1/ The UAE has been installing cages around its oil depots to protect them from Iranian attacks. Russian warbloggers regard them with a mixture of scepticism and ennui, and say that Russia's bureaucracy makes a similar initiative unlikely there. ⬇️ bsky.app
👀 Claimed as giant cages protect refineries in the Persian Gulf In the UAE, huge metal structures are being built around fuel tanks to protect them from UAV attacks.
2/ 'War Chronicle' questions how effective the cages will really be: "We don't claim to have a PhD in engineering and aren't professional designers of protective structures, but the structure itself raises several questions." 3/ "The first concerns the cell size. Given the size of modern attack UAVs, we believe such a "sarcophagus" should have a significantly smaller cross-section. 4/ "Otherwise, there remains the risk that the drone itself or large debris could still reach the tanks after colliding with the frame. 5/ "The second issue concerns the distance between the tanks and the lower part of the structure. Currently, it appears small. In the event of a fire, this could complicate access for firefighting equipment, tank maintenance, and emergency response. 6/ "Moreover, the protection itself must account not only for a direct UAV hit, but also for the impact of large debris, the spread of burning fuel, and the need to localise damage to one tank without causing problems for adjacent tanks. 7/ "This lower boundary must be extended as far as possible from the tank, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the overall structure's size. But these are the times, so what can you do? 8/ "However, such protection only works for drones and is practically useless against ballistic/cruise missiles." 9/ 'Russian Engineer' expresses similar concerns, and concludes: "we need to move towards more robust, underground or semi-underground facilities with high-strength, reinforced concrete structures for critical infrastructure." 10/ "We also need to rethink the entire approach to construction, including requirements, and prioritise the construction of underground structures in new residential areas and industrial facilities. 11/ "This is, of course, more expensive than above-ground structures, but considering the cost of the equipment and its importance, this additional expense becomes relatively insignificant in the overall budget. And in critical moments, it could be extremely necessary." 12/ Some query why similar measures have not been taken in Russia. 'Two Majors' observes sourly: "We hope it's now clearer why we are constantly criticising our esteemed factory owners and their security personnel. It's the fifth year of the war." 13/ Answering this question, drone developer Alexey Chadeyev says that in contrast to the quick work by the Emiratis, who built the cages in only four months, it is impossible to do something similar in Russia due to the way that the bureaucracy works: 14/ "Last week, a large state-owned company contacted me. They received a task from the relevant ministry to equip their facilities with such protection, directly from the management. 15/ "The request is simple: how can we build these protective structures so that we don't end up in jail afterwards? I will publicly share what I told them. The problem is this. 16/ "The main way for a contractor to protect themselves when spending government money is to refer to some existing instruction from a government agency, which they can use as a guideline when planning expenses. 17/ "However, the problem is that there are no existing instructions for passive protection against drones in Russia; no one has had time to develop and adopt them. 18/ "Therefore, I told them to proceed as follows. First, you develop a plan based on your own ideas. Then – and God forbid you miss this step – you go to the command of the air defence division responsible for the area where your facility is located. 19/ "And you agree that your plan will be sent to you by them as recommendations, signed by some general. Even better, if you can persuade them to send a commission to inspect the facility and draw up a protocol. 20/ "But be aware that they will resist, because they generally don't care about your facilities. Their task is to detect and intercept, and they report on that, not on whether they managed to save a particular facility (of any category) or not. 21/ "And they won't simply put their signatures on recommendations. Therefore, a barter is possible here, for example: you purchase a good radar at your own expense (which they are always short of), integrate it into their detection system, and it becomes part of the document you need from them. 22/ "After you receive such a document from the military, you go to your relevant ministry and ask them (preferably a document you have prepared yourself) for an order from the industry headquarters of that ministry – addressed to you. 23/ "This is to ensure the organisation of passive protection in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Defence (see above). Bingo. The rest is just details. 24/ "By the time you have all these documents, a competition should have been prepared under Federal Law No 223, with more than one participant. 25/ "Conduct it according to the standard procedure, and in the terms and conditions, specify a partial advance payment (corresponding to the cost of materials and work, which must be carefully verified), and the final payment upon signing the acceptance certificate. 26/ "When signing the acceptance certificate, invite the military, civil servants, and officials from your ministry, and preferably the prosecutor's office as well – they don't participate in the signing, but they will later check your expenses. 27/ "Of course, even this is not a guarantee, but in our time, as you know, the main thing is not so much security as being protected. And not only from drones." 'Intelligence Diary' comments that much of the budget would just be stolen anyway: 28/ "In our case, for a similar project, they would first create a budget with five zeros, half of which would be embezzled during the interbank transfer, and the remaining portion would be used to purchase cheap barbed wire instead of armoured steel. 29/ "The deadlines, of course, would be pushed back by three years, while the budget would be quadrupled through the right contracting companies. However, reports on "unprecedented protection of facilities" would be submitted on schedule." /end Sources: 🔹 t.me 🔹 t.me 🔹 t.me 🔹 t.me 🔹 t.me