MBT's

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Finally, the sometimes WONDERFUL words in RED!

Andy and Don as always THANK YOU for all your hard work and dedication to the game. You'll also be glad to know in an "off handed" manner that CINCLANTHOME also sends her THANKS!?!

Don, what can I say but thanks again for all your patience and understanding, you've always respected my work and time I put into it even if at times how I got there might've resulted in a "Huh? ".

I to will take some time off. But as I told Don, I have years' worth of data in my files of things that are here for real but "not in here". With a little bit of luck, we might see a couple of examples of what I'm talking about.

So, their semi-retirement and this patch will be a "God send" to allowing me to check the OOB's against what I have and in a perfect world be able to see what Don "snuck it in" and I can simply delete the files and move onto the next one, in a perfect world.

You'll only as always find equipment that have reached FOC or received through foreign sales.

For the duration the same rules as always as I'm not interested in comments there. I'll present the data as always, and it is up to you the player whether or not you use it.

So, the Fastboat Patch Page will live on. So, Andy and Don thank you for your gift of time, no pressure and mostly NO DEADLINES!!!!

Gotta go-work calls.

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

Everyone needs to keep in mind that the info available is in many cases sketchy at best. We have tried to sift through it as best we can but I have no doubt there will be items that turn out to be wrong simply because the info we had at the time was just wrong.

Case in point is the US providing 155 howitzers to Ukraine. The type in the early info was not specific to the model, At first, I thought they would be M777 but when coupled with the supply of M113's that seemed less likely and then I read so "informed" analysis that suggested they would be M198 which made more sense given the accompanying M113s. Since then I have read they are M777's but not from any "official " source but again if you are supplying M113's which first went into service 62 years ago the likelihood the 155's are cutting edge is slim so I went with M198s but right now I wouldn't eliminate M114's from the range of possibilities.

With things like this it's a crap shoot sometimes

The other items are more detailed

The latest package will provide: 10 AN/TPQ-36 counter artillery radars; two AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air surveillance systems; 500 Javelin missiles and other anti-armor systems; 300 Switchblade drones; 200 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers; 100 Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles; and 11 Mi-17 helicopters

for the guns it's just

18 155mm Howitzers

I weighed the possibilities and decided on the M198. The only difference in game terms is the name

POST RELEASE EDIT

Just before release. info confirmed they were M777's and the name and photo was changed and a M777 specific Icon was added so that is what you will see in the game OOB's everyone has now

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Another Russian tank has lost its moniker as an invincible tank.
It is my belief that what the article below is depicting as a destroyed Russian T-90M by Ukrainian forces is correct. What I'm surprised by is that Russia only has about 100 T-90M tanks in service and just over a year ago just equipped the first unit with them. Which is about how long ago we entered them I believe.

The tank I expected to see first would've been the T-72B3M/also referred to as the T-72B4 which we had decided to enter into the game as the T-72B3/4 hybrid tank that combined the improvements of the B3/B4 variants to save slot space.

So, I've looked at some videos and my sources and have concluded in my opinion that the picture from that Ukrainian Twitter account is a destroyed T-90M (Export version is the T-90MS which was developed first.) as reported.

What took it out is unclear, at first, I thought maybe another tank might've made the kill hitting the tank on the right side with the impact and explosion causing the "road wheels" to blow off from the left side.

But after a closer look, it appears the turret has been "shifted" left and if you look closely beyond the reporter's right shoulder where it meets his arm (Follow the jacket shoulder seam down.) that appears to maybe be the Commanders sight standing up on the ground.

With that I'm thinking it more likely killed by a "top attack" weapon or by one of their precision guided artillery rounds.

Anyway, here's the article with the blown-up picture I used to confirm the tank against all I mentioned above.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...74da24ed66f374
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/st...108226/photo/1
Well, I guess you need to click on the picture to blow it up.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

If the below link is true, we can expect Putin to officially declare war on the Ukraine sometime later today probably before the annual "Victory Day" military parade. There has been speculation this might happen as noted above.

Under Russian law a declaration of war must be made to start a military mobilization and call up conscripts.

It's refreshing to see such a law-abiding leader.
https://twitter.com/OSINT88/status/1...ge%2Fhome.html

This likely to be a "perishable" product.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Apparently, Carl Gustav was seen fighting on the battlefield taking on his biggest opponent to date. You be the judge.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/185276...d-fiery-video/
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-blo...sweden-1705292

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

Could anyone detect the direction it came from?

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

It appears to me it was hit from the rear. I "walked" the cursor back and forth from about the 7s - 12s.

Before I did that, I ran it through fully then ran and paused it SEVERAL times when I finally caught a "brighter" white light from the initial "white flare" before the flame.

That's when I "walked" (Me controlling the direction of and speed of the video.) the video through as noted in Para 1.

Turret positioned out is in a very venerable spot from a frontal attack which this clearly isn't but also from the rear which I think is what happened.

Walk up at about 8s you'll see the "white plume" appear/hold at 9s and using the turret bustle as your "horizon" you'll notice a small ball of white just a hair brighter than the rest of white plume".

It's on the turret/horizon line/centered between the middle of the "white plume" and its right edge.

I can make it out with the video on my 36" 4K monitor in full screen with the "naked eye" and to be sure with both my onboard magnifier and handheld one.

I used the Newsweek video as it seems to be a little "cleaner" to my eyes and monitor.

And for full disclosure I did think at first it came from the tree line from the left, but I couldn't find the "flare" from the rocket which I felt the video angle would've allowed for.
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-blo...sweden-1705292

I gotta get to bed.

I gave it a couple of hours and it's the best I could do with the material.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

At least the Ukrainians were smart enough to put ERA on their "new" Polish donated T-72M1 tanks before putting them into the field.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/ukra...ive_armor.html

These were the "guided rockets" mentioned from posts of yesterday in the SPA/SPAA Thread.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...paltforms.html

Bulgaria supporting the Ukraine in a very useful manner and in as valuable way as supplying them with weapons.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...equipment.html

TRACKING ACTIVELY THE FOLLOWING
https://en.defence-ua.com/industries...turn-2633.html
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...manys-approval

The above would also include the Ukraine receiving the MARDER 1A3 (100 UNITS) I feel they'll get these before the LEO 1A5 (88 UNITS) .

Regards,
Pat