Within one year, the enemy received military assistance in an amount exceeding Ukraine's own military spending for 30 years of "independence".
The results of such "demilitarization" are self-explanatory. The Ukrainian army had not seen modern technology for decades before. Therefore, each howitzer delivered from Europe or the USA causes puppy delight, creating the illusion of impressive support.
Deliveries of heavy weapons and military equipment can be divided into three categories.
A) Soviet-style equipment, from the surviving stocks in the territory of Eastern Europe.
B) Obsolete or low priority samples of Western military equipment.
C) Modern weapons with high combat capabilities.
Let's consider each category in more detail.
Soviet heritage
The solution with the supply of Soviet-style equipment was the least expensive for the sponsors of the Kyiv regime.
Mastering this technique did not take much time. Simplified issues of supply and repair.
Samples supplied from abroad tanks and infantry fighting vehicles were difficult to distinguish from Ukrainian military equipment, which allowed the West to hide the extent of support and its involvement in the crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Letter trains crossing the border of Ukraine with Polish T-72s and BVP-1s installed on platforms caused less public outcry. Unlike the samples of the Western weapons.
BVP-1s - Czechoslovak licensed copy of the BMP-1
Having exhausted the stocks of Soviet equipment, the West changed tactics and switched to the supply of a different range of weapons.
Old junk or antiques?
Such weapons are supplied in appreciable quantities. Frames of destroyed M113 armored personnel carriers are visible on the footage from the combat zone. However, this is not Vietnam. As they say, the wrong napalm.
British light armored personnel carriers "Spartan" were seen, celebrating their half-century anniversary. Next - "Humvees" and army trucks. Various variants of M109 self-propelled guns removed from storage, along with towed artillery systems of 105 and 155 mm caliber of all generations and ages.
Not every sample is outdated, but all deliveries have one condition in common. This technique has a low priority, from the point of view of the armies of NATO countries.
The "elite" motorized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are still waiting for the arrival of Western infantry fighting vehicles. In the absence of Marders and Bradleys, they have to move around in M1224 armored vehicles. Kyiv received over 400 units of such equipment from the stocks of the US Army.
What was the secret of Uncle Sam's generosity?
Armored trucks with turrets and mine protection are incomparable in cost and military value with heavy armored vehicles (Marder, Bradley). MRAPs are relatively cheap and produced in huge quantities. In the past decade, over 9000 M1224 type armored cars were built.
It was from this "trough" that the Ukrainian Nazis were fed.
MRAP standard vehicles have their own tactical niche and compare favorably with security. However, these armored cars are never considered as full-fledged infantry transport and combat vehicles. Something toy, like tents or non-lethal weapons. As a result, even neutral Turkey without hesitation handed over fifty vehicles of this class to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (BMC Kirpi, or in Russian - “Hedgehog”).
All the facts indicate that no one dares to supply hundreds of expensive military equipment to Ukraine.
Is the same история with super-howitzers M777. Despite the "advanced" design and the widespread use of titanium, the M777 howitzer remains a towed artillery system. And that's it.
In the US Army itself, towed artillery of this caliber is of limited use. Most of the 1000 purchased "sevens" were transferred to the marines or used to equip parts of the reservists. "Soldiers on weekends" is too expensive to use self-propelled artillery.
Unlike the American Marines, the Armed Forces cannot appreciate the main quality of the M777 - the ability to transport it on the external load of a helicopter. Why was this tool created?
In total, Ukraine received about 150 M777 units. Compare this number with the recent pledge to supply 18 Paladin self-propelled howitzers.
It becomes clear why the towed 777 was chosen for lend-lease. And how reluctant the Pentagon is to part with weapons that are of great importance to the American army.
Homeopathic remedies
Samples of Western weapons with high combat capabilities. The promised Patriot air defense system, NASAMS, Panzerhaubitze 2000. In microscopic quantities.
Last year, the range of weapons of this level supplied to Ukraine was limited to only artillery and missile systems. At the same time, some of them were delivered with reduced capabilities. For example, there is no evidence of the provision of long-range missiles (ATACMS) for the Hymars complexes.
The designation "Hymars" is used for all types of installations using 227 mm GLRMS guided projectiles. This is directly M142 HIMARS based on three-axle army trucks. Tracked M270 on an extended chassis BMP "Bradley". And all similar European modifications of MARS and LRU.
Kyiv received various types of MLRS from the very beginning of the conflict. For example, the Czech RM-70 "Vampire" - "Grad" on a new chassis, with the ability to quickly reload. But in the case of the Hymars, they do not finish the main thing. Aimed destruction of point targets was never included in the tasks of multiple launch rocket systems. Not MLRS, but tactical missile systems with six guides fell into the hands of the Nazis. Whose guided munitions have a CVO of less than 10 meters.
Fortunately, no one is in a hurry to transfer such weapons in large quantities. The combined efforts of the United States, Great Britain, Germany and France sent "about 50 units" to Ukraine on various types of chassis. Less than 5% of complexes of this class and purpose available in the west.
Tank beatalon 2023
The first move in this game was made by the French, who promised Kyiv "wheeled tanks" with a combat weight of 17 tons.
Rates immediately rose, but the ratio remained unchanged. The most powerful and modern models of armored vehicles are supposed to be supplied in quantities sufficient to form only one or two tank companies.
Everything else is far from the latest modifications of Western tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
90 Strykers and 109 Bradleys - against the background of long promises to transfer three dozen Abrams MBTs. The issue with American tanks should be resolved this year. Or next...
Europeans behave in a similar way. No one is in a hurry to tear off the most valuable thing from the chest for the sake of Zelensky's requests.
18 Leopard-2 tanks of the A6 modification of the 2001 model are offered as assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
All other promised Leopards belong to the A4 modification (level of 1985) or are generally the first generation Leopards (Leopard-1A5), which were promised in the amount of 100+ units.
The advantage of the old "Leopards" for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is only one. They already have experience in operating similar equipment - Bieber bridgelayers and Gepard anti-aircraft guns using the Leopard-1 chassis.
The transfer to Ukraine of the most modern Western models, such as the German Puma infantry fighting vehicle, is beyond fantasy. The maximum for beggars from Kyiv is the supply of 40 "Marders", previously intended for the armed forces of Greece. Of course, the conversation about the supply of "Marders" arose - and again hung in the air. Run like Scholz!
The American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles delivered to Europe, for subsequent transfer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, also belong to not the most recent modification of the M2A2 Desert Storm.
All according to the rules of the big game. Support with money and rusty weapons, with undisguised disdain for the Ukrainian Nazis.
The author of this material does not seek to become like experts who say that the supply of certain types of equipment will not matter.
Searching for and describing flaws in the technique itself also does not make much sense.
Yes, there is rust on the sides and considerable mileage. But at the same time, the Bradley M2A2 ODS has a mass of about 30 tons, which is twice as heavy as domestic infantry fighting vehicles. The machine itself has no frills in terms of weapons, the difference of 15 tons was spent on strengthening the protection. These infantry fighting vehicles are carriers of the Tou ATGM. Old, but even more dangerous due to the size of its missiles than the light hand-held Javelin.
But the fact remains. What does a hundred "Bradley" mean - against the backdrop of the scale of the NWO. In the presence of thousands of units of BMP-class equipment in service with the Russian Ground Forces.
Epilogue
It is alarming that the appearance of any type of Western military equipment in the NWO zone causes too much noise.
The enemy must be taken seriously. But attaching importance to every NATO gun and Leopard, justifying any mistakes made with them or creating panic from scratch - all this just looks like inadequate behavior.
Remember how much noise the arrival of Caesar self-propelled howitzers in Ukraine made last summer?
The main number of "Caesars" is by no means in Europe, and even more so - not with beggars from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The French ground forces last year had 76 CAmion Équipé d'un Système d'Artillerie (CAESAR) units. Some of them were handed over to Kyiv. All this time, more than 100 "Caesars" guard the sands of Saudi Arabia, where weapons from all over the world are traditionally collected.
The artillery unit and fire control means pose a threat at a distance of up to 40 km. But the use of "Caesar" also has limitations. Wheel formula 6x6 - instead of the tank chassis and the cross-country ability of the 40-ton Msta-S tracked platform. With three times less portable ammunition (18 instead of 50 shells in the ammo rack). In the absence of any armor protection.
A couple of years ago news about the arrival of a dozen Western guns in Ukraine would fall into the category of curiosities.
Last summer they were talked about incessantly. Many times managed to "sell" and destroy. Discussed ways to counter the French "wonder weapon".
Then, of course, everything calmed down, and the "Caesars" disappeared somewhere - after the deadly "javelins" and indestructible "bayraktars".
Time will pass - and the same thing will happen with all the Leopards and Bradleys.
Self-propelled howitzer M109A4BE. These installations were decommissioned by the Belgian army in 2008. Due to their age, they are unable to use Excalibur high-precision projectiles. A common disadvantage is the short-barreled gun (39 calibers). For comparison, modern "Caesar" and PzH 2000 use an artillery unit with a barrel length of 52 caliber.