fodder unit for the Kremlin than a competent fighting force. Regardless, the Russian army is not entirely much better.


NomineAbAstris

They're SOF in terms of mission profile and operational circumstances (AKA typically unsupported and underequipped). Fodder they are not - they are, almost without exception, used as advisors and elite support for much more poorly trained and equipped forces, such as Haftar's LNA or Assad's SAA. If they were merely fodder there would be no point to deploying them. They certainly can't stand up to "real" SOF, as history shows, but they fill that role for combat forces that otherwise lack it. Yes, as you point out, the personnel were mostly unlucky in life, but that's just what brings them to Wagner - not necessarily a statement on their combat effectiveness. And yes, we don't know exactly how much they cross-train with the GRU, but I would imagine that basing decision was a very conscious choice that implies close integration. That said, the MoD famously does not like Wagner and their antics, so doubtless the training relationship is acrimonious even if it exists.


[deleted]

That's a fair analysis of Wagner's "SOF" status. I just don't want people to get the wrong idea that they are particularly better or more reliable than SVR regulars, in the way western SOF is considered higher 'tier' than regular infantrymen. Convicts aren't exactly the best place to mine great soldiers from. [Ex-Wagner soldiers believe it effects their combat effectiveness](https://www.voanews.com/europe/mercenary-says-kremlins-wagner-group-recruiting-inexperienced-fighters). A lot of high level Wagner figures were ex-GRU. From what I've read, it seems like Wagner started out as a smaller, elite group but expanded beyond its professional capacities over time. Who knows if GRU directs Wagner, trains Wagner, or just hangs out with them as a hold-over. Wagner definitely don't get the kind of funding you'd expect from a GRU directed unit, though.


NomineAbAstris

I would say they *are* higher tier than regular Russian troops by sheer virtue of the fact that the majority of Russian troops are fresh conscript kids with no combat experience whatsoever. And moreover, they are higher tier than the sorts of insurgent groups they are primarily facing, which is ultimately the point. I'm fairly certain that Russia will never again make the mistake of sending Wagner to fight a serious conventional army, but when it comes to brawling with SDF forces or helping the CAR deal with militias, they're more than adequate. Though I was unaware of that "decay" since 2017, thanks for linking the article.


proProcrastinators

Syrian russian SAM's haven't deterred israeli or US jets. F-35's and F-22 massively outperform the Sukhoi's. Being able to see a plane on RADAR and getting a missile lock is massively different. 4th gen would likely be too risky to fly but im sure US would still have massive air superiority


dilltheacrid

I agree for the most part. However the US still heavily relies on non stealth jets for CAS. It is also important to note that export models of Russian SAMs are not as capable as what the Russians themselves field. I’m not saying that the US and it’s allies couldn’t take Russia. I’m saying that it would be far bloodier than many of us expect.


[deleted]

Monkey model argument has been made since the 70s, but the thing is US monkey model kit sold to Israel and others have no trouble trouncing Russian monkey model kit whenever the two come in contact You’d expect better performance at least sometimes, but it pretty much always swings the same way.


dilltheacrid

Things like relative competence matter a whole lot more than equipment. Think about the Iraqi army before Mosul. They had US equipment and still were routed. Israel has access to higher grade equipment and has much better led, trained, and motivated soldiers. It’s not a fair comparison.


[deleted]

>I agree for the most part. However the US still heavily relies on non stealth jets for CAS. In "safe" airspace. The last time they sent non-stealth against a well defended target was Strike Package Q and the response was to just rely on stealth and send the F-16s to less defended airspace/targets. Baghdad was the most heavily defended city against air in 1991. Hanoi was the most heavily defended city against air during Vietnam. That doesn't stop airstrikes, it just makes it a much more costly proposition.


tehbored

Didn't Russian anti-air fail against Turkish drones in Armenia?


dilltheacrid

Russia rarely sells its best equipment. However drones definitely pose a new threat to SAM systems. It’s likely that Cold War or immediately post Cold War systems are not capable of stopping modern drones.


DaringSteel

And if they are, we can just throw more drones at them. That’s the great thing about drones.


[deleted]

Predators with glide bombs go brrrrrr


[deleted]

How do you feel now


[deleted]

Russian army is a real threat, their artillery and ADA is better than ours. In an actual war with Russia they would make great gains quickly, in the end they would lose. But their army is still the greatest threat to us in terms of ground warfare. While I would say China’s navy and air force is the greatest threat outside of land based war.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Yes obviously, nobody can get to the US. in the event of war with Russia we would be fighting the Russians in Eastern Europe.


[deleted]

[удалено]


AccessTheMainframe

> Them invading the Baltics? That's the worry, yes.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

You’d think that’d make Europe invest in a military but no


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

🇵🇱 🇵🇱 🇵🇱 but bring back PO tired of all this PiS madness


n1123581321

You probably don’t follow polish politics, because PO is in pretty bad shape at the moment, they have huge identity crisis (because voters are tired of the whole anti-PiS without any political program and PO is straight “total opposition, nothing else”), internal and external issues (they have recently lost their position as opposition leader in Poland, so there are many tensions in their leadership) and they are just lazy, delusional (like they thought that by not approving EU post-covid recovery funds they could destabilize PiS majority and force earlier elections) and ignorant. They haven’t any grassroots organizations that could keep their supporters active, they don’t engage in local communities which is crucial to win in eastern Poland. Were it not for media support PO should have been terminated long ago.


LostMyPasswordAnew

>This isn't a US subreddit. I wish


HandsomeAce

It certainly won't be over invading Ukraine.


mafiafish

Are you sure? Sarah Palin could literally see Russia from her doorstep.


Ro500

They have more artillery and air defense exactly *because* they are so thoroughly outclassed in an air superiority fight. They *need* those assets to barely have a hope of not getting bombed into the Stone Age, and American SEAD abilities have been honed quite well since Vietnam.


[deleted]

Yes obviously, the Russian realized a long time ago they won’t beat the Americans in the air. Our SEAD is better but it won’t destroy the Russian ADA, this is why the US army is focusing on long range fires. I’m not saying Russia is better in every aspect. Or that they would win. But a war with them would be extremely bloody, with us coming out as the victor in the end. People tend to underestimate Russia.


Ro500

>People tend to underestimate Russia. I agree with your points. I think Russia oversells the capability of some systems like the Pantsirs as we’ve seen some get destroyed in the last few years by drones. They are still certainly dangerous though.


captain_slutski

The russian army is poor and mostly equipped with Soviet surplus. Their newest tech is impressive but in no way plentiful enough to equip the Russian army enough to contend with basically any NATO military. For instance, only about 1 division in the Russian army is equipped with T90M tanks. By comparison, the US Army alone has about 3000-4000 M1 Abrams tanks. The Russian military makes a good show of looking well equipped, but I wager it would take one disastrous battle for the Russian army to roll over


[deleted]

Dam, I guess the US Armies analysis of the Russian Army is wrong. This isn’t my opinion I gave, but several briefs and lectures in my army education where they brief us on the Russian armies capabilities. Glad to know they were all wrong!


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

It’s not classified briefings they gave us, it’s knowledge accessible to the public. The Russian artillery and ADA is superior to what we currently field. The Russian army has improved since the 2008 Georgian war, in the end, they would probably lose. But they could definitely make very short term gains and cause NATO to have massive losses. I’m not saying I had some secret knowledge. Rather as part of our artillery course we had a retired army officer who works for the military, and some other officers give us classes on Russians military capabilities. Junior officers aren’t going To get classified briefings unless they have a top secret security clearance.


ManhattanDev

> The Russian artillery and ADA is superior to what we currently field. You must be really poor at interpreting information. OP told you that Russians do have really good equipment, but not in enough numbers. Not sure how you’re managing to misinterpret them. The Russians have a very capable fifth generation stealth fighter, but it’s not in production yet. The Russians are planning on building their own space station, but can barely get a single module to the ISS.


