Originally Posted by
MJ89
500 ton TNT equivalent may not have much of a bang compared with Tzar Bombs, but it will still lead to a rapid and severe response from the USA and from NATO. That response may not be nuclear in the first instance, but the use of the TNW or WMD of any sort is open to all comers who object to the criminal actions of Russia. Every signatory to the UN Charter has an epiphany at that point; either support a criminal terrorist using WMD and be treated as a co-conspirator, with the economic and diplomatic consequences, or to object to the actions of Putin'. Simple, stark choices, prior to any boots on ground, and there will almost certainly be both boots on ground and unfettered conventional arms supply to Ukraine to end Russian aggression and criminal actions..
We are well past the time.of calling Russia under Putin what it is, a criminal, terrorist state, and a sponsor of international terrorism. They have no compunction to kill their own people, they certainly have no objection to killing their neighbours.
On a military aviation theme, the use of TNW would drop all necessity to not upset Putin', there are available assets to provide the Ukrainian airforce and army, would be thinking that a few hundred Oh6/OH58s would be a starting point, for interdiction,along with gallons of UH1s, to give mobility behind the FEBA, C130's to give an air bridge to the east, and (yaay) A-10's to prove that they can do what they were designed to do, and swarms of F16's, to save them from being turned into targets down at Tyndall.
In meantime, warm clothes, and ammo... And sufficient PGM to remove the rail links to Russia for the next couple of years.