SVC

UK history for Cuba in the 1950's show a huge level of inequality.

The elite did very very very well (and it was a playground for the rich and famous) - but it was horrifically corrupt and everyone else did very badly.

"This aid would not have been needed if Fidel Castro had not overthrown the Cuban government in 1959 and replaced an efficient market economy with a disastrous Communist planned economy"

(A nation doing well doesn't overthrow it's government).

I would say though - the Revolution did appear to increase the the standard of living for the average Cuban (prior to the USSR collapse anyway) - but GDP did drop overall - due to the ineffeciency's you mentioned - in others words, they had less money than what they had previously, but it was better distributed - and it reduced the two extremes of super rich and super poor.

So do you want to be poorer - but live in a Democracy and see the Elite doing as they please - or everyone has the same 'nearly acceptable standard of living'?.

I think Cuba would have done better if it tried a Finnish/Yugoslavian' Neutrallity between 'East and West' post revolution- but I would guess, that wasn't an option ever for them?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, July 16, 2026 - 08:33 pm: Edit

Paul, I don't know what you are on about. I don't write the FYEO posts. I often don't even read them.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, July 17, 2026 - 12:43 am: Edit

The equality that was achieved in Cuba — and the inequality that returned | Opinion By Hugo Cancio April 10, 2026 2:23 PM

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article315354611.html#storylink=cpy


This op ed directly contradicts the position stated by Paul Howard.

While it is true that poverty was generally eliminated between 1959 (the start of the revolution) by1989 (the end of u.s.s.r. Subsidies) income disparity returned.

Various factors (discussed in the op ed published by the Miami Herald) indicate that income disparities returned to Cuba along with increase in poverty.

It appears that the onset of money being sent by relatives in the U.S. allowed those receiving the money to live an affluent life style (black market) at a time when many Cubans were experiencing the effects of deflation (the opposite of inflation).

(Note:NO AI content posted.)

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Friday, July 17, 2026 - 02:16 am: Edit

SVC

Sorry, the artcile I thought gave have the impression Cuba was a utopia prior tho the revolution - and it clearly wasn't, hence I commented.


Not responding to Mr Wile as previoualy instructed.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 09:19 am: Edit

Ukraine is using a tactic known as Banzai Grenades. Soldiers hand carry an artillery shell up to 155mm or a mortar shell up to 120mm or a large land mine into Russian positions and dropping it into a key spot with a time fuse.

Ukraine has so far hit 147 ships in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

Ukrainian drones hit a vast warehouse in Moscow which serves as the headquarters, distributing hub, and manufacturing plant of a Russian company known as the local copy of Amazon. The gigantic square mile facility was wrecked and left on fire.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 11:00 am: Edit

why not just toss a few bricks of C4 with time fuses?

Artillery shells are thousands of dollars.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 12:44 pm: Edit

Yeah, those ship hits are running roughly 10-15 a day, though there was one day with about 30. The most common targets are Russian dark fleet tankers.

A typical hit burns out the ship's engines. It is not sunk.

I've seen claims that the dark fleet is about 1500 ships.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 04:32 pm: Edit

A hit anywhere on a freighter is a mess but you might be able to continue the run without fixing it more than putting out the fire. Tankers are a bit more fragile as setting fire to one of the tanks means continuing problems that are hard to solve. The engines are usually far enough down inside that they aren't easy to hit. Most of the attacks I see on video target the rear structure, the crew quarters, kitchen, radio room, and navigation spaces.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 05:29 pm: Edit

I stand corrected. But the main point is, they are making the tankers unusable, or at least difficult to use, without causing oil spills.

These are mostly "feeder" tankers. Russia uses these smaller tankers to move the oil to bigger tankers which then transport it further.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 10:52 pm: Edit

Mission kills. First they used flying drones to destroy the bridge, but the Russians realized they could improvise and steer the ships from the engine room,so the Ukrainians switched to drone boats.
Empty tankers sits high in the water and it's easy to reach the rudder and propeller, or the engine.
Source, Bluesky

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, July 18, 2026 - 11:33 pm: Edit

The drone-vs-ship war in the Black Sea/Azov is more complex than we have been discussing.

Russia has a vast fleet of 7,000 ton small tankers designed specifically to go up rivers and pick up oil there, then transfer the oil to medium-size tankers in the southern half of the Black Sea. It takes about a dozen of the 7000s to fill up a medium tanker, which is inefficient but in war you do what you have to, not what you would do without being shot at. Ukraine is targeting these 7000-class tankers because they are smaller, easier for one drone to mess up, and they are Russian ships.

