Come Back Alive CF Grenade launcher Infantry armament Ukraine Volunteers
The Come Back Alive Foundation has delivered the first 35 special sights for American Mk 19 grenade launchers to the Ukrainian military.
The Foundation’s Press Service announced this on Tuesday, October 31, on its social media pages.
The transfer took place within the framework of the project called “Prytsilno” (Aimed).
Specifically, the air assault and separate mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received the sights for Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers, which allow firing from a closed position.
The total cost of the transferred sights is over UAH 3 million.
The Come Back Alive Foundation noted that this summer, the Foundation, together with Ukrainer, raised UAH 13 million as part of the “Prytsilno” (Aimed) project to supply almost 150 Ukrainian units with American-made Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers.
“We decided to launch the initiative since the standard sights of the grenade launchers that the Ukrainian army receives as part of the assistance from Western partners do not allow firing from closed positions – only direct fire. This significantly reduces the Mk 19 potential on the battlefield,” the Foundation pointed out.
To implement this project, the Come Back Alive Foundation instructor department designed this sight based on the principle of an artillery sight, which “demonstrated excellent results during the tests.”
It is emphasized that this sight should help the crews hit the target without additional shooting and fire from safer, closed firing positions.
In addition to the grenade launchers donated by the United States, the new sights can also be mounted on Ukrainian 40-mm UAG-40 automatic grenade launchers. Come Back Alive Foundation plans to purchase a hundred of them within the Eye for an Eye 2 project.
Shooting from closed positions
“Shooting from closed positions” is a term that refers to firing on a hinged trajectory at a target that is not in the line of sight.
This method of firing in the current combat environment involves the active use of unmanned aerial vehicles in coordination with the crew to constantly adjust fire on the target.
The Israeli Defense Forces used the Arrow missile defense system for the first time since the beginning of the war.
The press service of the Israeli Air Force reported on this on its social media pages.
It is reported that the Arrow system intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired from the Red Sea.
The Air Force’s systems tracked the missile’s flight path and intercepted it at “the most appropriate operational time and place.”
In addition, fighter jets were deployed to the same area to intercept the detected enemy targets.
All threats were intercepted outside of Israel, and no intrusions into Israeli airspace were detected.
Arrow
Arrow or Hetz is a family of missiles designed to intercept ballistic targets. It is jointly developed by the Israeli and US industries.
The Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing are developing and modernizing the family of missiles.
The system consists of Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 hypersonic anti-ballistic missiles, Elta EL/M-2080 Green Pine, and Golden Citron early warning radars.
The Arrow is a very expensive “treat” for both the United States and Israel. After the start of development, the forecast for total development and production costs was approximately $1.6 billion.
The price of one Arrow missile was estimated at $3 million. According to available information, between 1989 and 2007, about $2.4 billion was invested in the Arrow program, 50-80 percent of which was funded by the United States.
It is also reported that Israel contributes approximately $65 million to the program annually.
The system made its first interception on March 17, 2017, when it intercepted a S-200 missile.
Militarnyi recently reported that Israel Aerospace Industries will help Germany integrate the Arrоw 3 missile defense system for use in Europe’s unified air defense system.
Occupants elimination Russian Armed Forces Ukraine War with Russia
The Russian battalion from Chuvashia was defeated by a Ukrainian missile strike.
Butusov Plus reported on this with reference to local media.
On October 29, while preparing for redeployment, a convoy of vehicles of the 1st Battalion of the 1251st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces came under a missile attack from the Ukrainian HIMARS system.
The invader unit, which was manned by residents of Chuvashia, lost about 120 people killed and wounded. Ten vehicles from the convoy completely burned down.
The footage published by the local Telegram channel “Serditaya Chuvashia” captured the affected convoy of equipment immediately after the strike, as well as what remained of it after the fire subsided.
In particular, the video captured burned KAMAZ trucks and UAZ vehicles.
Local media also clarified that as a result of the strike, the “Atal” ethnic battalion was almost completely destroyed.
The media also discovered footage published last year of mobilized residents of Chuvashia being sent to Ukraine as part of the Russian Armed Forces.
Earlier this month, the Ukrainian military killed the operators of Russian ZALA 421-16E2 drones in the south in a similar fashion.
After locating the Russian military, Ukrainian servicemen of the Special Operations Forces unit adjusted the fire of the HIMARS system.
