Based on an analysis of satellite images of storage bases and repair plants, the researchers concluded that the rate of Russian tank restoration has dropped by 3.5-4 times compared to […]
According to the researchers, even though there are still about 4,700 tanks in storage, most of them will be difficult to restore due to their poor technical condition.
This is Russia though - “poor technical condition” is “ready for service.”
Nah. In those photos, where there’s one or two tanks left but all the others have gone… those are immovable tanks. Couldn’t even get them to the service bay. Why else would that one tank have been left behind?
Covert Cobal has been classifying in mainly 4 categories. Abysmal is the lowest one, and are often missing such minor accessories as the turet, tracks, engines, and wheels. Not to mention having sat outdoors for upwards of 50 years. Those conditions are mostly what they’re down to. It might allow for slightly higher throughout on production to start on these rusted husks rather than from raw steel, but it’d definitely be harder and more expensive to make these usable than to build a new tank from scratch.
Devils advocate, but given the way they’ve been building metal sheds around the prior tanks and almost completely negating the main gun, a missing turret might just be a weatherproofing issue for the Orks Russians.
It’s not like a main gun helps you survive a mobility kill from the umpteenth TM-62 in the dirt that got replanted after the last assault failed.
This is essentially where they are, improvised vehicles. They don’t have the right vehicles for the job anymore, or at least not enough of them. So other vehicles are being improvised to kinda fit the desired role. There will not be a single event where you can say they are out of X vehicle class now. But what they have will be increasingly shit.
That is not really out of line with the title, especially if you line it up with the rest of the article. 1200 tanks that need major repairs does not mean a potential 1200 combat-ready vehicles. It means that you can, if you are really good, salvage 60% of that by cannibalizing the rest.
They drew down 350 tanks last year. Oryx confirmed 3800+ tank losses over the past 3 years, Ukraine claims 10000+. This means that they have enough tanks to last them another 6-8 months if we’re being incredibly generous, if they could do 2 years of work in an instant. This is practically an empty stock.
And that doesn’t count that these are the last vehicles for a reason. They are not 1200 T-72s that can be restored to full working order, it’s mostly going to be very badly damaged and worn T-55s or even T-34s, compared to which an RPG-7 is space-age technology.
I don’t think “depleted stocks” is good way for saying there are tanks available but not usable but I also don’t know what a better wording would be so maybe it’s accurate. Thanks for elaborating regardless.
I guess the point is that big government systems, be they healthcare or military stockpiles don’t really ever dramatically reach zero. It’s always a slow rot until they are incapable of serving their purpose.
The article makes the point that the Russian military stockpiles are past that point and according to what they say they seem to be.
This is Russia though - “poor technical condition” is “ready for service.”
Nah. In those photos, where there’s one or two tanks left but all the others have gone… those are immovable tanks. Couldn’t even get them to the service bay. Why else would that one tank have been left behind?
Covert Cobal has been classifying in mainly 4 categories. Abysmal is the lowest one, and are often missing such minor accessories as the turet, tracks, engines, and wheels. Not to mention having sat outdoors for upwards of 50 years. Those conditions are mostly what they’re down to. It might allow for slightly higher throughout on production to start on these rusted husks rather than from raw steel, but it’d definitely be harder and more expensive to make these usable than to build a new tank from scratch.
https://youtube.com/@covertcabal
deleted by creator
Devils advocate, but given the way they’ve been building metal sheds around the prior tanks and almost completely negating the main gun, a missing turret might just be a weatherproofing issue for the
OrksRussians.It’s not like a main gun helps you survive a mobility kill from the umpteenth TM-62 in the dirt that got replanted after the last assault failed.
This is essentially where they are, improvised vehicles. They don’t have the right vehicles for the job anymore, or at least not enough of them. So other vehicles are being improvised to kinda fit the desired role. There will not be a single event where you can say they are out of X vehicle class now. But what they have will be increasingly shit.
It’s not better on the Ukrainian side though.
Even without assuming they’ll use low quality examples, the article also says
It sure sounds like the title is BS.
That is not really out of line with the title, especially if you line it up with the rest of the article. 1200 tanks that need major repairs does not mean a potential 1200 combat-ready vehicles. It means that you can, if you are really good, salvage 60% of that by cannibalizing the rest.
They drew down 350 tanks last year. Oryx confirmed 3800+ tank losses over the past 3 years, Ukraine claims 10000+. This means that they have enough tanks to last them another 6-8 months if we’re being incredibly generous, if they could do 2 years of work in an instant. This is practically an empty stock.
And that doesn’t count that these are the last vehicles for a reason. They are not 1200 T-72s that can be restored to full working order, it’s mostly going to be very badly damaged and worn T-55s or even T-34s, compared to which an RPG-7 is space-age technology.
Russia doesn’t even have anymore T34s lol. It’s mostly rusted out T72s and T62s. They made a shit ton of those.
I think the T55 was their most produced tank.
If it was T72s, those are still good enough to be called MBTs today.
I don’t think “depleted stocks” is good way for saying there are tanks available but not usable but I also don’t know what a better wording would be so maybe it’s accurate. Thanks for elaborating regardless.
I guess the point is that big government systems, be they healthcare or military stockpiles don’t really ever dramatically reach zero. It’s always a slow rot until they are incapable of serving their purpose.
The article makes the point that the Russian military stockpiles are past that point and according to what they say they seem to be.
Nah, adjust for Russian standards in what “poor technical condition” even means. It’s not going to Ukraine if it can’t drive off the base.