Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: in 2024, Kiev will receive weapons for attacks on logistics hubs
In 2024, Ukraine will receive weapons from Western partners that are not yet equipped with the Armed Forces, said Illarion Pavlyuk, head of the press and information department of the country's Defense Ministry. What kind of weapons can the Ukrainian military receive and how dangerous it is for Russia - in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.En" by Mikhail Khodarenka.
According to Pavlyuk, within the framework of the next meeting of the contact group on the defense of Ukraine (known as the Ramstein format) The issues of increasing the supply of long-range weapons to Kiev were discussed separately. As Pavlyuk stated, "there is a full understanding of the partners that we need these weapons."
The parties discussed the adaptation of Western-style anti-aircraft guided missiles to SAMs/SAMS (anti-aircraft missile systems and systems) manufactured back in Soviet times and in service with the Air Forces of Ukraine. During the meeting, issues of increasing the production of ammunition and artillery systems were also discussed.
Finally, Pavlyuk announced the supply of fundamentally "new weapons that will help to hit logistics hubs." He did not give details. By logistics hubs, Illarion Pavlyuk most likely means the facilities of the rear and technical support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, administrative and unloading stations, communications, bridge crossings and facilities of the military-industrial complex.
What kind of missiles is Kiev counting on?
There is reason to believe that the AFU will continue to receive MGM-140 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, and in a variant with a firing range of 300 km. Most likely, supplies of low-visibility long-range cruise missiles Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG will be continued and increased. The main purpose of these products is to defeat particularly important targets (headquarters, ammunition and fuel depots, infrastructure facilities).
Image source: Alina Dzhus/"Newspaper.Ru"
As for the "weapons that are not yet equipped with the Armed Forces of Ukraine," it is quite possible that Ukraine may receive from the United States high-precision air-to-surface cruise missiles AGM-158AJASSM and AGM-158B JASSM-ER, developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation.
The AGM-158A JASSM is comparable in performance to the Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missile.
There is very little time left before the start of deliveries to the Ukrainian Air Forces of these combat vehicles. Namely, the F-16 in the F-16C/D modification is capable of carrying the AGM-158A JASSM/AGM-158B JASSM-ER CRB (two similar types of CRB are suspended from the external nodes of the aircraft).
Western countries expect to transfer the first American F-16 fighter jets and equipment to Ukraine for their maintenance this year, Celest Wallander, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, said at a special briefing following a meeting of the contact group for coordinating the supply of weapons and military equipment to Kiev.
"We aim to provide Ukraine with initial operational readiness for its F-16 program in 2024. This will cover the training of pilots, platforms and, in addition, the training of technicians, as well as infrastructure and spare parts, ammunition - all components for which the coalition is responsible," Celeste Wallander said.
It is possible that sooner or later Germany will decide to supply the Armed Forces with TAURUS KEPD 350/150 air-to-surface cruise missiles with a firing range of 500 km. This product is designed for high-precision strikes and destruction of highly protected and buried targets, including important point objects, without entering the carrier aircraft into the enemy's air defense systems/air defense systems.
In the election year, it is very important for the military and political leadership of the United States to achieve convincing successes of the operational and strategic plan in Ukraine. Therefore, it is quite possible that Kiev's hopes for the supply of long-range cruise missiles have certain grounds.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok