The President of Ukraine, in speeches to parliaments from Denmark to South Korea, and in his daily briefings, beseeches the world to immediately send armaments to Ukraine to defeat the Russian invasion.
While the media are aglow in supporting armaments for the heroic Ukrainian fighters, listing and describing what should be sent is not a priority. Such lists and descriptions are omitted for some or all of the following reasons: it’s too complicated for cable or tv news; editors, reporters and anchors either do not know or do not understand the list and descriptions; government agencies here and in Europe do not hand out the details.
If you follow the news, you do know about Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft weapons, but that’s about it.
I wanted to know what is needed and I couldn’t find out in the newspapers I read or the news that I watch.
I turned to Kris Osborn, president and editor-in-chief of the website WarriorMaven.com. Kris, having served as an expert in the Department of the Army, has encyclopedic knowledge of military weaponry past, present and future. And he can explain it!
Here is what he told me.
We must send U.S. or European equivalents of these key requirements: air defenses to intercept longer range incoming Russian rockets and missiles; surveillance (drones) to find and track Russian mobile launchers; precision firepower from stand-off ranges to destroy Russian launch sites; weapons for urban combat such as .50 caliber weapons and shoulder-fired rockets and other crew-served weapons to stop invading armored forces and infantry.
The list:
M777 Howitzer. Mobile 155 mm artillery able to hit ranges with precision rounds up to 30 km or more. This GPS-guided weapon can hit Russian rocket launch sites.
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System. This GPS-guided, ground-fired rocket is able to pinpoint enemy targets up to 80 km away. Also to hit Russian rocket launch sites.
Patriot Interceptor Missiles. These missiles are able to track, hit and knock out incoming Russian ballistic missiles. (The U.S. says these require U.S. troops to operate so they won’t be sent to Ukraine. More on that later.)
Soviet-Built Mig 27 fighters from Poland or Eastern Europe. These fourth-generation fighter jets can rival Russian aircraft and have been discussed in the press. (Why not offer U.S. or European F-16’s?)
High Mobility Artillery Rocket system. These truck-mounted mobile rockets are able to reach 300 km!
.50 caliber machine guns. These are able to deliver suppressive fire against approaching enemy troops and could stop or slow down a Russian infantry assault in an urban area.
Wasp and Raven drones. These hand launched drones are able to beam back real-time images of enemy troops on the other side of a building, mountain or hill.
Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicle. German-built armored infantry carrier.
Soviet-built T-72 and T-90 tanks. Upgraded Soviet era main battle tanks.
S-300 air defenses. Russian-built mobile surface to air missiles.
C-RAM (counter-rocket artillery mortar). This is a ground-based air defense system firing mini-projectiles to knock out incoming artillery, mortar and rocket fire and protect ground locations from attack.
Medium altitude armed drones, the Grey Eagle, Reaper or European equivalent. These track, target and even destroy moving Russian missile launchers, air defenses and, above all, in the Donbas, convoys.
They already have Javelins and Stingers. Send more!
Much has been made of the unwillingness to involve U.S. or NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine. I suggest (but I don’t know) that the weaponry already delivered requires training that can only be supplied by personnel of the contributing nation. In other words, I think that there are plenty of people from the U.S. or NATO in Ukraine now.
Now that you know what should be sent, I hope that you will do all that you can to convince the White House and your representatives to act and to act now.