New Russian Tactics in Combined-Arms Warfare
In Russia, the ‘Uralvagonzavod‘ armored production facility― is the largest in the world. This Russian factory produces more armored vehicles than all other tank factories combined. It is currently running around the clock and is producing over 900 armored vehicles a year. Additionally, Uralvagonzavod produces (approximately) 35–40 T-90s a month. And as we know, the T-90s are one of the most advanced armored platforms in the world.
Moreover, Uralvagonzavod repairs damaged vehicles. In fact, many battle-damaged tanks are re-shipped by rail, refitted, and then returned to service. If the tank damage is too extensive or the models are too old they’re sent back to the foundry for their steel. It is the same grade of steel from the same dropped forgings that came from the same factory.
Uralvagonzavod is running at wartime production.
In contrast, the Lima army tank plant in Ohio is falling flat. And not because of the workers. Lima is where the M1 Abrams is produced with pride. But, they are only manufacturing just two Abrams tanks a month. We need to keep in mind, these tanks are manufactured nowhere else in the world. Not only is the plant not operating at wartime production. There are no plans for the Lima plant to operate on a war footing.
Adding to the NATO abandonment that is simply based on a lack of men and materials. American conscription has no possibility of becoming reality. And there are no plans for scales of production that can even come close to competing with Russian factories.
(In other words, the NATO alliance is technically defeated and meaningless)
New Russian Tactics in Combined-Arms Warfare
In 2023, the new Russian combined arms tactics have made NATO airpower almost close to ineffective. In many ways, the new Russian tactics have reverted the battlefield back to the level of 1914 and have simultaneously combined some of the deadliest multilayered air defenses in the history of warfare.
At the start of the Russian SMO, the area of land between Kharkiv and Kherson constituted both the Northern and Sothern flanks that divided the Russian Army and the Ukrainian Army.
In the west, the Russians opened a corridor to feed NATO men and material into the line of contact between the flanks. For the last 12 months, this tactic of attrition has been highly effective.
Now the Russians are moving on to a new phase in the conflict. A phase of methodical movement to keep the SMO below the nuclear threshold.
Methodical movement, gives time for NATO to absorb the defeat.
To meet this end In Ukraine, the Russian Army is moving (slowly) methodically under an umbrella of SAM coverage. They move with their armor, artillery, and multi-layered air defenses simultaneously.
As the Russians advance along their line of axis, they use advanced artillery systems like thermobaric rockets and close air support. As they move, the Russian aircraft only operate within their arc of air defenses. They use their artillery systems to flatten the opposing forces as they move.
Strategically and generally speaking, Russia also moves under an umbrella of hydrogen-tipped weapons coverage. Whereas, in a tactical sense, the Russian formations advance under an impenetrable umbrella of SAM coverage as they move. As a consequence, the Russian army can have a high attrition rate and at the same time win the war.
We can never forget, ICBM coverage ensures that Russian manufacturing is completely secure.
And in many ways, the American nuclear deterrent has been made almost completely ineffective in Europe. When Russia is finished with the SMO on the Caspian steppe. The only thing Russia needs to do is bring a force of 800,000 infantry, 6000 tanks, and 10,000 artillery systems up to the Polish frontier and the EU will immediately turn to Russia for new security guarantees.
And this will be the (official) end of NATO.
In reality, NATO has collapsed, and western journalists are just pretending that the alliance exists.
To prevent the Western nightmare that is unfolding now: In the early 1980s, NATO had a permanent Garrison of (approximately) 250,000 troops in Europe and could immediately reinforce with 300,000 more from the United States to pre-emplaced positions in Germany. As of now, NATO would be lucky if it could scrape together two Armored Divisions.
This is an in-the-mirror moment for the United States. And it’s important, to be honest with what we see.
―Chris