They used to be drafted for two years but it was dropped to one year after the fall of the wall.
Back in the days when muzzle loading muskets and bayonets where the best option available numbers counted. Modern technology needs a far higher level of training.
Untrained Russian Troops Struggling to Fit Tank Armor, Causing Losses: U.K.
James Bickerton - Yesterday 8:01 a.m.
Russian troops are struggling to properly fit their tanks with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), adding to “heavy attrition” in combat, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defense.
Russia has become bogged down against Ukrainian defenders, with the U.S. estimating they have suffered 70,000-80,000 casualties in just six months.
According to the latest U.K. Defense Intelligence report: "The heavy attrition of Russian Main Battle Tanks in Ukraine is highly likely partially due to Russia’s failure to fit and properly employ adequate Explosive Reactive Armor [ERA].
Design Flaw in Russian tanks impacts war in Ukaine
I actually saw one of our old Centurions (long ago) driving across a training field with flames on the back deck. The crew were too busy to notice until my platoon commander called them on the radio “22 you’re on fire”, correction Tango 22 you’re on fire"! They pulled the fire suppressing T handle and bailed. The darn things had a Spitfire engine!
As this thread lurches off topic…interesting how that happened.
In the 1930s, British tanks used a license built version of the WWI Liberty aircraft engine.
As tanks became larger and heavier, the Liberty became overtaxed and became a major reliability problem.
Meanwhile, a lot of Spits, Hurricanes and other aircraft were falling out of the sky over England. Rolls Royce recovered the engines and repaired many to run perfectly well, but regulations prohibited using an engine that had been in a crash in an aircraft again.
They hit on the idea of installing the repaired Merlins in tanks. The Merlin, being several generations more advanced than the Liberty, produced so much power in aircraft that it could be detuned significantly, and still deliver far more power than a Liberty, and, because the engine was so detuned from it’s aircraft specifications, it was extremely reliable. For some time new production tanks came with engines that bore obvious signs of crash damage, but ran perfectly. Eventually, Rolls Royce’s inventory of repaired engines was depleted, so new tank specification engines were produced as the Meteor, rather than Merlin.
The downside, is, as Tim implied, they ran on gas, rather than diesel, like a T-34 or later production M-48.
The downside, is, as Tim implied, they ran on gas, rather than diesel, like a T-34 or later production M-48.
Steve
The Upside was that when they were equipped with the L7 105mm Main Gun there was no tank in the world at the time that could survive a hit by that beast. The early model Abrams carried it until the 120mm gun became available. Israel used them to slaughter Arab Soviet provided T54/55 and T62 tanks in multiple battles.