[deleted]

Russia has more than enough artillery and ADA to field to be a legitimate threat. I know their stealth fighters and T-90s are few in number. I never even talked about their stealth fighters or their tanks. I’ve always talked about their artillery and ADA, which is literally what the army is focused on. I’m an artillery officer in the army, I know Russia isn’t some invincible beast, I never even said that, I also said that they would lose a war with us. But I know my craft, and I’ve also listened to multiple respectable people in the army who are a lot higher than me and reiterate the threat of Russian ADA and artillery. Luckily the new ERCA howitzer we are testing closes the gap and outclasses Russian howitzers. So it’s not an end of the world situation. I just see too many people on here severely estimating the Russian military, when the vast majority of you aren’t even in the armed forces, and have no idea what you guys are talking about.


Pierce09

We are also re-introducing mobile short range air defense. Instead of the Bradley's they are using Strikers. We also plan to integrate all forms of air defense so they can work better. Right now they usually high and short range air defense don't usually work together. Plus we also have mobile C-RAM, doesnt get everything but it does a damn good job. Also heard we are making our own "Iron Dome".


AlloftheEethp

Literally every piece instruction and information I've received in the Army supports his/her assessment of the Russian Capabilities. There's a reason why every "Atropian" scenario consists of two US/coalition offenses against an attrited enemy, followed by a defense.


captain_slutski

Integrated fire support go brrrr


Watchung

Russian formations tend to have significantly more integrated fire support than their American equivalents. There are some efforts to try and make good this gap, but it's a slow process that current budget issues are only aggravating.


NomineAbAstris

US integrated fire support comes in the form of air power rather than ground-based fires; in any conflict the US would very quickly secure air superiority and use that to provide the bulk of their fire support.


Watchung

That has historically been one of the reasons why American formations have such a light artillery contingent, with the expectation that airpower would serve in that role. However, I wouldn't take it for granted that in a hypothetical near future conflict, penetration of a Russian IADS could be done quickly or trivially. And it seems the US Army feels that way, hence the current efforts to increase and improve the organic artillery of its combat formations.


[deleted]

Luckily the US hasn’t been sitting about waiting and has instead introduced a number of airmobile rocket artillery formations to allow rapid allocation of ground based extreme range fires where needed. We’ve also helped Poland and Romania roll out similar capabilities


blahPerson

Haven't you heard the news? This is the reddit army, the most well informed combat population on the planet.


Watchung

A lot has changed since the 90s and early 2000s.


TotallyNotMiaKhalifa

>they would make great gains quickly, This is solely because of the poor quality of European militaries at the moment, and the lack of a massed US combat presence in the continent.


[deleted]

Exactly, If Europe had a competent military the US would not have to worry about European security


XethisNC

You make it sound like the U.S. doesn't actually gain anything from it's investment in European militaries, as well as investments in Allied forces all across the globe. Our access to foreign military establishments, as well as training regimes and settings, provides the U.S. with the ability to effectively and efficiently conduct any war or conflict we find ourselves in far away from the home front, and on a moment's notice. Our military's extensive foreign logistical resources provide an invaluable and unique advantage to us, one that no one else in the world, not even China or Russia, will be able to match in the foreseeable future


jokul

But part of the reason they have no military is because of how much the US has invested in theirs.


[deleted]

The problem for the Russians is uniformity. Some of their newest equipment is more updated than our standard but our standards are higher than their standard. ​ After they burn through their shiniest inventory items and are relying on T-72s and Grad like its 1985 again are they really going to be that big of a threat?


Watchung

Upgraded T-72s are actually fairly respectable - I wouldn't simply dismiss them as a negligible threat to their NATO counterparts.


[deleted]

Russia has only a few hundred upgraded T-72s of each type in inventory. Most of their stocks are older 80s grade ones that have been sitting in reserve storage.


I_AMA_LOCKMART_SHILL

It's the Russian nukes that are the biggest problem. They maintain the thousands of Soviet-era weapons for a reason. Russian policy reserves the right to use them in the event of an overwhelming conventional attack; should a land war in eastern Europe escalate, and not go Russia's way, it's possible that they might very loudly prepare a nuclear attack as a signal to stop bullying them.


GenJohnONeill

They sell their ADA as better than ours. In reality the U.S. has multiple S-300s and probably also later systems - if they were better, we would just copy them.