The Shadow fleet are bigger tankers and are not Russian and therefore tricky political targets. It is unclear if Ukraine has hit any of them or has even tried to. Starting a war with Panama or Liberia isn't Ukraine's goal, although the rules of war say neutral ships in war zones aren't exactly immune. The big ships are also harder to kill.

You see the 7000s being hit in the aft superstructure to specifically go after the steering and the crew. You can steer the ship from further down inside, but it's tricky and involves somebody standing on the deck with a long extension cord going down to the lower control room since the installed phone lines go to the bridge which just got toasted. They are also going for the deck piping which makes the ships harder to off load and for tug boats that tow damaged tankers to their unload points and back home. Some of this is psychological as crews don't want to do dangerous things.

The other side of this coin is that Russia is targeting big grain carrying ships in Ukrainian ports. It does this off and on, doing it for a few weeks then skipping a few months as strategy and missile supplies shift. They have used anti-ship cruise missiles for this but those are expensive. Once Ukraine started targeting the 7000s, Russia resumed targeting international grain tankers.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Sunday, July 19, 2026 - 12:49 pm: Edit

I saw a brief excerpt video showing a ship (presumably a tanker) hit near the bow. This is the area where the anchor howser it stored (obviously) and is also the home of the Bosun's Locker.

Crew are almost never up there, except during anchor handling maneuvers OR when something's needed from the aforementioned Bosun's Locker for repairs.

For ordinary operations, it's the real world equivalent of a "Hull Hit," but on a called shot.


"I said across her nose, not up it!!" - The Evil Lord Dark Helmet.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 06:55 am: Edit

Ukrainian drones hit the Salavot refinery, the last major refinery that had not been hit this year. Of course, the 34 major refineries, having all been hit, were damaged but not totally destroyed. Ukraine will probably now use US spy satellites to decide which refineries to hit again, and again.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 07:11 am: Edit

An internal underground movement inside Russia, named Black Spark, is now cooperating with Ukraine to target infrastructure inside Russia.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 07:11 am: Edit

Are the French still allowing access to the Photo Satellites like they did to the public decades ago....

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 08:45 am: Edit

There are still refineries in the Far East. These have not yet been hit.

It would not surprise me if Ukraine and/or Russian partisans find a way to hit these too. But so far they haven't.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 12:38 pm: Edit

I don't think the far east ones are "major" as they only produce for local use and there aren't many people there. Cost of transportation is too high.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 12:52 pm: Edit

The biggest one that has not been hit is the Angarsk refinery, near Lake Baikal. It processes roughly 10 million tons of oil per year, which is about 3% of Russia's refining capacity.

You are right about people. Over 80% of Russia's population lives in regions fed by refineries that have been hit.

The Russian Far East has seen gasoline shortages lately. So there must be some ability to transport it between the East and the West.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 02:28 pm: Edit

Wonder when an Ukrainian "Operation Spiderweb" ship will do its thing. Get an essentially disposable small cargo ship. Sail to a convenient point, launch a passel of one way drones and abandon ship!

Used OSV can be had pretty cheap.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 03:44 pm: Edit

Air Weapons: Drones In Africa
July 20, 2026: Sub-Saharan countries, below the nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea, provide a unique environment for drones. Chinese and Turkish drones have long been popular in Africa. The only problem is the lack of repair and upgrade facilities, except in some of the larger cities.
The unique African climate provides dust, heat, and unreliable navigation systems. A single failed part can keep a drone grounded for extended periods until the part is obtained and installed. The heat problem is more intractable because there are few practical options for cooling down an overheated drone engine. Drone operators have to take this into account and be aware of how long their drone can be in the air before overheating and crashing. Then there is the dust, which can foul a drone engine and obscure drone video cameras. The dust is delivered by periodic strong winds. Operators must seal off portions of their drones in areas where dust can enter and foul engines and electronic components.
Finally, there’s the extremely variable African landscape. Drones will be operating in areas covered by dense jungle that suddenly open to windswept plains, lakes, and waterfalls. This highly variable terrain often makes it difficult for operators to maintain control of their drones. If these problems are not taken into account, drones are easily lost.
Africans adapt rapidly to these problems, but outsiders either seek advice or lose drones to Africa's unique operating conditions. Local firms, especially in Nigeria and South Africa, are building drones, either using foreign-licensed designs or working with local drone developers.
FYEO

