All US military aid to Ukraine
What is on the list of military aid provided by the United States to Ukraine to resist the invasion of Russia. An in-depth study by Giovanni Martinelli
On May 10, the Pentagon made public the updated list of military aid provided by the United States to Ukraine. This is a particularly “full-bodied” list full of points of interest. As rich as the total amount of these same aid, which during the Biden administration's mandate has already reached 4.5 billion dollars; 3.8 of which since the beginning of the Russian invasion against Kiev.
To give a term of reference, it should be borne in mind that the Ukrainian defense budget had reached its all-time high in the last few years; remaining however around 5.9 billion dollars. Therefore, relatively modest figures but now, thanks to the aid of the USA and the West in general, it is in fact as if they have increased several times.
Before addressing in more detail what has been provided to Kiev in recent months, a quick emphasis on the fact that the United States is not only the one who is helping this country the most but, above all, it is also the most transparent; almost every supply of them is in fact communicated in an open and direct way.
As we said, the list in question is really long and would require a full description
too much space and time. Logica therefore wants attention to be placed on the most important. Starting with the huge number of missiles of different types. In particular, the Stinger shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missiles (over 1,400) and the Javelin anti-tank missiles (over 5,500). Still on the subject of anti-tank weapons, numerous rocket launchers of various types (over 14,000) were also supplied.
In the context of systems intended for contrasting the means (but, in this case, also of positions / positions) of the opponents, the fearsome “Loitering Munition” are worthy of note. That is, "drones" equipped with an explosive charge that ensure a certain ability to attack from above. In the supply phase there are over 700 Switchblades (300 in the "lighter" version, while for the "heavier" 600 version there seem to be difficulties in their production) and 121 Phoenix Ghosts (the latter, still shrouded in mystery). Still on the subject of "drones", but this time only with surveillance / reconnaissance tasks, the RQ-20A Puma.
The supply of 16 Mi-17 helicopters (5 already supplied a few months ago, plus 11 that should arrive at their destination in these weeks) is also very important. These are aircraft of the ex-Afghan Air Force, left at the disposal of the USA, which are now flying them in Kiev.
The chapter on land vehicles is also significant; in addition to hundreds of “Armored HMMWVs” (the famous Hummers), 200 armored vehicles for the transport of M113 troops are expected to arrive from the depots in the United States. Here it is worth opening a parenthesis, to underline on the one hand how the current effort aims (as far as possible) to supply systems already in use by the Ukrainian Forces and, on the other hand, to provide new systems that are less demanding in terms of training (albeit a bit dated at times).
Still on the subject of vehicles, 72 “Tactical Vehicles” will also be supplied for handling part of the M777 guns. These in turn will be as many as 90, all of which have now arrived in Ukraine together with hundreds of thousands of ammunition (also demonstrating the extraordinary speed achieved in terms of delivery times) and constitute by far one of the most valuable operational assets supplied to Kiev.
The numerous radars intended for identifying enemy fire sources are connected to the subject of gunners; there are 17 radars defined as “counter artillery” and 4 those “counter mortar” (in addition to these 2 additional radars for aerial surveillance).
One of the fundamental skills on modern battlefields is represented by fast and safe communication between the various subjects that operate there; in this sense it is particularly important to send secure (ie, encrypted) tactical communication systems. It should also be noted that equipment for the so-called electronic “jamming” was included in the latest aid package; that is the disturbance as well as the actual attack of the adversary electronic systems.
Numerically speaking, the supply of equipment, protections, individual weapons (and related ammunition) of various types, explosives and mines as well as medical supplies for the units of the Ukrainian forces is truly remarkable. Through all of this, it has been / will be possible to grant them greater combat as well as survival skills.
And while some supplies are still waiting to be clarified with respect to specific technical-operational aspects (such as the APKWS II guided rockets and naval surface "drones"), the chapter dedicated to commercial satellite images, which are shot at the Ukraine and provide vital support to its defense forces.
A topic which, moreover, is related to another item, not included in the list but of sure and very great importance; that is, the “intelligence” chapter. The US is in fact providing numerous, detailed and constantly updated information which constitutes an enormous operational advantage for the forces of Kiev; both for defense operations and in the case of offensive operations.
Obviously then, everyone is aware that the flow of US aid to Ukraine will certainly not stop there; in fact, having remembered that Congress has already approved the "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (and that is a provision that will guarantee even greater simplicity and speed in sending new weapons), Congress will also soon pass a special provision dedicated to supporting Ukraine. And of the 40 billion dollars expected, at least 6 will be dedicated to the “Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative”; that is, new weapons intended to support the war effort in Kiev also in the coming months.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/stati-uniti-aiuti-militari-ucraina/ on Fri, 13 May 2022 05:48:22 +0000.