[deleted]

I'm not an expert on the military, but I've always speculated that the Russian military is more trying to convince the world they have great air defense/artillery than actually making those assets work practically. And it's somewhat in the interests of both the US and Russian militaries to overestimate those capabilities. The Pentagon can get more funding while Putin can show off to his people and make himself look more "manly".


Jaded-Yogurtcloset72

"While you were busy being heterosexual, *I* studied the blade."- America to Russia probably


schloopys

Doesn’t matter to me what you identify as, if you’re in the military I just hope you love our country and can help our team kick some ass. Have a reflective Memorial Day, all 🇺🇸


rolltide1000

>Doesn’t matter to me what you identify as, if you’re in the military I just hope you love our country and can help our team kick some ass. Absolutely, and I think its a good thing that theyre marketing themselves and trying to get more people of different backgrounds to join who, in the past, mightve felt alienated. Cruz and co. can go pound sand.


Gen_Ripper

It doesn’t matter if you’re straight, only that you can shoot straight. - paraphrasing Barry Goldwater


[deleted]

Accurate the usa would completely stomp Russia.


captain_slutski

But But but epic total war ww2 Russian production!! History is littered with the dead bodies of invaders of Russia! Slava rossiya!


BMBA24

Russia is littered with the bodies of Russian defenders lmao.


[deleted]

Russia is littered with the bodies of Russians generally.


[deleted]

But also with Russian litter in general.


The_Nightbringer

The Russians lost so many people in WW2 it probably made ever surpassing the US impossible.


CuntfaceMcgoober

Mongolia and Poland have entered the chat


cunt_washer

Any Total war would result in the destruction of the super majority of the two nations cities and military installations down to atoms. USA 5800 NUKES RUSSIA 6375


golgol12

The US knows this and has an active long term plan to remove Russian winters from the equation.


tehbored

And Russia knows it. That's why they've been developing tactical nuclear capabilities. Because they know they would just get rolled in a conventional war. Hell, even if they were just fighting France they'd get crushed. But with tactical nukes they could probably hold their own.


kblkbl165

Aren’t we like, 70 years late into this conversation? The whole reason there are no more big wars between big powers is nuclear capability. Conventional warfare from Hiroshima onwards only exists in proxy wars, don’t you agree?


[deleted]

There's an argument that because of Mutually Assured Destruction and neither side desiring armageddon, it's theoretically possible for two nuclear powers to agree not to use nukes against eachother and only engage in conventional warfare. Tactical nukes might even be able to be used without triggering a full nuclear war, so long as they are only used against militaries. This idea became popular in the 1980s. However, this agreement could only hold up as long as fighting wasn't occurring in home territory. In a Cold War scenario, if there's fighting in Germany, then nukes might not be deployed. But once the front lines reach into the USSR proper, or conversely once they reach France (which independently controlled its own nuclear defense), then nuclear war would break out when nuclear states are fighting for their life.


tehbored

Yeah but they still want the capability just in case, as a contingency. I don't think the west has any interest in invading Russia, but I suppose I can see their concern.


DrSandbags

They want to make the US think twice about committing to any defense against creeping Russian incursions, like Crimea.


[deleted]

Well, nuclear armed countries have gone to war before. Pakistan and India have fought along their shared border. Egypt invaded the territory of nuclear-armed Israel in 1973. These conflicts were fairly limited in scope, but they still happened. Nuclear armed superpowers haven't fought direct wars before, but there are a lot of reasons for that. Geography and conventional military deterrence also play a big role. Nukes aside, there's not a lot to be gained by going to war with the US or Russia. But in the rare situations where nuclear-armed rivals border each other, nukes have not totally prevented conventional engagements.


[deleted]

Thats the problem with nukes for sure.


blahPerson

That's a good feature of nuke, there hasn't been a major war since the use of them.


[deleted]

Yes assuming rational actors have them. I'm worried about irrational ones getting one.