Defense industry of Ukraine UAV Ukraine War with Russia
Ukrainian strike drone manufacturers are supplying between 12 and 15 thousand FPV drones to the Defense Forces each month.
The head of “Eskadron” FPV drone production shared this in an interview with BusinessCensor.
“Eskadron” launched the production of drones in August 2022 with a batch of 20 drones. And in a year, in August 2023, the company reached the pace of 2,743 drones monthly. According to the plans, in December, their monthly amount will be increased to 4,000 units.
However, “Eskadron” holds only a part of the market. According to rough estimates, between 12 and 15 thousand FPV drones per month are transferred to the Defense Forces. And in the next quarter, their number could reach 30 thousand per month.
Speaking about the cost of drones, the manufacturer notes that it depends on the model and ranges between UAH 12 and 27 thousand.
Drone production
“Eskadron” started producing drones from scratch in 2022, but the company is not a large one. To scale up production, in addition to assembling drones from foreign components, they also order ready-made ones from China.
“We buy some of the semi-assembled drones in China. We install our own firmware and detonation initiation systems on ready-made drones. If there are vulnerable elements, we replace them. This allows us to diversify supplies and, basically, reduce assembly time,” the developer shared.
According to them, modified Chinese drones could be better than self-assembled Ukrainian ones. This is due to the availability of professional engineers, expensive soldering stations, technology, and experience at Chinese enterprises.
The scale of production of prefabricated and ready-made Chinese drones varies and depends on the uninterrupted supply of components. The ratio ranges from 50/50 to 70/30.
Development of drones
Most drones supplied to the military are simple and relatively cheap models. The most expensive drones, which cost $715 and can fly over 20 kilometers, go to the best operator units that are able to realize their potential.
“We started flying limited drones – with 2306 motors and a 7-inch frame. A huge result for us was when they first hit a tank at a distance of six kilometers. This happened during the liberation of Kherson. Now, six kilometers will not surprise anyone. No one flies so close, and all good targets are 15-20 kilometers away. We are now stepping towards more expensive drones,” says the interviewee.
Drones are constantly being modified with consideration of the changes on the battlefield. With the beginning of the offensive in the south, the Ukrainian military faced obstacles that forced changes in drones.
“We were flying calmly, playing with protocols and algorithms for keeping the drones on track, and then our counteroffensive began. The enemy deployed ‘swifts’, jammers, and so on. In some areas, we were losing 10 out of 10 drones. We switched to new frequencies and overcame the problem.
Then there was their counteroffensive on Avdiyivka, tanks with stationary jammers, and the fall of drones again, so we need to come up with something, and quickly,” says the company’s CEO.
He noted that to bypass enemy electronic countermeasures, Ukrainian manufacturers use various radio frequencies. One of the manufacturers generally developed its own radio communication system.
In the future, it is expected that the next generations of strike drones will be able to carry a more powerful warhead for a much longer distance. “Eskadron” is already developing one of these:
“Big, powerful, with a reserve. It carries 1.5 kg for a distance of up to 30 km or 4 kg for 12 km one way. These are the parameters of our most expensive drone for UAH 27 thousand. We already call it “Mammoth” among ourselves. It will become the drone of the future if we get clear government funding. We are currently working on the technical specifications, and we have already conducted combat tests.”
The company’s CEO hopes that next year, the Ministry of Defense will select top-10 manufacturers of FPV drones and will start contracting large batches of drones. This will increase production capacity and efficiency.
Russian Verba man-portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) MANPADS are using electronics parts of Swiss origin.
Militarnyi reports on this with reference to anonymous specialists of the Defense Forces.
A power converter produced by the Swiss company Traco Power was discovered in the optical three-band homing head of the 9M336 missile.
The Russians claim that the head is protected from existing and future laser jamming devices.
Judging by the markings, the missile’s elements have different manufacture dates: the boards were manufactured in 2014, and the missile itself was manufactured in 2020.
It is also peculiar that the missile uses a 1976 solid fuel motor, which was removed from the old Igla MANPADS.
At the same time, the Russians claim that the 9M336 is equipped with a new engine that can hit targets at an altitude of no more than 4.4 kilometers and at a range of about 6 kilometers.
Spent fuel, which has a high level of explosiveness and shielding, is used as an additional destructive element.
