[smachiz]

I mean... assuming the Russians have anything that works is probably not a great assumption based on their performance in Ukraine.

But I think they provide overlapping, but different, roles. But missiles and torpedoes is why aircraft carriers travel in carrier groups that have defensive capabilities against torpedoes and missiles.

[mcast]

It wouldn’t make much sense for Russia to show their cards and use modern war tech on Ukraine, a country with a (relatively) primitive military. They’re barely even using fighter jets.

[smachiz]

If you think their strategy is to lull someone else into attacking them, I guess?

Occam’s razor is more likely - the west vastly overestimated their capability practically the entirety of the Cold War, and you’re doing it again now.

[RobertMiller]

> They’re barely even using fighter jets.

Maybe because they've barely been training those pilots and know the planes would likely be lost if used above Ukraine? Pilots in the Russian Air Force have supposedly been averaging less than 100 flight hours a year, which is next to nothing.

[justsomehnguy]

With all their operations in (and supporting) Syria I would doubt the number. It is not the amount of USAF pilots, but should be more than that.

[RobertMiller]

That number supposedly comes from official Russian sources. I say supposedly because I don't understand Russian and have to trust western sources about this, but these numbers have been widely disseminated for years and seem to be broadly treated as credible.

[greedo]

They are using modern tech, and it's getting wiped out. Their tanks are modern, their artillery is modern, their fighters are modern. And they're all getting wiped out.

Tanks being used by Russia in Ukraine:

T-72A T-72B3 OBR.2016 T-80BV T-80U T-80BVM T-90A

IFVs:

BMP2 BMP3 BMD4M

SAMs:

Tor Buk Pantsir

Fighters and Helos:

SU-25 SU-30/35 Su-34

Mi-24/35 KA-52 Mi-28

None of this is "monkey model" stuff like the the USSR sent to client states. These are all top of the line. Same with the artillery and missiles used. All the best the Russians have in any decent numbers.

[water8]

Except for the fact that they are

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/us/r...

[chrisco255]

Yes, Russia has the largest nuclear stockpile in the world, they absolutely work and it's unwise to base your opinions on their nuclear and tactical capabilities based on their slow advance into Ukraine.

The Poseidon is a 100 megaton nuclear torpedo.

It doesn't need to get anywhere near a carrier group to knock out the entire group. It is twice as powerful as the largest nuke ever detonated (at 57megatons) and a Russian sub can carry four of these torpedoes:

“All buildings in the village of Severny (both wooden and brick), located 55 km (34 mi) from ground zero within the Sukhoy Nos test range, were destroyed. In districts hundreds of kilometers from ground zero wooden houses were destroyed, stone ones lost their roofs, windows, doors, and radio communications were interrupted for almost one hour. One participant in the test saw a bright flash through dark goggles and felt the effects of a thermal pulse even at a distance of 270 kilometres (170 mi). The heat from the explosion could have caused third degree burns 100 km (62 mi) away from ground zero. A shock wave was observed in the air at Dikson settlement 700 km (430 mi) away; windowpanes were partially broken to distances of 900 kilometres (560 mi)."

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

[rootusrootus]

> Russia has the largest nuclear stockpile in the world

Not by much, not per capita (of the obvious target), and both sides are treaty-limited to the same number of 'ready' weapons.

> Poseidon is a 100 megaton nuclear torpedo

You're getting your information from Russian propaganda sources. Credible estimates put it at more like perhaps 2MT.

[VyperCard]

If it exists. If it works. If if it

[astrange]

Only one of them needs to work to be good enough.