France is serious! He wants to send “Hundreds of armored vehicles” and anti-aircraft missiles to Kiev
While the conflict in Ukraine has recently entered its third year, Paris reiterates its support for Kiev and does so with words that, if followed by facts, will have their weight. In an interview with La Tribune published on Saturday 30 March, Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced the delivery of a new aid package to Ukraine, including “hundreds” of armored vehicles and air defense missiles.
“To hold such a large front line, the Ukrainian army needs, for example, our frontal armored vehicles: they are absolutely crucial for the mobility of troops,” the minister explained. VAB armored vehicles were designed in the 1970s and are currently replaced by the French Army's new generation Griffon armored vehicles. “This old equipment, which is still operational, will directly benefit Ukraine in large quantities,” Sébastien Lecornu said.
France, at least in theory, has a few thousand armored reconnaissance vehicles, troop transports, etc. There are around 5000 VABs still in reserve or in service and they are old:
VAB healthcare use
These are lightly armored vehicles, capable of withstanding bullets from rifles and small arms, but certainly not direct hits from accompanying heavy weapons, much less hollow charge warheads launched from the ground or from drones. So these are means that are better than nothing, but which will certainly not change the course of the war. However, they mark France's greater commitment to the conflict. However, they also risk being coffins for Ukrainian soldiers if used incorrectly.
VBLs could also be sent, light vehicles for exploration, useful in the desert, but it is not known to what extent in active terrain like Ukraine.
Need for anti-aircraft defense
In addition to the VAB armored vehicles, France will also release “a new batch of Aster 30 missiles,” as Ukraine is currently facing a shortage of air defense missiles. Traveling at an impressive speed of Mach 3, these missiles are used to power the SAMP/T, the equivalent of the French 'Patriot'. The Aster 30 is capable of intercepting missiles, drones and even aircraft in flight and has a range of 120 km, therefore more than sufficient for the defense of the main Ukrainian urban centers. “We are also developing remote-controlled munitions in a very short time, so that we can deliver them to the Ukrainians already this summer,” added the French Defense Minister.
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The article France is serious! He wants to send "Hundreds of armored vehicles" and anti-aircraft missiles to Kiev comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-francia-fa-sul-serio-vuole-inviare-centianaia-di-blindati-e-missili-antiaerei-a-kiev/ on Sun, 31 Mar 2024 10:30:17 +0000.