Re:Russia’s army is learning and improving on the battlefield
by tivert on Monday May 22, 2023 @04:35PM
(#36036366)
> It kinda does. A Javelin costs $100k. A main battle tank costs millions. Even if it takes 10-20 Javelins you're coming out on top.
According to Wikpedia, they cost more than double that, without the launcher. 20 x 250k = 5 million. For comparison, an Abrams tank costs $6.21 million.
And you're talking like they're some wonder-weapon that makes tanks obsolete. I highly doubt that's true. IIRC, one of Russia's big mistakes, which increased their vulnerability to Javelins, was they tended to drive around big masses of vehicles without adequate infantry support. Tactics are something the Chinese could change.
> Make more? Call it economic stimulus.
Oh, they want to, but my understanding is those production lines take years to ramp up (at least in the West).
> Do you think it's impossible to make Taiwan a tough enough target to resist an invasion, ...
Short of giving it nukes or turning whole country into a military camp, probably.
> ... of the kind (massive-scale amphibious) China's never performed before?
There's always a first. IIRC, the US never did such a thing before D-Day.
According to Wikpedia, they cost more than double that, without the launcher. 20 x 250k = 5 million. For comparison, an Abrams tank costs $6.21 million.
According to https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/type-99-tank-how-chin..., the most-advanced current Chinese tank currently has a unit cost of $2.5 million.
And you're talking like they're some wonder-weapon that makes tanks obsolete. I highly doubt that's true. IIRC, one of Russia's big mistakes, which increased their vulnerability to Javelins, was they tended to drive around big masses of vehicles without adequate infantry support. Tactics are something the Chinese could change.
> Make more? Call it economic stimulus.
Oh, they want to, but my understanding is those production lines take years to ramp up (at least in the West).
> Do you think it's impossible to make Taiwan a tough enough target to resist an invasion, ...
Short of giving it nukes or turning whole country into a military camp, probably.
> ... of the kind (massive-scale amphibious) China's never performed before?
There's always a first. IIRC, the US never did such a thing before D-Day.