MOSCOW, January 12-RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. Ukraine still leaves no hope to join NATO — the country's defense Ministry has transferred military rank codes military ranks of the Alliance. In Kiev, they stressed that this is another step away from the" outdated "Soviet army system and with each reform, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are becoming more" European "and"progressive". It doesn't really change much.
New standards
The order signed by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Taran refers to the NATO standard STANAG 2116, which unifies the table of ranks. This simplifies the management of allied forces in joint operations: generals — say, American-do not get confused in the ranks of German or French comrades-in-arms. So in Ukraine, from now on, a private is called a recruit, and an ensign is called a master sergeant.
Ukrainian servicemen in the Luhansk region
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Stringer
"These decisions are designed to change the Soviet — style career management system to a modern one, adopted in the armies of leading states," Andrei Taran explained to journalists. - In fact, this is a guide to the actions of personnel bodies to move to a new philosophy of work, providing for the creation of a career map for each soldier, sergeant, officer for his training, growth and support. This decree will be the beginning of the Euro-Atlantic transformation of the existing personnel management system and an integral part of the draft concept of the military personnel policy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine until 2025."
Compliance with STANAG requirements is one of the conditions for joining NATO. This affects almost all aspects of military service and provides for the uniformity of not only ranks, but also the caliber of small arms, uniforms and types of military equipment. Member States of the North Atlantic Alliance ratify agreements and implement appropriate standards in their armed forces. By the way, Ukraine has already adopted two in 2015-STANAG 2920 and STANAG 4926, concerning protective equipment and uniforms.
Difficulties of rearmament
But NATO accepts only those who do not have unresolved territorial disputes. And Kiev is fighting in the Donbass and wants to return the Crimea. So all these "reforms of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" do not bring Ukraine any closer to the North Atlantic bloc.
And it is not very clear what NATO standards can be discussed, if the APU is completely equipped with Soviet military equipment and the most popular in the troops "strelkovka" - Kalashnikov 5.45 mm. To rearm the army, Kiev will need more than one decade and not one hundred billion dollars. And you will have to break literally everything.
For example, the mainstay of heavy armor APU are various modifications of Soviet tanks T-72 and T-64. And if in theory it is still possible to put NATO radio stations and electronics on them, then what to do with the caliber of the gun is completely unclear. Ukrainian combat vehicles fire 125-millimeter shells, and in the alliance — 120-millimeter. So, you need to buy tanks abroad. The same applies to IFVs, armored personnel carriers, artillery systems, air defense systems and other things. And since Ukrainian enterprises are sharpened for Soviet equipment, there will simply be no place to repair Western equipment.
Ukrainian tank in position near the town of Shchastya, Luhansk region
Image source: © AP Photo / Olexander Shulman
Things are no better with aviation. Most of the aircraft and helicopters of the Ukrainian Air Force are patched-patched, still Soviet-built and, in a good way, have long been subject to write-off. In May last year, the Military Council of the country's Air Forces approved an ambitious plan to radically update the fleet at the expense of American F-16 Block 70/72 fighters or Swedish Saab JAS-39 E/F Gripen, as well as drones for various purposes. The rearmament period is until 2035. However, many experts doubt that Kiev will find the necessary 7.5 billion dollars.
It's the same story with the Navy. Of the relatively large pennants — only the frigate "Hetman Sagaidachny". Almost all Ukrainian ships have reached the service life limit, and Kiev has nowhere to build new ones, since the Nikolaev Shipyard is on the verge of bankruptcy. It is obvious that several well-worn American boats of the Island type, delivered earlier to Ukraine, will not correct the situation.
Playing to the public
In Kiev, they are well aware that there is no money for the full adaptation of the Armed Forces to NATO standards and will not be. However, the Ukrainian authorities are always ready to demonstrate loyalty to overseas patrons. In their opinion, the ensign is a "Soviet relic", and the master sergeant is fashionable, progressive and democratic, just like in Hollywood action movies.
Participation of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in the ceremony of renaming High-mobility Amphibious troops into Amphibious Assault Troops and establishing the Day of Amphibious Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, November 21, 2017
Image source: © Photo: Administration of the President of Ukraine
In the fall of 2017, the blue berets of the paratroopers were replaced with maroon ones. They say that the winged infantry of "all developed countries" wears just such. There is no doubt: both British and American paratroopers are well-trained and professional soldiers. But what does the current Ukrainian paratroopers have to do with, say, Market Garden or Torch operations, in which the glory of the "maroon berets"was forged? Obviously, this is what the Marines of the Ukrainian Navy to the marine corps of the United States. Their slogan "always Vrni!" ("Always faithful") is nothing more than a tracing paper from the Latin Semper Fidelis, which has been used by Americans for many decades.
A few days ago, a video of a march of a unit of Ukrainian troops appeared on the Network, in which military personnel perform a drill song in the same key and rhythm as American soldiers in Hollywood films. Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine threaten to "return the Crimea, followed by the Kuban" and promise: "We will fight skillfully, there will be six hryvnia beer in Moscow." However, the Ukrainian army has neither the money nor modern equipment to match such ambitions. But there are irregular relationships, drunkenness, lack of officers and general desertion.
