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#1

Off the Record / Re: Fitness 2025

Last post by Darth Wagtaros - Today at 08:34:43 AM

Down 50 since this time last year.

[Also, question about cycling in the UK: I guess if seeing a sign of end of the cycle lane, one is supposed to get on the road with the cars, right?]

#2

Off the Record / Re: Fitness 2025

Last post by mongers - Today at 08:13:47 AM

45, below average fitness (although not by too much, I hope) - is it a bad idea to try and pick up golf as a means of light exercise?

There is a course like a 5 minutes dry from here.


Also, question about cycling in the UK: I guess if seeing a sign of end of the cycle lane, one is supposed to get on the road with the cars, right?

Not necessarily, they changed the guidance for the police a few years ago, my understanding is you're allowed to use pavements for cycling if the road is dangerous/busy and only when there are now pedestrians you'll inconvience. It's basically asking the police to show some common sense taking into account the cyclists and other road user's safety.

An example, there's a marked shared use cycle path out of my town, which then stops and continue as a footpath, I then use this for 70-80 metres before I turn into a small road that then takes me anywhere I'm going north or East of the town.

Otherwise, to avoid that I'd have to cross a very busy narrow A-road, cycle along it for 80 metres, then stop and right turn into the small road I need.
That would be carnage for me, because hardly any of the A-road traffic would be stopping behind me as I try and right turn.

And Tamas you really want to drastically limit your cycling amongst vehicles in the UK nowadays, it's just too dangerous; I'd recommend looking at online maps, but don't rely on the route planning, use your own judgment and then cross referencing that with the online road safety traffic density maps for guidance.


Edit:
This might be one of the goverment pages I mention, though I can't check it as am on an antiquated pc a the moment:
https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/#6/55.254/-5.295/basemap-regions-countpoints

#3

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by jimmy olsen - Today at 08:00:01 AM

Heard an interesting argument the other day, that being on good terms with Ukraine going forward is a very useful thing indeed.
Ukraine has built up a huge amount of expertise and data in military drones and AI.
Russia will be sharing theirs with China. The west and friends need Ukraine to share theirs.
This looks probable for Europe. For the US as things stand....
In a complete turnaround the US might soon find its military hopelessly out dated.

The U.S. Army is pretty badly out of date when it comes to equipment. Virtually its entire vehicle fleet is archaic by now.  No drone defenses, most even don't have the trophy system against anti-armor weapons. M1 and M2/3 are over 40 years old, the M1 is too heavy and too difficulty to maintain in the field (it has somehow become the Kingtiger), while the M2/3 have reached the end of their expected lifetime and have little room left for upgrades anyway. The M109 Paladin is a museum piece, hopelessly outdated artillery. The HMMWV has also reached the end of life cycle, the JLTV is more suitable to SOLIC environments. The Army doesn't won hardly any anti-drone weapons, and no low-cost drones that can be mass-produced. HQ elements are far too static and highly vulnerable to drones and rockets. The Apache has been rendered obsolete by and their function can be done better by drones.

So the Army needs:
- a Main Battle Tank replacement
- a new IFV (I think the Rheinmetall Lynx will get the nod)
- a SpH replacement (the Army is looking at the Rheinmetall RCH155)
- a new close-in ADA system
- new mobile command posts for battalion/brigade/divisions
- new lightweight vehicles (the infantry squad vehicle will address a part of this)
- whole new families of drones for every echelon

The drone defense criticsm is on point, but does anyone have an army vehicle fleet that is better?

#4

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Duque de Bragança - Today at 07:11:12 AM

Due to the incompetence of a generation of politicians I trained on a H&K G3 built in 1967...

So did I, 30 years ago

My father did it as well, but that was 60+ years ago.  Replacement for the Armalite (AR-10). 

#5

Off the Record / Re: Fitness 2025

Last post by Tamas - Today at 04:32:56 AM

45, below average fitness (although not by too much, I hope) - is it a bad idea to try and pick up golf as a means of light exercise?

There is a course like a 5 minutes dry from here.


Also, question about cycling in the UK: I guess if seeing a sign of end of the cycle lane, one is supposed to get on the road with the cars, right?

#6

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Threviel - Today at 04:20:32 AM

We had our final 36h exercise in blistering sun, running around in gas mask and shrapnel wests. Noone told me that soldiering was so hysterically sweaty. I sweated through and into my backpack and down to my knees.

Also: yes. Worst was the shitty "rain gear" we had. Some already got nice Goretex stuff, most of us still had rubber pants/jackets that made you sweat so much that it you'd be soaked either way.

Our basic training was during a particularly hot spell (over 30°C ... it was unusual for us at the time ), and during one of our first field days, our Captain assured us we'd have enough drink. Which ended up being a bottle of sparkling water of 0.7l. To share between two people. We had a few people collapse on the march back to base from exhaustion/heat/dehydration. Our captain got thoroughly chewed out by our base chief of medical.

Though we also then shifted our field days to start at 4-5 am (by which time it would already be fairly light outside) and take a long break during midday heat.

The Swedish uniform systems was designed in the early 80's and hasn't been replaced since. Lots of plastic and lots of non-breathable materials, but thank hod no rubber rain gear. Like so much in the Swedish defence force it is currently being replaced with more modern stuff.

#7

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Threviel - Today at 04:17:45 AM

Due to the incompetence of a generation of politicians I trained on a H&K G3 built in 1967...

So did I, 30 years ago

Hot damn, the G3 was an ancient relic back then too.

We replaced it with the AK5, a 5.56 carbine, in the early 80's. Nowadays (sine the early 2010's) the AK5's are largely worn out and are being replaced with the AK24, a Finnish AR15 derivative. Production problems has delayed it and we're stuck with a 70 year old battle rifle that was obsolescent when it was introduced.

#8

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - Today at 03:28:10 AM

I wonder if funding priorities will change now?

Yeah, you'd hope that the US would realize that the MBT has gone the way of the battleship, and that drones (and shitloads of reserve drone pilots) are a better investment.

But I doubt it. It's still planning to build another six or so carriers.

I remember long ago reading some sci-fi novels with the silly-even-if-cool idea of submarine aircraft carriers.  But submarines as large unmanned aerial drone carriers feels like not so silly of an idea.

Ace combat games have actual drone carriers in at least one of their iterations (7, the only one I played).

#9

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by garbon - Today at 03:21:58 AM

With the online safety act coming into force, will vpn use go up in the UK?

#10

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 01:26:36 AM

On epstein, this isn't a story that has ever particularly interested me.
Trump is a pervert and that he would be part of this NYC rich and powerful sex ring is basically a given.
Nonetheless I found this long story on the topic pretty interesting. Journalist rings everyone in Epsteins book, having some chats with the less connected folks in there.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/10/i-called-everyone-in-jeffrey-epsteins-little-black-book/