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Why Is Russia Expanding Short-Range Air Defenses Around Moscow?
Southfront ^ | 1/24/2023 | Drago Bosnic

Posted on 01/24/2023 7:12:18 PM PST by Nextrush

While Moscow is protected by one of the world's best air defense networks capable of shooting down ICBM's incoming MIRV warheads, satellites and other space-based weapons, this doesn't make it immune to sabotage attacks invoving drones and drone swarms.

Air defense is one of the key modern military capabilities that provide adequate protection for ground units, helping them retain their combat capabilities. In recent decades, these systems have become increasingly networked and multilayered, giving the defenders a plethora of other options to shoot down hostile jets, missiles, drones etc. More recently modern militaries have started relying on swarms of well-coordinated drones designed to saturate an area and overwhelm existing air defenses. Only a handful of countries have developed and battle-tested systems against such new offensive weapons...

In recent days footage taken in Russia shows that short-range air defenses, particularly the now legendary "Pantsir" hybrid SAM-AAA (anti-aircraft artillery) system are being deployed to protect crucial areas in the capital city of Moscow. Dozens of sources published both video and photo evidence that a number of "Pantsir-S1" SAM-AAA systems have been placed on top of certain key buildings in Moscow, triggering speculation that Russia is expecting renewed attacks by the Kiev regime forces. It's quite possible that this also includes defending from long-range Soviet made drones such as the now infamous Tu-141 "Strizh" that flew nearly 600 km through NATO's air defenses in Romania, Hungary and Croatia in early March...

The 1970s-era jet-powered drone was also used during December attacks against Russian airbases housing strategic bombers/missle carriers. Initial reports suggested that the Kiev regime forces launched the Tu-141, but more recent findings indicate that this isn't necessarily true for all attacks deep within Russia, with some security experts warning about sabotage attacks (apparently, coordinated by the CIA), including with small drones operated...

(Excerpt) Read more at southfront.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: aaa; russia; scared; theusualdumbspects; ukraine; war
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1 posted on 01/24/2023 7:12:18 PM PST by Nextrush
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To: Nextrush

They may expect the proxy war to become a war?


2 posted on 01/24/2023 7:14:27 PM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: Nextrush

Because the NATO warmongers are escalating this very quickly to WWIII. Not protecting DC at all would provide the only benefit of the DC induced war.


3 posted on 01/24/2023 7:16:31 PM PST by hardspunned (Former DC GOP globalist stooge)
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To: Nextrush

Zelensky’s advisor just announced attacks on Moscow and a few other cities. From someone, not necessarily Ukraine.


4 posted on 01/24/2023 7:18:27 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: Nextrush

Duh.


5 posted on 01/24/2023 7:25:12 PM PST by Palio di Siena
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To: Nextrush

This SAM installation may be for internal security more than a defense against external attack. It’s not clear that this is necessarily because he’s more vulnerable than usual, in political terms. The issue is that with soldiers and military equipment moving around on a large scale, it’s easier to camouflage any incipient coup attempt.

In fact, that was how the October Revolution came about - not out of a formless desire for change, but actual soldiers who mutinied. Kamil Galeev alludes to the manner in which WWI-related troop movements in Russia’s then capital - St. Petersburg - provided cover for the troop mutiny that ended the rule of the Romanovs.


https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1572270599535214598.html
[In case of mobilisation, there will be:

1) tons of new, unmotivated recruits

2) aware they’ll be sent to Ukraine, where they likely die or get maimed

3) stuck in Moscow, in proximity to the seat of power

That’s revolutionary situation Image

That is btw exactly the scenario of 1917 revolution in Russia. In November 1916 Nicholas started suspecting his ministry for internal affairs Protopopov of disloyalty and started vetting other candidatures. He offered Protopopov’s position to Krzhyzhanovsky

Krzhyzhanovsky said yeah, I could be a minister, but I have a condition. There are 460 000 reserve troops quartered in the imperial capital of St Petersburg. These are mobilised peasants, very unmotivated. They know, they’ll soon be sent to the WWI trenches, where they die