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 03:45 pm: Edit

Winning: Billions For Taiwan Drones
July 19, 2026: Last month, the Taiwanese government proposed spending $6.6 billion to purchase about 211,000 locally manufactured drones to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion. There are 208,200 attack drones, 1,446 reconnaissance drones, and 1,320 naval attack drones. Taiwan is in the process of procuring MQ-9 SeaGuardian and Alyius drones.
Taiwan has been threatened with a Chinese attack for over 70 years. Spending three percent of GDP on defense led the current American president to suggest ten percent. The Americans depend on strong Taiwanese defenses because the U.S. is obliged by treaty to send military forces to augment Taiwanese efforts to block a Chinese attack.
Taiwan has been continually upgrading its defenses. Some of the more recent upgrades include SEAD/Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses capabilities. This includes purchasing the AGM-88E HARM High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile. Taiwan has also upgraded some of its F-16s to the latest F-16V variant, which includes the ability to use the AGM-88E. Taiwan also upgraded its F-16s to this F-16V Block 52 standard.
Taiwan has developed a new SEAD Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses loitering munition called Chien Hsiang/Rising Sword. This is a compact 1.2 x 2 meter propeller-driven drone weighing 6 kg. Cruise speed is 185 kilometers an hour, endurance is five hours, and max range is 900 kilometers. Its guidance system consists mostly of electronic sensors that detect signals from specific radars or other systems that continuously emit electronic signals. In addition, there is a video system that uses an image library to identify a specific system to attack. This is done by Chien Hsiang, which dives and hits the target at speeds of up to 600 kilometers an hour. This is sufficient to destroy or disable antennas or radars.
Chien Hsiang is stored and launched from a box-shaped container that is part of a 3x4 configuration, mounted on a trailer at a fixed location, or on a ship. The drones can be launched individually or in rapid succession to form a swarm. The guidance system handles swarm management and coordination. This enables multiple drones to search an area and, when a target is found, several or all members of the swarm will attack. Mass production of Chien Hsiang won’t begin until 2024 because of the time required to perfect the guidance system software. While Chien Hsiang is relatively slow, it is small and emits little noise and no electronic signals. That makes it jamming-proof and difficult to spot and shoot. Also purchased were 135 SLAM-ER Standoff Land Attack Missiles, eleven HIMARS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System rocket launcher vehicles, and six MS-110 reconnaissance pods.
The AGM-84K SLAM-ER entered service in 2000. It is a 675-kg cruise missile with a range of 270 kilometers, a speed of 855 kilometers per hour, and a GPS/shape-recognition guidance system that has proved very accurate. The target can be changed, or the mission aborted remotely by the pilot at any time. SLAM-ER costs nearly a million dollars each and has a 220-kg warhead based on the one used on the Tomahawk cruise missile. SLAM-ER is actually a scaled-up Harpoon anti-ship missile.
HIMARS rocket launcher vehicles fire GPS-guided rockets at targets nearly a hundred kilometers distant. Half of the new HIMARS order is for heavier trucks with added armor. These heavy trucks are typically used as wreckers to retrieve vehicles that get stuck. HIMARS can also fire larger, longer-range ATACMS rockets with a 300-kilometer range. Each of these takes up an entire pod, and each ATACMS carries 300 smaller bombs that can destroy armored vehicles or personnel. Also on order are 65 pods, each with six GMLRS rockets, and 90 pods with shorter-range, cheaper practice rockets. The order also includes spares, maintenance equipment, and technical support and training.
HIMARS is a cheaper, lighter version of the original MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System). HIMARS is a truck-mounted launcher, with each vehicle carrying only one six-rocket pod instead of two in the original MLRS. The 12-ton truck can fit into a C-130 transport, unlike the 22-ton tracked MLRS vehicle. The first of the initial 900 HIMARS vehicles were issued to American combat units in 2004. The U.S. Army is using most of the HIMARS, with the Marines getting the rest. A growing number of American allies have become export customers for HIMARS. The key to the combat success of HIMARS is its use of the 227mm diameter, 309 kg GMLRS/Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System GPS-guided rocket. GMLRS was first used in 2004. It currently has a range of 85 kilometers and the ability to land within meters of its intended target at any range.
FYEO

