via https://nitter.poast.org/simpatico771 - I know war is always hell, but the drone-dominated battlefield in Ukraine seems to have added an extra all-pervasive layer of psychological torture to the mix. Don't think I'd last a day...
Small squads are fighting a huge war. A "strongpoint" can be held by a handful — two, three, or four people. The line of contact has been completely transformed. In 2023 our mission was to get a company into a village with ten BMP-3s. That was already difficult back then.
Now the vehicles sit tens of kilometers from the LOC. If in 2023 those same BMP-3s could play the role of little tanks, today they’re unlikely to reach a firing position. Not because the vehicles are "obsolete" — it’s that, for whatever reason, they can’t be systematically protected or covered from the main threat: kamikaze drones.
Here’s what “getting there” looks like for a regular infantryman. It’s a full march now. With all your kit — roughly 30 kilos — you get dropped 10–15 kilometers from the point where you will actually fight. Some approaches run up to 30 kilometers. Other routes, under forest cover, let you leap to within a few kilometers of the LOC. Beyond that, resupply and movement rely on ATVs, dirt bikes, and whatever sort of sketchy electric scooters people are improvising. The rear area now begins some 50 kilometers from the LOC.
The hardest part is getting there. Routes and lines of communication are being mined — via drones. Improvised mines and booby traps are shoved into medkits, casings are smeared with glue and covered with grass, scores of small bomblets are scattered on trails, and where you can see a wheel track there are large magnetic mines. If you don’t know how all these mines look, you will step on one.
The route is the single most dangerous segment. Small Mavics constantly watch movement and can instantly pass coordinates to an FPV strike team or an artillery battery. On the LOC itself — in a dugout — it can be less dangerous than on the way to it. The common pattern now: guys sit holed up for a month or two and pull through with no losses, then get into trouble on the exit.
There is no organized mechanized resupply. Everything moves on foot. The best you can hope for is a gutsy motorcyclist who’ll dash in and get out. At night the nastiness wakes up. Large drones with thermal sensors drop mortar rounds. If you haven't found your fighting position before sunset — you die.
That leads to the core problem. You can’t amass forces or sustain large numbers on the LOC anymore. That’s true for both sides. To fix this and start winning systematically you need unit-authorized ATVs, large logistics drones, small evacuation buggies, and drone interceptors. Right now all of those are off the books — bought privately or cobbled together through aid channels.
Micro-teams must do everything. There are no dedicated combat engineers, signalers, or medics in many units. You have to know it all yourself. First — navigation and working with mobile maps; second — radio and signal procedures; third — explosive ordnance recognition and basic EOD tradecraft. Without those skills you’ll get physically lost, lose contact with those who could help, and step on a little woolly thing in no-man’s land that will end you.
The gray zone is now about 2–3 kilometers. In that "no-man’s territory" there’s nothing but abandoned 200s and mines. It’s crushing for fighters’ morale. The enemy will often break and run after taking their first losses during an assault. The quality of their troops — you can see the forced draft and degradation for yourself. Even their special units have lost their old edge. Still, the bottom line is we can barely reach them.Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/
Ever since infantry were invented 60lb has been the rule of thumb for the maximum burden.The last working-class hero in England.
Clio the cat, ? July 1997 - 1 May 2016 Kira the cat, ? ? 2010 - 3 August 2018 Jasper the Ruffian cat ? ? ? - 4 November 2021
Re: "roughly 30 kilos"
Posted by t on October 8, 2025, 7:07 pm, in reply to ""roughly 30 kilos""
My Ai tells me:
When combining all the equipment and armor, a typical Roman legionary carried approximately 20-25 kg (44-55 lbs) of gear into battle, including personal items and additional supplies.
Trust the DuckDuckGo ai to speak American .. armor .. (eyes roll).
Anyway, your point confirmed. Haven't checked ancient Sumeria or Egypt .. but am sure it ain't much different.
on October 7, 2025, 5:55 pm