Vantage Point North

  There are plenty of hot takes and rumors flying around about an impending Russian collapse or coup to oust Putin. Despite every imaginable indicator looking dire, Russia is never as weak as it looks, just ask the Wehrmacht veterans freezing their balls outside of Moscow in '41.  And it isn’t as powerful as the military manpower figures might suggest. So don’t be surprised if the old man in the bunker remains in power for the coming years. Assuming Ukraine doesn’t suddenly quit fighting (They won’t, just ask the Azov soldiers), there are three possible avenues for change for the Russian Federation. War ends with Putin in power. Palace coup by the oligarchs and top security officials. Popular uprising, with at least passive support from the army. Russia reaching a peace deal with Ukraine is unlikely, but if one is reached, the following return to non war economy and the mass release of contract soldiers from the army will cause unemployment to soar and the economic impacts of ...

The three major(ish) powers in the world are all looking to replace their assault rifles with a new system in a caliber between 6.2 and 6.8mm. Is this trend a logical development of the past century and a half of rifle development or is it an answer to a misunderstood problem? Peak WW1 Infantry rifle, the Mauser Gewehr 98:s, one with a trench kit consisting of an extended magazine and dust covers, The humble rifle has been the piece that holds terrain in war since it replaced the smoothbore musket sometime in the first half of the 1800’s. Two innovations, metallic self contained case and smokeless powder brought around the classic infantry rifles which fought the two world wars. The development up to this point was remarkably uniform across the militaries around the world and these rifles are the benchmark all following generations are compared to power wise. The initial power required from a military rifle were derived from two tasks. First was the ability to reliably stop a charging ...

 Azov Wallpaper 

As the war in Ukraine drags into its fifth year, one ugly truth stands out: Russia will not stop unless it is forced to stop.  Exercise Lively Sentry 25 that focuses on fighting the Russian army in a high intensity war (credit: FDF)  The Kremlin’s propaganda machine, from Pravda to milbloggers, continues to paint a picture of strength, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. Russia is bleeding resources, manpower, and legitimacy. Yet, despite this, Western voices still whisper about “peace deals” and “compromise.” That is not diplomacy; it is appeasement. Despite the Russian propaganda claiming otherwise, Ukrainian troops are still fighting hard in Pokrovsk. Russia is capable of expanding its armed forces despite the losses, but in the short term the quality of the troops is appalling. This is an advantage for the west, but it will turn into a liability if not capitalized quickly enough. Sanctions: From Symbolism to Systemic Pressure Sanctions do work, but only ...

China’s latest armored duo—the Type 100 Main Battle Tank and its support vehicle—are not just new machines. They’re a statement. A declaration that the PLA is ready to leapfrog into the realm of fourth-generation warfare, where sensors, drones, and data links matter more than raw armor thickness. Visual Identification: A Break from the Past Forget the familiar lines of the Type 99A or the boxy silhouette of the Type 96. The Type 100 MBT is a different beast: Unmanned turret with jagged, multi-faceted armor geometry. - Compact hull with a low profile and reduced weight (~40 t). - Remote Weapons Station perched atop the turret, often with a 12.7 mm HMG. - No visible reactive armor blocks—everything is integrated and digital. The support vehicle is equally distinct: - Smaller chassis with a 40 mm cannon. - Vertical launch cells (3×2) for missiles or loitering munitions. - A radar mast and drone bay—earning it the nickname “mini Aegis destroyer on land.” Capabilities: More Than Just Metal...

  The Russian army introduced a new self propelled artillery system to the Ukrainian battlefields.  Mystery SPG (Photo: mil.in.ua) Ukrainian journal Mil.in.ua speculates that it is based on the Uraltranshmash 2S43 Malva wheeled SPG, that is basically a rear mounted 152mm A64 gun from the MSTA-S out in the open. 2S43 Malva The new system has an independently rotating turret, but still an open turret. The layout is much closer to the Titan-Barrikady A-222 Bereg 130mm coastal artillery SPG, which has also seen combat in the Ukrainian southern front. A-222 Bereg isn’t a viable candidate for further production, as its non-standard caliber limits the available ammunition stocks and isn’t currently being produced in Russia. A-222 Bereg Russia is also suffering extremely hard attrition on all of its artillery systems, both from the Ukrainian counter battery fires and simply by barrels wearing out. There is a limited amount of machinery in Russia that is capable of producing a decent ...