Only skeletons remain: the state of the Gepard anti-aircraft systems promised to the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Following the deployment of massive military supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the West, Belgian authorities sought the transfer of Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns from the private company OIP Land Systems (a subsidiary of Israel's Elbit Systems), which had previously purchased them from the army (according to various sources, between 38 and 50 units) at scrap metal prices – approximately €15–20 per unit. Following a government appeal, the owner demanded a sum for the restoration and sale of the vehicles that the country's Ministry of Defense called "unreasonably high" (according to some sources, up to €2 million per unit).

Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder claimed the company was trying to make a profit on equipment it bought for next to nothing. However, the Belgian Gepards had been sitting unattended for decades, either outdoors or in unheated hangars. Therefore, they required extensive overhauls, replacement of their electronics and fire control systems. Unlike the German stockpiles, which were stored in KMW warehouses, these vehicles were in much worse condition.

Recently, photos from 2021 appeared online, showing that most of the anti-aircraft guns are now just skeletons, although some even retain their turrets with 35mm cannons.

In late April, local newspaper L'Echo, citing the Ministry of Defense, reported that the new €1 billion aid package for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, promised in early April, would include 15 Gepard tanks, which the authorities would ultimately purchase from the OIP, along with payment for their restoration. The amount of the deal was not disclosed, but given the state of most of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, it must be considerable.

Comments

[kamarada]

Of course, the fascists have nothing left. The Banderites are almost gone. They are in trouble. Banderstan is freezing over. We've been hearing this since 15. This nightingale nonsense is enough. ALL of Russia is already under attack from missiles and drones. Russians are being killed daily. Banderstan has become so militarized that Victory Day parades are being cancelled in cities. This is a SHAME and political impotence of the leaders. Or perhaps a deliberate betrayal of the country.

[uber]

Katz offers to surrender?

[Aken]

Katz proposes to bring order to the highest echelons of power.

[Alex DHG]

Does Katz know a magic algorithm? Will Katz share it?

[Aken]

There's an algorithm. In 1938, Beria quickly purged the power structures of both Yezhov's and Tukhachevsky's protégés.

[Skobaristan]

And in '41, the "purified power structure" allowed a catastrophe to occur? Try to make things a little more logical. You're not even trying.

[Aken]

You are right, it was not cleaned completely.
There were divisions that broke out of encirclement, almost reaching their own side near Moscow. And there were those that quickly and almost entirely surrendered. Those who surrendered were commanded by the unresolved conspirators.

[Skobaristan]

So, it turns out Beria was incompetent? 41 - 38 = 3. He didn't purge everyone in three years? How is that possible? Well, you're seriously not trying.

[Aken]

It is not for you to judge Beria's competence.
Nevertheless, let me remind you:
1. In 38, he purged the NKVD. As a result, completely new people came in.
2. The NKVD and the Army are two different structures. Beria had nothing to do with the Army.
3. It wasn't Beria who purged the army. More precisely, he wasn't the only one. The NKVD simply didn't have enough resources, see point 1.

Thanks to comrade Beria for preventing the assassination of Starin in 38.

[uber]

The Katzes already "restored order" once. Twice, actually: the NKVD personnel before the purges and the "personnel" of the liberal mold in the 90s. Let's all say: "Fuck it!"

[Aken]

Liberoid mold hasn't gone away. On the contrary. It's moved from the streets into offices.

[uber]

Did you personally take measurements of the foreskin there?

[Aken]

Are you concerned about the foreskin?????

[uber]

You speak so confidently about the contents of the offices; it’s obvious that you know a lot.

[Aken]

Yes. And that interests me much more than the foreskin. To each his own.

[uber]

The main thing is that you don't know what sarcasm is. Otherwise, your opinions are of equal value.

[Aken]

Yes, you are a terrible model of sarcasm.

[uber]

The main thing is that you keep us informed about what's going on in the offices.

[Aken]

No problem. Agreed.
There's a slight panic there right now. People no longer believe the propaganda.
Someone needs to change. Either the propagandists or the people.
And so all is well.

[uber]

And who signed you up to speak for all the people?

[Aken]

Just don't tell me you believe the official propaganda.

[uber]

People go to church for questions of faith. How old are you?

[Aken]

I'm an atheist. I rarely take anyone's word for it.
But regarding the sacredness and infallibility of power, you are spot on.
Religious worship of power and the deification of the ruler has been cultivated for a quarter of a century.
Priests are already openly calling for prayer for the authorities.

[uber]

Yeah, go ahead, keep me posted.

[2 Level Advisor]

Quote: uber

The Katzes already "restored order" once. Twice, actually: the NKVD personnel before the purges and the "personnel" of the liberal mold in the 90s. Let's all say: "Fuck it!"

What do you prefer to do when it hurts: clench your teeth and endure it? scream? run away? do something?