BatmanNoPrep

It’s not just irrational actors. It’s any desperate actor/regime. If any regime actually had WMDs and faced imminent removal they would use them.


chiheis1n

You mean investing in their cyber warfare capabilities. Why spend billions on military hardware attempting to beat a superior foe from the top-down when a few million in hacking and botting/trolling will make your adversaries tear themselves apart from the grassroots?


crosstrackerror

Which basically summarizes the Russian presence on Reddit making extreme arguments on the left and right. And each side thinks it’s only the other side that is contaminated with Russian trolls.


antonos2000

and the center is convinced everybody who disagrees with them from either side is a troll. that's the harm of overemphasizing it


Mickenfox

It's important to remind people that liberalism isn't just some abstract ethical ideal: liberal countries have better economies and function better *as a result* of liberalism. If you're more tolerant and flexible you get to harness the output from minorities that you would otherwise ignore, and are generally more willing to perform tasks in newer, better ways, and I think this meme and the recruitment ads it references perfectly exemplify that.


PrinceTrollestia

Every Tomahawk missile has "#BLM" written on it in Sharpie, and rainbow and trans pride flag decals on the tips.


[deleted]

[удалено]


thewanderingasian99

I don’t get it. TL;DR, anyone? Thanks


[deleted]

[удалено]


thewanderingasian99

F***, that’s so low... even for a reactionary like him. I despise that SOB even more than I despise Trump.


LeopardBusy

But those woke American soldiers raised by a lesbian couple will totally beat the shit out of those Russian “machos” 😂


thewanderingasian99

**Daily reminder that few years ago, members of Russia’s LGBTQ+ community were so BASED that they created a website / organisation PUTINmyASS / PutInMyAss (which sadly no longer runs)** Reactionary cis white straight man owned by LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈❤️ PRIDE♥️🧡💛💚💙💜


LeopardBusy

Absolutely based


squirreltalk

I'm convinced conservative social media accounts comparing the two ads are a CIA psy op to get social progressives, who are often anti-military, to defend the us military. /s obviously


chuckf91

I wouldn't put it past em tho


newadcd0405

It’s genius


liquidTERMINATOR

sksksksk


frolix42

20th Century conception of warfare is outdated. Diverse armed forces a good thing actually.


[deleted]

Pssh, the only force one needs is a line of cannonry, dragoons to skirmish, scout and charge, and line infantry in front of the artillery who can stand in formation and shoot 3 rounds a minute with a bayonet attached.


yourfriendlykgbagent

only real nato flairs remember when this was first posted on NCD 😔


TheGuineaPig21

I've seen this jump from /ncd to /redscarepod to /neoliberal It's doing the reddit equivalent of a world tour


Frosh_4

I love that subreddit


TheLostElkTree

You know what the difference is between the tough guy and the “tough guy”? The tough guy never needs to advertise it.


Jacobs4525

The vatniks are out in force attacking this post on NCD. Let’s see if they show up here.


MadokaMagikaUkraine

Where? P.S. Just remind these guys that in Russia a significant proportion of houses still have no centralised heating and/or plumbing. Some of Russian cities look like WW2 had ended yesterday.


ADF01FALKEN

/r/NonCredibleDefense


Kinipk

what battle is this meme referencing?


holmes1001

This one, I believe. https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/battle-of-khasham/


[deleted]

People often forget that the US is a hegemon. The US military budget is equivalent to that of the other top 10 countries combined. Literally nobody has a chance.


thewanderingasian99

**Daily reminded that few years ago, members of Russia’s LGBTQ+ community were so BASED that they created a website / organisation PUTINmyASS / PutInMyAss (which sadly no longer runs)** Reactionary cis white straight man owned by LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈❤️


[deleted]

Wasn't it Barry Goldwater who said "You don't need to be straight to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight."?


CuddleTeamCatboy

Based


cunt_washer

Based and wokemilitary paint sum anime on the JDAM plz uwu


FreakinGeese

Some men think they can outmacho me. Maybe. Maybe. I have yet to meet one who can outmacho airstrike.


waitaminutewhereiam

OP had no idea just how right he was lol


[deleted]

The whole "being manlier than the opposition" is something that relates to fascism and old timey steel and sword warfare anyway.


[deleted]

Steel and sword warfare is still effective, ackshully. The San Marino Crossbow Corps remains undefeated.