The Verba MANPADS is a fairly “fresh” weapon that the Russian military adopted in 2014.
The MANPADS includes an automated control system that uses the 1L122 radar to automatically locate and identify targets.
The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system can determine the flight parameters and distribute the detected targets among the anti-aircraft gunners based on their location.
Aviation Czech Republic Europe Fighter jet Training World
One of the two certified training centers for F-35 fighter aircraft pilots in Europe will be established in the Czech Republic.
The Czech publication e15 reported on this.
This became possible after the Czech Republic decided to purchase 24 such fighters for its Air Force.
The agreements with the Americans provide for industrial cooperation with Czech companies.
As part of the cooperation, the Czech state-owned company LOM Praha and its subsidiary VR Group are finalizing an agreement with the US corporation Lockheed Martin.
The agreement includes the transfer of technologies and methods of pilot training, including the supply of F-35 simulators. This will allow the Czech company to train not only dozens of Czech Air Force pilots but also hundreds of pilots from other European countries.
Thus, training pilots can generate significant financial revenue for LOM.
The agreement between LOM and Lockheed is expected to be signed early next year. Details and the final value of the contract are currently being finalized. The development of cooperation is the result of a framework memorandum signed by both sides during NATO Days in September this year.
The agreement between LOM and Lockheed is expected to be signed early next year. Details and the final value of the contract are currently being finalized. The development of cooperation is the result of a framework memorandum signed by both sides during NATO Days in September this year.
The Czech side is also already holding unofficial preliminary talks with European F-35 users about training their pilots in the future.
The training of Czech pilots on the F-35A will take place in three stages. Basic training will be held in the Czech Republic on an L-39NG jet trainer. After that, the Czech pilots will travel to the United States, where they will train on F-35A fighter jets. If the Czech Ministry of Defense agrees, the final third phase of training will be conducted at an air base in the Czech city of Čáslav.
LOM and VR Group are two of eleven Czech companies that will participate in industrial cooperation with Lockheed Martin. Another company expected to sign a contract by the end of the year is PBS Velka Bites.
The industrial cooperation is part of the Czech Republic’s $6.47 billion program to purchase 24 F-35As, create the appropriate infrastructure, and order aviation weapons and logistics.
Air Defense Crimea Occupants elimination Russia Ukraine War with Russia
Elements of the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system were hit in the area of the village of Molochne, located on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea.
It is reported by the Russian independent media ASTRA, citing its own sources.
It is reported that the attack took place on October 30 at about 6 a.m. As a result of the attack, elements of the system were damaged and a diesel generator was destroyed.
Previously, there were no victims among the crew of the system. A type of weapon that destroyed the Russian S-300 was not reported; it could be Storm Shadow (SCALP) missiles or drones.
Judging by satellite images, the shooting date of which is not indicated, the position of the S-300 SAM is indeed located near the village.
In addition, according to NASA fire monitoring satellites’ data, on October 30, there was a fire on the territory of military unit No. 60135, the cause of which is unknown.
Military unit No. 60135 is a 475th Separate Electronic Warfare Center of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, located in the area of Sevastopol.
Recall that on October 30, the Russians stated there was a night missile attack on an anti-aircraft missile regiment in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Russian sources said that as a result of the strike, 17 Russian servicemen were wounded and five vehicles damaged, one of which is not recoverable.
It is noted that the missile strike was launched at about 3 a.m. near the village of Olenivka in the occupied Crimea.
In August, Militarnyi reported about the destruction of a Russian S-400 Triumph SAM near the same village. In total, at that time, two 5P85SM2-01 self-propelled launchers were destroyed.
The Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine specified that as a result of the explosion, the installations, anti-aircraft missiles and personnel were completely destroyed.
POW Russian Volunteer Corps Ukraine Volunteers War in Donbas War with Russia
The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), fighting for Ukraine, joined assaults on Russian positions in the Avdiivka direction.
They said that their soldiers stormed enemy fortifications in the area of Avdiivka Coke Plant
It is noted that the assault platoon captured one Russian.
“The first assault platoon of the RVC captured a serviceman of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation,” the RVC said.
Previously, this unit was mainly engaged in sabotage missions to the border regions of Russia.
In the last month, the Russian Volunteer Corps began to expand rapidly due to volunteers from Russia.
