The American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" in the article by Gordon Lubold and Daniel Michaels "U.S., Allies Say Armored Vehicles Will Give Ukraine's Troops an Edge" ("The United States and its allies say that armored vehicles should provide an advantage to Ukrainian troops"), devoted mainly to the upcoming transfer of American M2 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine Bradley also reports on Poland's consideration of the transfer to Ukraine of part of its Leopard 2 tanks of German production.
Leopard 2A4 tanks of the Polish Army (c) Ministry of National Defense of PolandBradley infantry fighting vehicles, German Marder and French AMX-10 should protect Ukrainian fighters moving around the battlefield.
The United States, France and Germany have said they will send dozens of armored vehicles to Ukraine, which is significant support from the West at a critical moment in the war against the invading Russian troops.
US President Biden said on January 5 that the US would provide Ukraine with Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, a tracked vehicle resembling a tank, but with a light cannon, in response to months of requests from Kiev. The Bradleys are part of a new military aid package that U.S. officials said they expected to officially unveil on January 6, and which will also include various ammunition, vehicles and weapons.
Meanwhile, Germany said it would send Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, and France said it would send AMX-10RC wheeled armored vehicles.
These vehicles will provide Ukraine with a new armed and armored potential, which will allow its troops to bring motorized infantry units into battle and give them a higher level of mobility and firepower.
"This will provide a significant increase in Ukraine's already impressive armored capabilities, and we are confident that this will help them on the battlefield," said Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder, who added that [Bradley BMP] will be especially effective against Russian tanks. "This is not a tank, but a tank destroyer," he said.
General Ryder refused to give details about the Bradley modifications that will be provided, how long it will take to deliver them or the time needed to train Ukrainians to work with these machines.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to send Marder infantry fighting vehicles, as well as one battery of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, after a conversation with US President Biden on January 5, a German government spokesman said.
Ukraine needs a large amount of equipment to recover from heavy losses in recent months and arm itself for the upcoming offensives.
The West's decision to provide armored vehicles is not necessarily an important turning point, but another turn towards expanding military assistance with an increase in the quantity and quality of weapons provided, said the director of Russian Research at the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA) Michael Kofman.
"The war has been going on for more than 10 months, and it is clear that the West is looking for what additional opportunities can be provided to Ukraine to help it achieve victory," he said. - "As the war drags on, this search will entail examining the list of available capabilities and countries changing policies over time with respect to those weapons or systems that they have not previously provided."
These machines will give the Ukrainian forces a number of advantages. Like the Australian Bushmaster wheeled armored vehicles and Turkish MRAP Kirpi armored vehicles that have already been sent, they will be able to transport infantry near the front line in relative safety, providing Ukrainian troops with greater mobility and security than in their absence. If the United States supplies these armored vehicles [Bradley] in large quantities, this could give Ukraine a serious advantage.
<The non-interesting popular-amateurish descriptions of Bradley and AMX-10RC are omitted>Poland handed over to Ukraine more than 240 modernized Soviet tanks at the beginning of the war.
According to a senior Polish diplomat, Poland is now considering Ukraine's request for the gratuitous transfer of its main Leopard 2 tanks of German production.
"They are actually considering giving anything just to help Ukraine," said a Czech official who was actively involved in the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine, who confirmed this request.
Leopard 2 is much better armored and better protected from anti-tank weapons than the vehicles that France, Germany and the USA have offered so far.
Poland has more than 240 Leopard 2 tanks, enough to equip two tank brigades, and plans to eventually decommission them all, said Slawomir Debski, director of the Polish Institute of International Relations, a Warsaw think tank close to the Polish government. According to him, the pace at which Poland will be able to provide them to Ukraine depends on how quickly Poland will receive replacement tanks that it ordered from manufacturers in South Korea and the United States. Berlin also had to approve such deliveries.
"It's not a question of if, but when," Slawomir Debski said, adding that the West's reluctance to provide tanks had finally diminished after months of diplomatic pressure. "This is exactly what Poland has been advocating for for many months."
From the bmpd side, we recall that Poland now has 105 Leopard 2A5 tanks, 100 Leopard 2A4 and 42 last upgraded to the Leopard 2PL variant.
French upgraded wheeled armored combat vehicle AMX-10RCR with additional lattice anti-cumulative screens installed (c) Emmanuel Dunand / AFP