I want you to:

1. Transfer some of them to the city police with an exemption from the military service

2. Relocate the rest the F*** OUTTA THE CAPITAL

That’s my condition if you want to see me as a minister. Nicholas ignored it. 3 months later the Russian empire fell

It were not the “workers” or “peasants” who did the February and then the October revolution. It were first and foremost the 460 000 conscripts of the St Petersburg garrison. Who were stuck in the capital cuz logistics and found themselves close to the seat of power. The end]


Leadership struggles are fairly common everywhere. It’s why in the UK, for instance, we have seen 3 Prime Ministers in the span of a year. In a dictatorship like Russia’s, however, leadership turnover occurs only when a challenger gets enough guns on his side. That’s what the SAM batteries are there for - to ensure an air force unit doesn’t successfuly assist in shortening Putin’s tenure, as it did Salvador Allende’s in Chile.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Chilean_coup_d‘%C3%A9tat#Military_action


https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1616133036097273858.html
[What you are seeing may have nothing to do directly with Ukraine and everything with Putin ‘coup proofing’ his regime.

Military Coup 101🧵

1/

https://twitter.com/WarInUkraineYet/status/1616103162041241600

The following data is from a couple of presenters from the US Naval War College who did a role playing military-political seminar of a North Korean invasion of ROK in an Early 1990’s Origins wargaming convention in Ft. Worth that I attended the out brief of.

2/

It surprised them in that it was the 1st time this scenario went nuclear.😱

In any case, most successful military coups to that date (Early 1990’s) started in the Air Force for military professionalism reasons.

Doing the logistics for maintaining flying aircraft generally...

3/

...left Air Force officers better able to plan & execute a coup.

And by logistics I mean Air Force officers are much more aware of the signals, both ground wire & radio, plus all the things required to not make smoking holes in the ground of their expensive jets.

4/

Army units in the capitol can look good in parades, be deeply penetrated with informers & completely incompetent in everything other than pointing artillery & tanks at a large fixed target.

Light infantry type regime security forces watch those Capitol based army units & can

5/

...arrest both senior officer coup plotters and their families.

It’s also why you often see Army headquarters in Capitol’s in bunkers, while Air Forces have big above ground high rises as their HQ.

It is the big fixed target Capitol based Army units with heavy weapons can

6/

...engage inside visual range with little training.

Funny that.

Anyway, the Naval War College guys briefed how authoritarian/totalitarian regimes dealt with this Air Force Coup problem, using Saddam Hussein’s regime as an example.

7/

It boils down to the best squadrons of air superiority fighters being based in the capitol, with zero air to ground capability.

The pilots of said planes being chosen for loyalty and their families treated to the best air force quarters available...

...guarded by regime

8/

... security forces.

The Air Force ground attack squadrons were kept in the rural areas supporting Army/regime security forces against rebels far away from the capitol.

This model usually, but doesn’t always, work at preventing military coups.

9/

The failed coup attempt against Turkish strongman Erdogan is an example of this.

According to the Naval War College briefers, this is the reason authoritarian/totalitarian regimes always go all in for militarily competent surface to air missile forces.

The SAM boffins

10/

...simply are not equipped to do a coup, but are really good at stopping one by an Air Force.

Plus, you can put some of those regime security force light infantry inside the ground control cabins to make sure missiles are fired.

11/

So when I see pictures like the one below. 👇

I don’t think of the threat of Ukraine’s DIY strike drones.

I think of that 1990’s Origins briefing. IMO, what you seeing here is visual evidence that Putin is afraid of a Military Coup.

12/12 End.]


6 posted on 01/24/2023 7:30:59 PM PST by Zhang Fei (My dad had a Delta 88. That was a car. It was like driving your living room)
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To: MarMema

“”Zelensky’s advisor just announced attacks on Moscow and a few other cities. From someone, not necessarily Ukraine.””

What is his name, what did he say?


