But how is their potassium?Also, it appears Russia is using slick California-like ads to get people to move there!
But how is their potassium?Also, it appears Russia is using slick California-like ads to get people to move there!
Interesting, but not that surprising. The current administration is not especially anxious to sell arms internationally (especially to Poland) and I think hopes to spread the global wealth in the arms market. I thought the European commentary was a bit “angry ex-wife” but taken as a whole it looks like a good deal.
I agree entirely.Think less anxiety and more capacity and cost, Poland wants arms and they want them fast and getting them from South Korea gets them faster than from the US for what they are buying and for less zł/₩/$ (the FA-50 is cheaper than an F-16 or F-35 though less capable as well, think of it as a modern 'equivalent' of an F-5 or an F-16 lite). It doesn't hurt that the Poles and South Koreans already have an ongoing defense industry partnership, Poland's 'Krab' howitzer uses the K9's chassis. The US isn't exactly losing out either, those FA-50's are powered by GE F404's.
Poles want arms for good reason: they border Russian enclave which in Soviet times, when nuke deterrence has worked well, was infested with amphibious, airborne and armour assault forces most of all other Soviet maritime regions,and they know from Warsaw pact plans that neutral Sweden was the target of at least amphibious storm too. This memory tells them that you may or may not share the military block strategy, but there always would be the situation 1v1 when is comes to Russia, and they prone to depend on NATO support evidently much less than the other ex-commie members. 800 years of close proximity to Russia make them most realistic of all.Poland wants arms and they want them fast
Then they better get busy and raise their GDP! Europe needs nuclear power to generate enough GDP to afford all these upgrades...Poland likely wants to get rid of all its Soviet hardware and become a buyer of arms from the West/free world.
Poland likely wants to get rid of all its Soviet hardware and become a buyer of arms from the West/free world.
We need a 'Asia under extreme duress' thread.
ApprovedWe need a 'Asia under extreme duress' thread.
Taiwan is not straight. It's slightly crooked and bends to the east like this: ( .So….Taiwan Straights today?
I’ll have a chat with auto-correct.Taiwan is not straight. It's slightly crooked and bends to the east like this: ( .
An update on the fertilizer shortage in Europe - which also affects beer…The gap from the Carpathian mountains to the Baltic Sea accesses the European heartland to the much larger Asian mainland - with the only barriers being rivers such as the Vistula which bisects Poland. These bloodlands have been some of the most contested geography for centuries. When? 3 years, 3 decades - but history suggests the strategic location of the Northern European Plain will be in perpetual conflict.
In related news, Poland just placed an order for 250 US Abrams tanks.
$6 billion tank deal to Poland cleared by State Department
The State Department has approved the sale of M1 Abrams tanks to Poland as regional tensions continue to rise as Russian aggression on its border with Ukraine builds.www.defensenews.com
$6 billion tank deal to Poland cleared by State Department
By Jen Judson
Friday, Feb 18
And because I like maps, here is a map of the constantly changing borders (and populations) of Europe over the centuries. Another map showing the physical features of Europe.
View attachment 34546
You don't "bitch slap" someone with 6,000 nuclear warheads.
As for hard sanctions, Russia is the world's biggest producers of oil and natural gas - you take that off the market and Europe freezes. Likewise, Russia is the world's biggest exporter of wheat (Ukraine is 4th) and the world will see famine, compounded by the fact that Russia is one of the largest exporters of ammonia which is the basis of nitrogen fertilizer - again, famine. This doesn't take into account other minerals such as coal and rare earth metals needed for modern economies. Finally, the political ramifications of hard sanctions will drive inflation, already at a 40 year high, even higher. This is not something that the ruling parties with upcoming elections want (In addition to US midterms, there is an election in France this year.)