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 03:46 pm: Edit

Logistics: Commercial Shipping Crises
July 18, 2026: Commercial shipping is facing unreliable sea routes and the risks of political, diplomatic and military interference with operations. This is a huge problem because the number of ships at sea on a typical day ranges from 50,000 to 60,000. Half of these are fishing boats, many of them freezer trawlers that stay at sea for months at a time. Five or six thousand Container Ships operate worldwide. There are about 10,000 Bulk Carriers, most of them carrying coal and other raw materials. There are up to 4,000 petroleum and other chemical tankers. Between two and three thousand General Cargo Ships transport goods that won’t fit in containers or are sanctioned or illegal and require discreet transportation. About a thousand Ro-Ro/Roll-On/Roll-Off ships are used to transport vehicles of all sizes and types, including heavy equipment.
Eighty percent of global trade moves by ship along a vast network of seagoing trade routes. China and the United States account for 43 percent of that trade, with China accounting for 17 percent and America 26 percent. Anything that threatens this trade is a major problem, and both America and China deal with the problem in their own ways. While the United States and its Western allies use warships and airstrikes against those who try to disrupt maritime trade, China prefers to bribe those who are attacking shipping not to attack Chinese ships. This tactic was most recently seen in the Persian Gulf, where Chinese ships paid the Iranians to allow them to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
When this Chinese immunity is noticed, China dismisses the accusations and claims its ship captains are simply more capable at avoiding attacks. This is obviously not the case, and the dispute ends in a muddle of mutual accusations. The current attacks are not destructive or widespread enough to do any serious damage to world trade. The Iran-backed Yemen Houthi rebels are firing Iranian-supplied rockets and missiles at ships passing the Yemen coast headed for the Suez Canal. Many, if not most, of the ships that normally use the Suez Canal now prefer to take the long way around to reach the Mediterranean Sea. This can cost over a million dollars per ship while adding several weeks to the trip. This did not turn out to be as much of a disaster as expected. There was a surplus of cargo and tanker ships, and the additional time required for existing ships to reach their destinations made it practical to put those surplus ships to work to ensure that all cargoes reached their destinations without incurring excessive insurance and operating costs.
Other potential chokepoints include the Strait of Malacca, the Taiwan Strait, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Bass Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Singapore, the Bering Strait, the Lombok Strait, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Bosporus.
While the Red Sea crisis was dealt with, a more ominous threat to global shipping is war between nations' submarines. For submarines to be involved would mean a non-nuclear world war. Anti-submarine escorts are not available in large numbers, and shipping companies, like their counterparts early in both world wars, would downplay the value of convoys and insist that they could avoid submarines by using new technology and tactics. When that doesn’t work, convoys are used, and ASW/Anti-Submarine Warfare is allowed to evolve and become effective enough to reduce losses to a sustainable level.
Protecting sea transportation is a vital task for shipping companies and most of the world's nations that depend on this trade. Shipping companies complain that navies are not doing enough to protect shipping in wartime. How accurate that is will only be revealed if there is another submarine offensive against maritime trade.
FYEO

