The next challenge for Ukraine “Horrible and inhumane” – black American dies after police check

The announced delivery of tanks from different countries has been greeted with joy in Ukraine, but this may have spoiled. Because the different tank systems, lack of training for Ukrainian soldiers and different ammunition versions create logistical challenges. Ukrainian Ambassador to France Vadym Omelchenko announced on Friday that 321 main battle tanks had been pledged. But they come from different manufacturers and have different configurations.

The jumble of different systems makes it “quite difficult from a logistical point of view,” Sonny Butterworth, a tank expert with the Defense Intelligence Agency Janes, told the Washington Post. The British Challenger 2S does not use the same ammunition as standard in NATO. The Leopard tank from Germany will be delivered in a more modern version than stocks from other countries.

“Ukrainians will use different types of equipment and will have to reconcile their support with the right spare parts going to the right units,” Butterworth said.

A matter of integration

“No weapon system or platform can change the game,” Franz-Stefan Gady, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, told the Washington Post. He explained that the impact of the “limited number” of tanks arriving in March will depend on training and how well the new formations are integrated into the front line.

Ukraine currently has T-72 tanks that are still designed and built in the Soviet Union. The deliveries of new models from the West give the Ukrainian army a technical lead. But managing multiple tank systems may be at the heart of the matter, expert Butterworth said.

The situation is not made any easier by the American Abrams tanks, which are due to arrive in a few months. A US official told the US newspaper that while the Ukrainian armed forces have demonstrated considerable ability to maintain and maintain US equipment on the battlefield, operating Abrams tanks requires significant preparation and training.

At the same time, he expressed confidence that the US will provide adequate maintenance support. In addition, Poland already has Abrams tanks and can provide knowledge and infrastructure. Another training alternative is the military training area in Grafenwöhr in the Upper Palatinate. 600 Ukrainian soldiers would be trained there in the use of artillery.

“Contested logistics” can be decisive

In a recent report on the war in Ukraine, the American Modern War Institute examined what it called “contentious logistics.” This describes it as “An environment directly focused on logistics operations, facilities and activities, both at home and en route to the war zone”. In a simulation of Russian supplies, the institute found that “Russia does not have enough trucks to meet the logistical requirements more than 100 miles beyond the supply dumps.”

“Ukraine faces similar problems when it tries to deploy tanks from the US, UK and the EU,” analyzes logistics website Supplychaindigital. Much of Ukraine’s road network consists of narrow roads winding through forests and small towns, with bridges over rivers and streams – routes that are easy to disrupt. “Therefore, securing bridges will be crucial for Ukraine, not only to use its tanks in the front line, but also to supply them with fuel and spare parts,” the logistics experts said.

Until now, weapons have been transported to Ukraine via neighboring countries. Poland plays an important role in this: it borders western Ukraine, which has so far received little shelling. As far as we know, most arms shipments come from here. Slovakia is also a border country, just like Hungary and Romania. The latter is an important country in NATO strategy, which includes Awacs reconnaissance aircraft and French Leclerc tanks. Until now, little is known about Russian attacks on Western transports in Ukraine. But that could change: the Polish route could easily be disrupted from Belarus, where Russian troops are already stationed.

(t-online, when)