The formation was also allowed to recruit former fighters from Wagner PMC and Storm-Z.
Avdiivka direction
Currently, Avdiivka is preparing for the third wave of assaults by Russian troops; the city is undergoing 40-50 massive shellings every day.
Recently, a spokesman for the joint press center of the Tauride Defense Forces, Oleksandr Shtupun, said that the Russian Federation is trying to pull up reserves for the Avdiivka direction – now there are up to 40 thousand Russian military personnel in this direction.
Last week, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, during a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, reported the situation on the battlefield, in particular, that the “enemy losses in the Avdiivka area as of this moment [reached] about four thousand soldiers.”
On October 28, British military intelligence said that Russia, during the offensive on Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, suffered almost the highest losses in 2023.
Russian troops intensified near Avdiivka on October 10. The positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the city were attacked by a large number of tanks and other armored vehicles with the support of aviation and artillery.
Armored vehicles Kherson Region MLRS Occupants elimination T-72 Ukraine War with Russia
Ukrainian drones and artillery struck Russian armored vehicles and logistics support vehicles on the left bank of the Kherson region.
Militarnyi reported about this.
Over the past week, the Ukrainian military has inflicted significant losses on the invaders on the left bank of the occupied Kherson region, conducting constant strikes with drones and artillery.
The main targets for the attacks were fortified positions with infantry, heavy equipment, ammunition depots, and trucks that provided ammunition, food, and manpower.
On October 25, a unit of Griffon UAV operators from the 501st Naval Infantry Battalion burned down an enemy dugout with infantry located to the west of Pidstepne village. On October 26, the same unit hit a group of Russian infantry in the village of Pishchanivka.
At the same time, on October 23, a company tactical group of UAV operators called Birds of Magyar used FPV drones to strike at the invaders’ vehicles and infantry in the area of Korsunka and Kozachy Lageri.
On October 25, the group destroyed two Russian T-90M and T-72B3 tanks in the area of Krynky settlement.
Soldiers of the 11th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine hit a Russian BREM-1 with a drone to the southwest of Poima village. Later, on October 30, the same unit hit a BM-21 Grad.
In general, in addition to the above-mentioned episodes, other successful strikes by Ukrainian drones and artillery on Russian targets were recorded. In particular, an ammunition depot near the village of Krynky was destroyed.
The strikes are being carried out from the right bank of the Dnipro River to a depth of up to 15 kilometers and appear to be aimed at driving the enemy out of the coast. The main areas of attack are concentrated in the area between Kozachy Lageri, Krynky and Korsunka.
The invaders report that the Ukrainian troops are using remote mining equipment in the area of Krynky. At the same time, Russian sappers have no capability to clear them because of the constant attacks by drones and artillery.
The Russian military has repeatedly reported on the active work of Ukrainian artillery units focused on knocking out enemy artillery and air defense systems.
Air Force of Ukraine Aviation Fighter jet Training USA World
The Pentagon says it will take 5–9 months for Ukrainian pilots to complete F-16 training in Arizona.
This, according to the Voice of America journalist Ostap Yarysh, was announced by the Pentagon press secretary.
The completion of the exercises will depend on the individual skills of each pilot.
Recently, the United States began training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 flights. Training began at the Arizona Air National Guard`s 162nd Wing.
Meanwhile, the F-16 aircraft, with which the Netherlands promised to strengthen Ukrainian air defense, would arrive at the training center in Romania in two weeks.
At the October Ramstein meeting, U.S. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin announced the creation of several “coalitions of capabilities” for Kyiv, including the preparation of the Ukrainian Air Force, which will be headed by the United States, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, 150 F-16 aircraft would be enough to effectively protect the country’s airspace.
“One and a half hundred is the number that would allow us to protect our country, its airspace. This is in the future, when we replace the entire fleet of Soviet obsolete (and morally and physically) equipment with F16, perhaps another type of aircraft, for example, the Gripen,” said Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is known that Denmark plans to transfer the first F-16 fighters from its own Air Force to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2024.
To do this, Ukraine must also be able to both hold fighter jets and protect them from Russian attacks.
In its turn, the Belgian Minister of Defense announced the sending of Belgian F-16 fighters to Ukraine in 2025.
In August, the Netherlands and Romania signed a letter of intent with Lockheed Martin to provide F-16 training and maintenance at the Romanian training center.