7 posted on 01/24/2023 7:34:04 PM PST by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: Nextrush

Just read that the new AbramsX tank has a Cummins diesel in it.

So they will send the older Abrams over which have the turbine in it, which is a gas hog and requires a hell of a lot of work to keep it going.


8 posted on 01/24/2023 7:35:51 PM PST by crz
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To: Zhang Fei

“”This SAM installation may be for internal security more than a defense against external attack. It’s not clear that this is necessarily because he’s more vulnerable than usual, in political terms. The issue is that with soldiers and military equipment moving around on a large scale, it’s easier to camouflage any incipient coup attempt.””

I have also put that as a real possibility.


9 posted on 01/24/2023 7:36:46 PM PST by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: hardspunned; All

Nato has not attacked or invaded Russia. Right ?

However! Russia has indeed invaded Ukraine with co-beligerent Belarus, Islamic Chechnya, Islamic IRAN and the whole CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) that is Russias NATO equivalence.

So.. WHO are the “warmongers” you said?
I hope you meant that the “warmonger” word applies foremost to the attacker and invader rather than the defender... right ?


10 posted on 01/24/2023 7:39:30 PM PST by USA-FRANCE
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To: Nextrush
Rust-Red-Square
11 posted on 01/24/2023 7:39:43 PM PST by AlaskaErik (There are three kinds of rats: Rats, Damned Rats, and DemocRats.)
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To: crz

IIRC the Abrams is not particularly difficult to maintain, as tanks go.

Apparently Soviet-design tanks are worse, in re maintenance overhead and availability. Stuff breaks more often.

Worse, probably, are weight problems, bridging in general, and recovery vehicles and etc. A batch of tanks will have to include a proportional allocation of bridgelayers and recovery vehicles and maintenance/support equipment.


12 posted on 01/24/2023 7:50:31 PM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: Nextrush

Because they (the Russians) think that NATO is going to try to sneak some drones or missiles or something into Moscow airspace.

Having the missile defenses activated makes any of that stuff more difficult.


13 posted on 01/24/2023 7:58:16 PM PST by glorgau
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To: ansel12

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mykhailo_Podolyak

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/russia-prepares-for-attack-on-moscow/ar-AA16AIBc


14 posted on 01/24/2023 8:12:55 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: MarMema

“Zelensky’s advisor just announced attacks on Moscow and a few other cities. From someone, not necessarily Ukraine.”

I was looking for that announcement.


15 posted on 01/24/2023 8:27:33 PM PST by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: ansel12

Oh. Didn’t our very own state media announce it?

Imagine that.


16 posted on 01/24/2023 8:35:50 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: ansel12

Telegram has it now.

https://t.me/azmilitary11/34774


17 posted on 01/24/2023 8:42:06 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: MarMema

Telegram doesn’t work for me.


18 posted on 01/24/2023 8:43:57 PM PST by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: Nextrush

“Russia is a dwarf, I will bring her to her knees.” Charles XII, 18th century.
Sweden lost its status as a great power forever.

“I will conquer backward Russia.” Frederick the Great, mid-18th century.
In 1759 the Russian army entered Berlin.

Russia is a colossus with feet of clay. Napoleon, 19th century.
In 1814 the Russian army took Paris.

“I will conquer the USSR by the end of the year.” Hitler, 20th century.
In 1945, he committed suicide when the Soviet army entered Berlin.

“First of all, it is absolutely necessary to defeat Russia in Ukraine ... This is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Europe,” Liz Truss, British Prime Minister.
Dismissed after 45 days.

“We want to see Russia weakened to such an extent that she cannot do such things as she did...”.
US Secretary of Defense James Austin.

We will wait...


19 posted on 01/24/2023 8:50:21 PM PST by MarMema (Biden = Americans Last)
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To: MarMema

“The German Army in fighting Russia is like an elephant attacking a host of ants. The elephant will kill thousands, perhaps even millions, of ants, but in the end their numbers will overcome him, and he will be eaten to the bone.”

-Colonel Bernd von Kleist


20 posted on 01/24/2023 8:54:48 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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