Jan Kerdijk

Uzbekistan revealed a new 8×8 APC named 'Arslon', representing the climax of the Central Asian nation's armored vehicle development. (A new variant of the 'Tarlon' was showcased as well, but this 4×4 AFV will be covered separately.) A thread: /1

@ADI_SA21 @utd4_l @DefenseNigeria Absolutely not x.com/i/status/20330…

@utd4_l @DefenseNigeria Fact

Egypt, Africa’s strongest military has a defense budget of $5.9 billion and boasts over 400 fighter aircraft, 300 helicopters, and are supported by 21 air bases. By comparison, Nigeria allocates slightly less, with a defense budget of $4.4 billion. Despite the comparable spending levels, Nigeria’s inventory of major capital assets is only a fraction of Egypt’s. Meanwhile, Algeria spends $25 billion on defense, maintaining its position as Africa’s largest military spender by a wide margin, followed by Morocco with a defense budget of $14 billion. The arms race between Algeria and Morocco has pushed both countries to the top of Africa’s defense spending rankings. Despite these massive budgets, their overall military capabilities still do not match those of Egypt. Sometimes, the numbers simply don’t seem to add up.

@utd4_l @DefenseNigeria This list is not exhaustive in any way. For example, Egypt is the world's largest operator of C-295 transport aircraft.

@utd4_l @DefenseNigeria No it's not. Since 2010, Egypt has acquired frigates and corvettes from France, Germany and Italy; LHDs from France; submarines from Germany; fighter jets from France and Russia; air defense systems from Germany and Russia; SPGs from South Korea and Attack Helicopters from Russia

@utd4_l @DefenseNigeria That's not true.

@DefenseNigeria That’s because almost all of Egypts military assets were gifted to them by the US

@SandyofCthulhu "Hell, even Vietnam(!) has said they'd let us use their naval bases in an anti-Chinese conflict" - when?

1) We have fought wars against Chinese equipment and it has NOT stood up. 2) if we haven't fought a peer, neither has China. In even longer. In fact the last "peer to peer" war either of us had was against each other, in Korea. 3) we have captured and examined Russian targeting, radar, and electronics from shot-down planes in Ukraine. China uses the same systems. So we know all about Chinese electronics. Thanks, Zelensky! 4) even if the Chinese are a peer-to-peer opponent quality wise, the US has 13,000 military aircraft. China has about 3500. We used to hear a LOT about how "quantity has a quality all its own" and how the Chinese vast numbers would overwhelm us. Well, in case of a confrontation in the recent future, we would be the "vast number" opponent. 5) we have indomitable allies we can rely on. Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, for example. Hell, even Vietnam(!) has said they'd let us use their naval bases in an anti-Chinese conflict. That's how hated China is.

@KesariDhwaj @AnchitGupta9 Which book?

The books tells the true story of why Marut could not meet is potential - Because Kurt Tank wasn't willing to change the design of the tail section and because of it, the reheat version of the engine which he had developed, could not meet its potential. As it is, Kurt Tank had already designed his fighter for the follow-up Argentine project which never happened. And when the IAF invited him to design a desi fighter, he gave Indians the same design. IA 43 Pulqui III became Marut!

I have been following the GTRE/ Kaveri Engine discussions intently. Before we go further, remember the Indian Air Force officer who started this journey: Air Vice Marshal Sailendra Nath Roy Chaudhury. Because he built the starting line. (1/25) #IAFHistory

@ms8955a @shellsandsteel Kazakhstan does not really have lots of stored T-72s, at least no T-72Bs.

@shellsandsteel Given the fact that Russia has publicly said they pan to fully re-equip their army with modern tanks and AFVs postwar, i still think it's not out of the question that they try and purchase back ones they sold abroad; Kazakhstan and belarus have lots of stored T-72s and BMP-2s

Over the past few months, Russia started modernizing T-72A tanks. It's planned to modernize hundreds of T-72As (plus BMPT production), while upgrades of T-72B fell to only a few dozen per year. There is a very big shortage of upgrade-worthy T-72Bs. #ukraine #russia #tanks

@Nihility95 @VLS_Appreciator Ah, thank you!

@hulldwnposition @VLS_Appreciator Patrouilleurs Hauturiers, the new class of OPV currently under construction.

I really don’t understand the Marine Nationale’s reasoning here, do they want to go for better ie Gowind (but with what budget) or cheaper ie PH instead ?

@realngudaz @narashin59 Spare parts supplied by Belarus?

@realngudaz @narashin59 Full localised production?

@shahpas Indeed. Yet Egyptian naval procurement appears to be especially dysfunctional, at least in the 2010s.

@hulldwnposition Egypt's procurement of the Mistral-class LHDs is one of many mysteries concerning Egyptian military procurement. The Egyptian Navy may as well have not existed during the de facto partial closure of the Bab al-Mandeb and, with it, the Suez Canal from late 2023 to ~mid 2025.

🇪🇬🇷🇺 The circulating image of a Russian shipborne Ka-52K attack helicopter with a Kh-35 subsonic anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) should serve as a reminder of how Russia was the original customer for the two French-built Mistral-class LHDs that were eventually sold to Egypt following the 2014 annexation of Crimea. That said, there are other examples of helicopter-launched "full-sized" ASCMs, such as these French-built AM39 Exocet, which employs a solid-propellant rocket motor, not an air-breathing turbojet engine. 1/

@shahpas Always wondered why Egypt did not order some Ka-52Ks - then again, Egypt's Mistrals have always been operated in a less than optimal manner.

Egypt ended up buying not only the two Mistral-class LHDs originally ordered by Russia, but also 46 Russian-built Ka-52 attack helicopters of the land-based variety—not the more specialized shipborne Ka-52K variant. These sometimes operate from Egypt's two Mistral-class LHDs.

@pegobry_en @gloefflmann Sure

@gloefflmann Non sequitur

Countries operating the Leclerc: France, UAE, Jordan. Numbers built: 860. Countries operating the Leopard 2: Germany, Canada, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Lithuania, Singapore, Indonesia, Chile. Numbers built: 3500+ 🤷‍♂️

@pokopokotyuu @stoa1984 Do you have some photos of that? Very interesting capability

@stoa1984 There are spare ESSM rounds on board the ship and a crane, so they are reloaded at sea.

The standard loadout for the 2 MK41 units is also telling: said to be only 16 ESSMs and 12 ASROCs (instead of 32 ESSM and 8 ASROCs), showing an emphasize on ASW operations and a high degree of confidence in fleet air defense.

@Hater_4k So 122, 130 and 152mm, makes sense.

@hulldwnposition D-30 , M-46 ,D-20

The SAA used to manufacture SRBMs, active protection systems, and 120 mm, 130 mm, and 155 mm artillery. Today, they’re proud of producing a rocket with a 6 km range.

@SigmaSigmaSing @hassanb76425082 @joeblillib4090 T-72Ms received TPD-K1 laser range finders. Poland did not produce T-72s with TPD-2-49 coincidental rangefinders. That being said, it's no T-72 Ural either but rather a T-72.

@hassanb76425082 @joeblillib4090 72ms also have the coincidental range finder. This is likely a polish one.

Iraqi Army T-72M in a dug in position just East of Basra during the later stages of the Iran-Iraq War.

@MrHighgrou79503 @UInconnu36821 @1995GreatBigSky Except it isn't.

@UInconnu36821 @1995GreatBigSky I mean it's a codename/designation dawg Just like M46, M47, M48 Patton

A French AMX-56 Leclerc MBT with UN painting and markings

@realngudaz I see. China does so too?