Assessment of Russian Strategic Aviation...

[MikeKozlowski]

...From the usually reliable AviVector and Evergreen Intel at TwiX:



Some thoughts:

- 12 Blackjacks is about the equivalent (give or take an airframe) a single B-52 or B-1 squadron. I'm guessing their readiness rate sucks; under 50% wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

- Mister Bear has 44, or about 3.5 squadrons available. Their readiness is likely better, but nothing to write home about.

- There doesn't seem to be any particular rhyme or reason to deployments right now; I'm guessing a lot of that has to do with the fallout from the drone attacks of a few weeks ago. But notice they appear to be concentrated at Ukrainka AB (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainka_(air_base) )....and here's Ukrainka:



You'll pardon me if I wouldn't be crazy about packing 60, 65% of my total strategic bomber force in one place. Of course, that's just me.

Mike

[warshipadmin]

Some of those seem to be near the coast. Container on a cargo ship with fold-back lid, some long range (300 km) drones, instant kharma. 300 km to Ukraina poses problems - you'd probably want to use wings, and liquid fuel, and they'd need to be autonomous not FPV. Truly Skynet.

[Nightwatch2]

The Russian armed forces are getting stretched a bit thin. That's a pretty thin Strategic Aviation.

Although I noticed they didn't include the Backfire fleet in their numbers. But we know those are getting a bit thin also.

The Grind (as described elsewhere) is grinding the Russians down to size as well as the Ukrainians.

[warshipadmin]

https://barnardmicrosystems.com/UAV/mil ... ing_2.html

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

Seems unlikely, but as if Rus deliberately want the aircraft to be seen, counted...

Of course, they could possibly be fake / dummies, like Patton's pre-Normandy 'Ghost Army'...

[M.Becker]

Don't they have a third strategy bomber?

[Nightwatch2]

Don't they have a third strategy bomber?

Backfire