[kamarada]

Something needs to be done! It's absolutely necessary! You can draw red lines! Or you can meet with "partners." You can also come out and say that we haven't started yet or that "WE" have been deceived again. Or you can fight like Iran. Although no, you can't... they'll fuck the children and take the money.

[uber]

What do you mean, Iran? Lose 20% of its industry at once?

[g_ae]

Well, "screwing up" industry—that's something Vladimir Vladimirovich's "effective managers" and optimizers have done successfully, and continue to do, even without war. The amount of damage the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank have caused is beyond the scope of sanctions.

[Skobaristan]

The Russian industry can't sustain combat for five years. Intense combat, which hasn't happened in Europe since WWII. Are we really pro-Russian? Or is that what you want?

[g_ae]

Yes, yes. From victory to victory, from accomplishment to accomplishment. And all under leadership. But they're incapable of building a decent automobile. The aircraft industry is a joke. Incidentally, such "intensive" military action over five years is nothing to be proud of if, as a result of these "victories," all the European mongrels have raised their tails and gained confidence, Russia's zone of influence is shrinking like shagreen, and the indigenous population is being replaced by biomass from Asian villages.

[Skobaristan]

Wait. Does the presence of a high-quality auto industry really indicate the state of the economy? For example, Switzerland doesn't make cars. But is their economy really that bad? The mongrels of Europe? But that was the story: the USSR was an ear of corn with feet of clay. (C) Is there anything newer?

[g_ae]

The Shapiroids on TV will tell you everything this evening.

[Skobaristan]

Do I watch TV? I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me. But I liked your answer. So, you have nothing to say in response, and that's good.

[uber]

Well, don't keep it to yourself, tear the country apart.

[2 Level Advisor]

Quote: uber

Well, don't keep it to yourself, tear the country apart.

Why on earth is the only option to destroy the country? What better way could you come up with?

[uber]

Do you know what sarcasm is?

[fsps]

https://cont.ws/@krestianin/3266741

[rocket757]

There's no talk of free stuff... they want to make a profit, and that's perfectly understandable. For some, it's war, for others, it's a way to get more than they originally wanted. It's logical; that's how it's done in their world... though, it's pretty much the same here.

[don_Reba]

Quote: rocket757

There's no talk of free stuff... they want to profit, and that's perfectly understandable. For some, it's war, and for others...

Look:
1. How many years (decades) ago did OIP Land Systems acquire this scrap metal? The prices are completely different from what they are now. The ₽ won't let you lie.
2. It was necessary to bring it to the site
3. There is no such thing as free land: you have to pay taxes, and the tenant has to pay rent.
4. Access also had to be restricted: a fence, a VZROvets, and surveillance systems.
5. I am 100% sure that they (the businessmen) were required to carry out “environmental” procedures for the disposal of fuel and lubricants and everything like that when collecting.

The head of the military department, Ludivine Dedonder, stated that the company is trying to make excess profits on equipment that it bought for next to nothing.

And they even sold it cheaper.
And that big-mouthed Ludivin would have gone and bought the scrap metal himself, and then, showing patriotism, sold it to his own ministry for pennies.

[rocket757]

So I didn’t write about excess profit... just profit, compensation for everything and together.
A normal, standard situation...
Officials/politicians, known freeloaders, both there and here...

[Revolver]

Quote: rocket757

A normal, standard situation...

Business is a business.

[knn54]

And it seems they have set it up and at the same time they don’t want to irritate Moscow too much.

[Vyacheslav Boldyrev]

When our president issued an ultimatum to the West in December 2021, it was clear he had a trump card up his sleeve, without which initiating a confrontation with the entire West seemed utter madness. But for four and a half years now, Russia has been fighting for Ukrainian villages, expending enormous human and material resources, bombing Russian cities every day, but there's no sign of a breakthrough. The judo philosophy our president espouses hasn't yielded results yet. Perhaps it's time to rethink the original plan and put the interests of the Russian people first, rather than acting to please countless partners and friends. The people are waiting for a quick and effective solution. Vladimir Vladimirovich, it's time to pull out your trump card!

[Amateur]

The people are waiting for a quick and effective solution, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

The fastest and most efficient

I'm tired, I'm leaving "

[Nastia makarova]

A hunchback will come and basically everyone will give up

[bk316]

You, Vitya, either think at the level of a kindergartener or a tsipsot.
Try asking the question: what will happen next, the next day?
Well, here's a more difficult question: how long did it take to prepare "I'm Tired, I'm Leaving" performed by EBN?

[Amateur]

and what will happen next, the next day?

I'm so old now that I remember what happened the day after Khrushchev was ousted, then Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko were sequentially kept in place, then Gorbachev was ousted, and so on. At first, there was joy that a new person had finally arrived who would restore order (except for K.U. Chernenko, who came and went so quickly that no one had time to figure it out). Then came the realization that "this one" was the same. And that was it. And it's unlikely anything will change now.