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 03:47 pm: Edit

Infantry: More Ukrainian Ground Combat Droids
July 17, 2026: The Ukrainian military is planning to obtain about 50,000 GTD\Ground Transportation Drones. These will be used to transport supplies, move wounded soldiers to medical facilities in rear areas, and support combat missions. Currently, GTDs are carrying out over 15,000 missions a month, and by the end of the year, 20 to 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers will have avoided wounds or death because of the GTDs. Front line units will require up to 40 percent fewer soldiers to defend the thousand-kilometer-long front line. Armed GTDs can also conduct patrols, in coordination with aerial drones overhead. A growing number of GTDS are being armed with machine guns, mortars, or rocket launchers. Increasingly, Russian troops are encountering armed GTDs and fleeing or surrendering. The GTD operators, who are dozens of kilometers away from the front line, have long had a script for dealing with Russian prisoners. Armed GTDs also carry quadcopter drones that are deployed when a distant target is detected. GTDs are also regularly left to monitor a position for over a month before they must receive new batteries, ammunition, or maintenance.
NUMO is the largest GTD manufacturer in Ukraine, and one of their most widely used GTDs is a 1.5-meter-high, 1.23-meter-wide, and 1.4-meter-long tracked vehicle that weighs 320 kg and can carry a 300-kg payload. Max speed is 10 kilometers per hour, with a normal range of 25 kilometers, which can be extended to 45 kilometers if additional batteries are carried. Control is via Wi-Fi for up to 1,500 meters or Starlink at any range. Each of these drones costs $30,000, with the total cost rising to $ 40,000 or $ 50,000 as more accessories are added. Ukrainian GTD manufacturers argue that they will need to produce about 200,000 GTDs per year to supply combat troops, but that may not be possible until next year. This year, 100,000, or maybe 120,000, GTDs are achievable.
Three years ago, Ukraine began receiving fifty Agema GTDs from the UAE/United Arab Emirates for combat testing by Ukrainian troops. Agema is a 602 kg vehicle powered by a gasoline engine that enables the vehicle to move at a top speed of 29 kilometers an hour on land and five kilometers an hour when in the water using its amphibious capability. The GTDs sent to Ukraine were not equipped with any weapons. Agema can carry up to 622 kg of cargo. Agema can also tow a trailer carrying up to half a ton of cargo. Agema can be remotely controlled or programmed for autonomous tasks, like following a group of soldiers or leading them.
Agema is not a unique concept; there have been earlier efforts to create similar vehicles. For example, in 2021, Roboteams, an Israeli GTD manufacturer, introduced one of the first truly autonomous GTDs: the Rook. Roboteams has been around since 2009 and has continued decades-old Israeli efforts to create more useful GTDs. One reason for this effort is that Israel has been facing continuous military and terrorist threats since the 1940s. Developing better weapons and equipment was easier because the new items are immediately put to the test. There are few outright failures, and even items that worked as designed generated suggestions from users to improve the weapon or equipment. This has been very much the case with GTDs and the Rook, a 1.2-ton 6x6 vehicle that can carry 1.2 tons of equipment and operate for up to eight hours using a hybrid generator/battery motor. Max speed is 30 kilometers an hour, and it can be towed by other vehicles at up to 80 kilometers an hour. An operator can control several Rooks simultaneously using the Torch-X software, which allows control of any ground, aerial, or seagoing autonomous vehicle equipped to work with Torch-X. There is also a ruggedized tablet with a seven-inch display that controls ROOKs within a thousand meters of the operator.
Ukrainian soldiers, like their American counterparts, find that they have too much to carry and are seeking help from a drone to act as their cargo-carrying mule. For a long time, infantry have been carrying too much weight. It's a problem going back thousands of years, and few armies have been able to solve it. The American Army had a team of researchers in Afghanistan to collect information on the situation, and the numbers were not good. They found that the lightest load carried, the Fighting Load for situations where the troops were sneaking up on the enemy and might be involved in hand-to-hand combat, was about 29 kg. The Approach March Load, for when infantry were moving up to a position where they would shed some weight to achieve their Fighting Load, was 46 kg. The heaviest load, 60 kg, was the Emergency Approach March Load, where troops had to move through terrain too difficult for vehicles. As in the past, the troops often ignored the rules and regulations and dumped gear to keep moving. The researchers found that in Afghanistan, even though the infantry were in excellent physical shape, troops would sweat nearly 591 ml of fluid an hour while marching at high altitudes in bright sunlight in moderate temperatures. That meant more weight, in water, had to be found to keep these men going.
A lot of the weight carried is essential; weapons, for example. But the Army saved .91 kg in the 1960s when they switched from the M-14 rifle to the M-16. A lot of weight was saved in ammo carried as well, because a hundred M-16 bullets weighed .91 kg less than a hundred M-14 ones. Troops usually carry 200-300 rifle rounds. Plastic canteens replaced metal ones, and lighter sleeping bags and clothing appeared. Lighter food, pouches of freeze-dried MREs instead of wet food cans of C Rations. But heavier items were added, like the 7.7 kg Interceptor bulletproof vest and the heavier Kevlar helmet. Special Forces troops often go into action without a helmet and Interceptor vest, keeping the load under 18.2 kg. But that's only in those situations where the Special Forces calculate that speed and achieving surprise are worth more than the protection the vests provide. Most troops do not have that option.
The solution may be one that the Romans adopted 2,000 years ago. When marching to a combat zone, Roman soldiers carried over 45 kg. Eventually, it was decided to give every squad of eight soldiers a mule to carry part of the load and keep the troops fresh enough to do strenuous fighting if they encountered enemy troops unexpectedly while on the march.
FYEO

