We're just taking the initial first step,” the official said.īut the groundwork is already being laid. official said the extent of the longer-term support is still being worked through.
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training and support in Ukraine, which President Joe Biden was unwilling to do.Įach of the more advanced systems now under consideration would also require training-not only on how to operate them, but also on how to maintain them. did not send Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine. “Particularly in the event of conflict … it would just be easier if we were using similar systems.”Įarly in the fighting, the lack of interoperability was one of the reasons the U.S. “Using systems that are newer, newer generation aircraft or, more widely used caliber of artillery, is definitely in NATO's interest,” Keil said. “Now we're getting to the place where we need to start looking ahead to additional future possibilities.” “Up until now, we've been working at helping them meet their immediate needs,” the U.S. That means those systems could also transition to NATO/U.S.-standard weaponry, if that is what Ukraine chooses. official who spoke to Defense One on background. But “as these items become more difficult to procure, FMF could be used to assist with the transition to U.S./NATO caliber systems for long-range firing, including multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and artillery,” according to a summary of the aid obtained by Defense One.įurthermore, the money can be used for “modernizing Ukraine's weapons inventory through the provision of more precise and capable weapons, including sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and other small arms,” said a U.S. Monday’s latest announcement of $322 million in foreign military financing-part of a massive $3.4 billion in security assistance from the United States to Ukraine since the war began-supports the continued purchase of Soviet-era munitions, for now. So when it comes time to rebuild the Ukrainian military, that's going to become an issue.” “Whereas when you're talking 155, there are a half-a-dozen countries that will produce a self-propelled 155. I don't know if anyone produces them,” Cancian said. With the 152s, “I'm not sure where they can get them. It’s a different gun and uses a different projectile than the U.S.-made 155 howitzer. It could also accelerate Kyiv’s modernization to NATO-standard weapons, no matter whether Ukraine joins the alliance.įor example, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics inherited the Soviet-designed self-propelled 152 howitzer as heavy artillery.
And the supplying of weapons easier because you have a broader sort of set of suppliers.”īiden Announces Third $800M Weapons Package To Ukraine To Help Donbas Fight “From NATO’s point of view, this has been a win-win-win,” said Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
would replace them with NATO-standard guns, artillery, air defenses, and aircraft. In recent weeks, as the United States has worked to get weapons to Ukraine, it offered a deal to Eastern European and former Soviet Bloc countries that held stockpiles of Russian-specific munitions: If those countries would send their arms to Ukraine, the U.S. “It makes up a bulk of their own military capacity.” “It's what they inherited after the end of the Cold War,” said German Marshall Fund fellow Steven Keil. Many of Ukraine’s weapons fire different round sizes than U.S. Since the invasion began, Ukraine has largely defended itself using Soviet-era arms-such as the AK-74, their standard-issue rifle-because Ukrainian forces were familiar with those weapons. military support for Ukraine sends long-range weapons to defend the Donbas region, and also opens the door to a future when the Ukrainian army fights with the same small arms and artillery as the West.