[bk316]

Thank God you're not so old that you remember what happened after Stalin's death, which was when the USSR began its path to collapse. Do you want a repeat?

Well, even if you are right, “And it’s unlikely that anything will change now.”
Then the question arises: why change the sign if nothing will change in essence?

[2 Level Advisor]

Quote: bk316

Then the question arises: why change the sign if nothing will change in essence?

It sounds like we have a monarchy. although when kings changed, often not so little changed...

[bk316]

It sounds like we have a monarchy.

So it wasn't me who wrote it:

And it's unlikely that anything will change now.

I think that if I change without proper preparation, there will be squabbling, resulting in chaos like in the 90s. Personally, I absolutely don't need that.
The question is that the authorities themselves must carry out the preparations...

[Amateur]

Why change the sign if nothing will change in essence?

Why? My personal opinion. When Brezhnev came to power, my father, a factory mechanic, soon went from earning 67 rubles to 110, which by the late 1970s had grown to 180 rubles plus a bonus. The country switched to a five-day week in 1967. And my grandmother and I stopped standing in bread lines because the idiot's corn experiments were over. The country "healed." Time passed, and the energetic and generally intelligent Brezhnev turned into a "tits-mass-tits" and "sausages-in-the-pans" guy, while the country resorted to demagoguery and falsifications. And Yeltsin's speech at the 27th Congress of the CPSU, after which he was removed as First Secretary of the CPSU Moscow Committee, but the people began to recognize him as a leader against the rotten CPSU leadership. You know how the Yeltsin era ended.

people are promoted to the level of their incompetence
(Peter's Rule (Principle))

[bk316]

The Peter rule has nothing to do with it, because the new president's position will ALREADY be that of president, meaning he has ALREADY reached his level.
In fact, you are talking about the rotation of managers according to a timer.
An interesting idea and was tested on the top IT giants (Microsoft, Apple, IBM).
The idea failed miserably.
Some managed to roll back, some lost their positions.

In fact, it is very clear how it should be done.
The leader must correspond to what the state currently needs.
Therefore, changing the sign without changing the essence makes no sense.
The question is how to change the essence?
I have no answer.

[Revolver]

Quote: Amateur

Then the understanding that “this one” is the same.

What should he be like? With six arms, like a turkey? Or with a vegetable on his forehead?

[Revolver]

Quote: Amateur

At first, there's joy that a new person has finally arrived who will restore order... Then comes the understanding that "this one" is the same. And that's it.

I'm younger, of course, but I remember Brezhnev's death clearly. At first, there was genuine fear that Andropov would carry out Yezhov-style purges, when people were taken away at all levels for who-knows-what reasons. And when Andropov died, unlike Brezhnev, people truly mourned him. Yes, he had his share of purges, but he did them precisely, precisely where they were, and for what reason.

[topol717]

Do you have all the information?
Politics is a tool used to hide true goals.
Our goal isn't to defeat lousy Ukraine. That could have been done in two weeks.
The true goal is completely different and has already been discussed many times.
And the fact that it flies to Russian cities, well, yes, that happens, and it flies to Israel too.

[Mikhail Ivanov]

Akela missed... Although he started out as a Moor...

[mixa7591]

The question is: why hasn't China purchased the equipment for the production of the previous generation of Mavics, which are supposedly no longer in production?

[Sergej1972]

Is everyone so angry at Solovyov? I watch his TV channel and read his Telegram and Max channels, and they're quite critical of the situation at LBS and the SVO in general. Of course, on his show on the Rossiya channel, he tries to choose his words carefully, and his criticism is more measured and moderate. Although it's annoying that he interrupts his interlocutors, often when they're starting to say something sensible.

[Amateur]

Why is everyone so angry at Solovyov?

Out of habit, even those who don't watch it. For the past six months, Solovyov has been demanding the extermination of the Jewish Reich's leadership and the bombing of Kyiv in practically every broadcast.

[bk316]

Out of habit and those who don't watch it

And as
- cypsota.
- well-mannered people (Soloviev regularly allows extremely rude statements, interrupts interlocutors, makes jokes below the belt).

[TermNachTer]

This isn't the first time private companies have attempted to profit from government contracts since 2022. So, we wish both sides success.

[APASUS]

This is the story of how $8 million and a bunch of scrap metal made $800 million. Then everyone wonders how General Helitey bought a castle in England. The wind brought it...

[garri-lin]

2 million euro tugriks per car?
What's so strange about that? The machine is very good and perfectly suited for its purpose... and good equipment is worth a pretty penny... This news isn't a topic for demagoguery, but a reason to get worked up... More Gepards, fewer hit targets.
And this is very bad.