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 20, 2026 - 03:48 pm: Edit

Surface Forces : German Frigate Failure
July 17, 2026: Last month, Germany canceled plans to build six F126 frigates. These ships were supposed to cost about $21 billion in total, nearly double the original price. One F126 was under construction, but that work has been halted workers and materials will be sent to other projects.
The F126’s were to be the largest warships to serve in the German navy since World War II. The first of the six 10,000-ton F126s was to enter service in 2028. Each ship was supposed to cost about $1.5 billion, but costs kept rising, and by the time of the cancellation, the total was $3.5 billion.
These frigates were to be 177 meters long and have a top speed of about 50 kilometers an hour. Economical cruising speed is 21 kilometers an hour. Max range is 7,400 kilometers at cruising speed. Endurance is 21 days before refueling and resupply is needed. The crew of 114 could be augmented by 84 additional specialist personnel, including special operations troops. There is a full range of electronics, including surface and air search radars as well as fire control radar and sonar for detecting and tracking submarines. Radios include one that uses a satellite link. There are several decoy systems to disrupt the guidance systems on incoming missiles. If that didn’t work, there are several anti-missile systems that use autocannons and missiles. There are also VLS cells for up to 64 anti-aircraft missiles. Eight NSM anti-ship and land attack missiles are carried. There are also two 27mm autocannons and four 12.7 machine guns. There are also non-lethal water cannons and long-range acoustic devices to send warnings to small boats approaching the frigate. Two helicopters and one UAV are carried, along with a hangar to hold them all. The F126 was designed to be continuously deployed for two years without the need for major maintenance. This meant an F126 could operate for 5,000 hours a year, which was 57 percent of the 365 days in a year. Warships tend to spend a lot of time idle in port.
While the F126 was built for combat, its predecessor, the F125 frigates, also contained many innovations. Unfortunately, that resulted in an unexpected and unwanted distinction; the first ship of the class, the Baden-Württemberg, was rejected by the navy after failing to perform during sea trials. The builder quickly addressed the most serious problems, all of which were software related. The Baden-Württemberg finally entered service in 2018.
The Baden-Württemberg did not begin a year of sea trials until the end of 2016. This produced a growing list of problems the builders hustled to fix while also dealing with some of the defects. The list of problems was too long, and the Navy refused to accept or commission the Baden-Württemberg. While this was embarrassing, it was also the right thing to do because otherwise the problems would have become a major scandal.
Not all the problems were made public, if only because some involved new tech that was highly classified. It was known that a new computerized command and control software system for the CIC/Combat Information Center had an unacceptable number of bugs, as did some of the other software for automating operation of the ship and making possible a smaller, by about 50 percent, crew than would normally be needed. The new radar system and other sensors had problems, as did the damage control system. All these were easily fixed. There was also a perceptible 1.3-degree list to starboard, which has since been corrected.
The four F125 frigates each displace 7,200 tons. This is larger than some destroyers, but it's become unfashionable in Europe to call a warship a destroyer. Those attitudes played a role in the failure of the Baden-Württemberg. It was no secret that attracting the best engineering and design talent to warship construction has been difficult. Since the Cold War ended in 1991 and Germany was reunited, it became fashionable to downplay defense in general, and working in the military or defense industries became less popular. Even though these industries remained major employers and Germany continued to export innovative warship designs, the F125s were more innovative than any surface warship Germany had put into service during the last century.
To replace the cancelled F126s, Germany has ordered a dozen A-200 frigates. This is an increase from the original four ordered to become Germany’s contribution to NATO ASW/Anti-Submarine Warfare. Like the F126, the A-200s are built in Germany. There are currently 33 A-200s in service with one retired and more than a dozen on order. These ships have been exported to Turkey, Australia, Greece, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, Algeria, and Egypt. The current cost of an A-200 is about $1.8 billion
The 3,400-ton A-200 is 118 meters long and is propelled by diesel and gas turbine engines. Top speed is 59 kilometers per hour, and max range is 11,000 kilometers at a cruising speed of 33 kilometers per hour. The crew of 220 operates hull-mounted and optional towed array Sonars. There are air-search, surface-search, and navigation radars. There is an EW/Electronic Warfare system and decoys to deal with incoming missiles and torpedoes. There is a 127mm gun and three CIWS\Close-In Weapons Systems to deal with incoming missiles. There are eight VLS tubes for anti-aircraft missiles, plus eight more for Harpoon anti-ship missiles or the Similar RBS-15, which can also hit land targets. A medium-sized helicopter is carried and stored in a hangar.
FYEO

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 - 06:52 am: Edit

Russia is now testing cope cages they have developed to protect critical infrastructure ( oil and gas, yes. They are huge). A case of too little to late probably. There will always be another weak spot in the chain to attack now that Ukraine got the capability.

Source: Militarnyi.com