From the BBC:
“Ukraine weapons: What tanks and other equipment are the
world giving?”
Germany and the US have confirmed that they are sending tanks
to Ukraine in a show of support for the government in Kyiv. The German
government said it will be sending 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, while the US
is planning to deliver 31 Abrams in the coming months. Germany has also given
the go-ahead to a number of other European countries which want to send their
own German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. The UK, which has already committed
14 of its own tanks, has welcomed the announcements. More than 30 countries
have provided military equipment to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February
2022.
Tank
Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelensky has said his forces
need Western battle tanks urgently to defend its territory and to push Russian
troops out of occupied areas. Some Western officials believe that Russian
forces are currently in a weak position and that these more advanced tanks
could help Ukraine to push Russian troops back. The Leopard 2, used by a number
of European countries, is easier to maintain and requires less fuel than some
western alternatives. In the months which followed the Russian invasion,
Western nations were keen to offer Ukraine Warsaw Pact rather than Nato
standard weaponry, because Ukraine's armed forces had a ready supply of trained
crew, spare parts and maintenance capabilities. Switching to Nato standard
tanks would have required a range of logistical support which Ukraine did not
have in place. Kyiv believes its forces are now in a position to use more Nato
standard equipment.
The UK has agreed to provide 14 Challenger 2 tanks to
Ukraine. The Challenger 2 is the British army's main battle tank.
The Challenger 2 was built in the 1990s, but is significantly
more advanced than other tanks available to Ukraine's armed forces. Ukraine
used Warsaw Pact designed T-72 tanks prior to the invasion, and since February
2022 has received more than 200 T-72s from Poland, the Czech Republic and a
small number of other countries.
Announcing the US decision to send 31 Abrams tanks to
Ukraine, President Joe Biden described them as "the most capable tanks in
the world". He said the US would start training Ukrainian soldiers to use
them immediately but it remains unclear how long it will be until the tanks
themselves are delivered. The BBC's Gary O'Donoghue in Washington says the
funding process for the tanks means they may not be deployed for several
months.
Combat vehicles
Military professionals point out that success on the
battlefield requires a vast range of equipment, deployed in coordination, with
the necessary logistical support in place.
The Stryker is one of the many armoured vehicles that have
been donated to Ukraine. The US recently confirmed that 90 Strykers would soon
be dispatched.
Among the other vehicles donated by the US recently were 59
more Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. They were used extensively by US
forces in Iraq. Characteristics of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The Bradley is
heavier and better armoured than Russian equivalents. Its weapons include a
25mm chain gun and anti-tank missiles, making it effective against infantry,
light and even heavily armoured vehicles.
Air defences
In December, the US also announced it was sending the Patriot
missile system to Ukraine - and Germany and the Netherlands have recently
followed suit. This highly sophisticated system has a range of up to 62 miles
(100km), depending on the type of missile used, and requires specialised
training for Ukrainian soldiers, likely to be carried out at a US Army base in
Germany. But the system is expensive to operate - one Patriot missile costs
around $3m.
Since the start of the conflict, Ukraine has been using
Soviet-era S-300 surface-to-air systems against Russian attacks. Before the
conflict began in February, Ukraine had about 250 S-300s and there have been
efforts to replenish these with similar systems stockpiled in other former
Soviet countries, with some coming from Slovakia.
The US has also provided Nasams (National Advanced
Surface-to-Air Missile System) to Ukraine. The first Nasams arrived in Ukraine
in November.
In addition, the UK has provided several air defence systems,
including Starstreak, designed to bring down low-flying aircraft at short
range. Germany has also provided air defence systems, including the IRIS-T air
defence systems which can hit approaching missiles at an altitude of up to
20km.
Long-range rockets
Among the long-range rocket launchers sent to Ukraine by the
US are the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or Himars. Several
European countries have also sent similar systems. Himars are believed to have
been central to Ukraine's success in pushing Russian forces back in the south,
particularly in Kherson in November. Crucially, the range of Himars, and many
other systems, varies according to the munitions used, and it is believed that
western donors have not provided the ammunition with the longest range. The
munitions thought to have been supplied to Ukraine give the system a range of
about 50 miles (80km), which is further than the Smerch system on the Russian
side.
Himars systems are also much more accurate than the
equivalent Russian systems.
Howitzers
In the months following the invasion and Russia's retreat
from Kyiv, much of the war centred on the east of the country where supplies of
artillery to Ukraine were in heavy demand. Australia, Canada and the US were
among the countries to send advanced M777 howitzers and ammunition to Ukraine. The
range of the M777 is similar to Russia's Giatsint-B howitzer, and much longer
than Russia's D-30 towed gun.
Anti-tank weapons
Thousands of Nlaw weapons, designed to destroy tanks with a
single shot, have also been supplied to Ukraine. The weapons are thought to
have been particularly important in stopping the advance of Russian forces on
Kyiv in the hours and days following the invasion.
Drones
Drones have featured heavily in the conflict so far, with
many used for surveillance, targeting and heavy lift operations. Turkey
has sold Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine in recent months, whilst the
Turkish manufacturer of the system has donated drones to crowd-funding
operations in support of Ukraine. Analysts say the Bayraktar TB2s have
been extremely effective, flying at about 25,000 feet (7,600m) before
descending to attack Russian targets with laser-guided bombs.
^ The US is leading the world in supplying Ukraine with the
modern 21st Century equipment it needs to defend itself from Russia and to
defeat Russia.
Russia's Military Equipment is 99% from Soviet Times
(1917-1991) including hundreds of thousands of their Mobilized Troops.
Giving the Ukrainians this training and equipment shows our
active support against Russian War Crimes. ^
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