News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Ask HN: Is there a book about how a technological advanta... by PaulHoule on Wednesday April 13, 2022 @01:27PM (#31017464)
Germany was defeated without the atomic bomb.

Japan could have (and would have) been beaten without the atomic bomb at a high cost in American and Japanese lives.

The atomic bomb changed the arc of history because it intimidated the Soviets. Even after VJ-day planners thought it very possible that the US would go to war with the Soviet Union -- since the Korean war involved mainland China it also could have become an unlimited conflict.

See also

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superiority_(short_story)

and the ironic use of

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wunderwaffe

To be positive here is a very good example of technology winning the war

https://www.amazon.com/Britains-Shield-Radar-Defeat-Luftwaff...

Re:Ask HN: Is there a book about how a technological advanta... by richardreeze on Wednesday April 13, 2022 @04:00PM (#31019527)
Bought "Britain's Shield", thanks!

Also I like the premise of Arthur C Clarke's short story, but it's a shame that it's fiction (it would actually be awesome to have a nonfiction book of examples where a technologically superior group lost to a technologically inferior one... At least to find out why)

Re:Ask HN: Is there a book about how a technological advanta... by PaulHoule on Wednesday April 13, 2022 @06:41PM (#31021211)
Vietnam war? Afghanistan for the Soviets if not the US?

Note in both cases the ‘less advanced’ country got a limited amount of very advanced hardware from another advanced country, particularly for air defense.

Ukraine vs Russia is another strange case. On one hand Ukraine and Russia diverged from the same root for tanks, aircraft and missiles…. Russia usually has the same stuff Ukraine does and also the next generation (e.g. S-400 vs S-300, Su-35 vs Flanker, …) so in most areas the Russians have some lead.

Ukraine has gotten some advanced stuff like the Javelin, but since 2014 they have been a nation at war that knows their survival depends on having better quality troops.

Re:Ask HN: Is there a book about how a technological advanta... by simne on Friday April 15, 2022 @04:39PM (#31045544)
> Ukraine has gotten some advanced stuff like the Javelin, but since 2014 they have been a nation at war that knows their survival depends on having better quality troops

Ukraine battles for their future, because we don't want to return to USSR, which is so loved by Russians.

And BTW, Russia have huge technological advantage, because they have lot more techs than Ukraine.

Basically, in 2014, Ukrainians was only ak-74s, even have not body armor; old artillery (without computers); no military communication.

After that, allies helped lot, mostly US/Britain. Also Ukrainians repaired old soviet t-64s and armored machines and soviet helicopters, and jets, and air defense.

And Russia have for decades spend huge budgets on create enhanced electronics for soviet weapons, so we where sure, they have advanced tech.

In reality, Russians was not good enough trained to withstand long war, they planned to win in few days, and most their forces was planned to be used as military-police.

But any way, Russians have huge advantage in techs - numbers of tanks, jets, helis, mobile air defense, differ few times.

Best forces landed in Hostomel. Here, very close to Kiev, was very interest battle, officials said about 35 helicopters and few hundreds land troops, and there Ukrainians shot down first ka-52 in this war, also they tried to land few il-76s (I'm not sure, hear that one was also shot down), so stakes was extremely high.

They has been eliminated by few days artillery shooting (and yes, there also destroyed Mriya plane).

As I know, similar battles was at other airports.

Also we seen few saboteurs groups, but fortunately they where small and Ukrainian troops eliminated them with just hand arms.

Most other Russian military mostly kneaded the dirt, or fire on civilian objects, and and does not do any honorable.

Re:Ask HN: Is there a book about how a technological advanta... by simne on Friday April 15, 2022 @03:59PM (#31045058)
To be honest, atomic bomb was not need to US, as they always have huge advantage in conventional weapons over all enemies, but they have entered race, because Germany was first started and all others feel fear.

And now we encounter huge consequences, because Russia and China have nukes and could use them as terrorists, and US/Britain/EU have to listen to their mostly stupid demands.

All other technologies was achievable by all parties near simultaneously, so nobody get much enough advantage to win war.

Few times separate battles where won, because one side was there with technological advantage, and nothing more.