Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov updates his Twitter account with new photos of gigantic transport planes filled with massive heavy containers almost every day. The packages include weaponry and ammunition that the United States and the United Kingdom transferred to Ukraine.
The goal is to fortify Ukraine in the face of Russia’s significant force buildup on its border. According to the Ukrainian government, western allies have already supplied Kyiv with $1.5 billion in military assistance. So far, Germany has refused to supply armaments to Ukraine.
Many Ukrainian soldiers will most likely be carrying these newly supplied weapons for the first time as part of the “Blizzard 2022” military drill, which has just begun. Here are four untested military weapons that may lead the charge if Russia extends its reach beyond Ukraine.
Some of the planes Resnikov welcomed on Twitter transported Javelin and NLAW missiles to Kyiv. Since 2019, the US has provided Ukraine with the Javelin launchers and missiles systems. Information on the exact number varies, but hundreds of the missiles have likely been delivered to Ukraine since the fall of 2021 alone. The US government has also permitted the Baltic states to transfer Javelin missiles from their stockpiles to Ukraine.
Javelin is the world’s most sophisticated anti-tank weapon, capable of engaging targets such as armored vehicles or bunkers from a range of more than 2,000 meters (approx. 6,500 ft). Javelin can also destroy big tanks with a “top-attack” on their roof, where the armor is the weakest.
Javelin will be a critical weapon system for forces now stationed in Europe. The Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles of the 2nd Cavalry are equipped with remote-controlled Javelin launchers, and the squadron deploying to Romania might have up to 25 of them. The 82nd Airborne Division unit supporting Poland would ordinarily be equipped with 18 Javelin missile systems and eight TOW anti-tank missile systems, which are more powerful and have a greater range.
In the mid-2010s, the US Army chose to upgrade the arsenal of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, located in Germany, by arming half of the unit’s Stryker vehicles with Javelin missiles. In addition, the Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon (ICV-D), also known as the Stryker Dragoon, was modified by adding an unmanned turret equipped with a 30-millimeter auto-cannon.
The Stryker Dragoon’s XM-813 30-millimeter weapon is meant to take down opposing light armored vehicles. Supporting scouts and infantry carriers might be engaged by Stryker Dragoons. The Mk. 258 Armor Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APFSDS-T) round may be used against armored vehicles. 238 High Explosive Incendiary–Tracer (HEI-T) cartridge can be used against trucks, other unarmored targets, and dismounted personnel.
The Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) is one of the Army’s newest pieces of equipment, capable of quickly transporting lighter soldiers’ units, particularly airborne infantry, across the battlefield. The ISV, on the other hand, is still in the testing phase, but bringing it along would speed up the 82nd Airborne’s deployment across Poland.
The ISV is an unarmored combat vehicle based on a Chevrolet Colorado outfitted with ZR2 off-road kit. The vehicle provides protection in exchange for its lightweight and speed, allowing soldiers to complete their missions more quickly. GM Defense may provide up to 2,065 ISVs to the 82nd Airborne Division and infantry brigade combat teams.
However, the vehicle has sparked some debate. The Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) recently rebuked the ISV in military exercises for “not being operationally effective” The vehicle exhibited issues such as “steering capability, cracked and bent seat frames, and engine cracks and overheating.” according to the DOT&E. While there will undoubtedly be issues with the ISV, there is no viable alternative.
An Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is most likely to be deployed when it comes to air power. The F-35A is a multi-role fighter to fly both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The F-35 is built to be a stealthy, low-observable fighter from the ground up. Except for the 495th Fighter Squadron (“Valkyries”), which is based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, the rest of Air Force F-35 units are found in the continental United States.
The F-35 has previously fought in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, but it has never fought against an opponent like Russia, with stronger air defense systems and combat jets.
The Tor, Buk, and S-400 missile systems and the MiG-29, Su-30, and Su-35 Flanker-E aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are among the most lethal in the world.
