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It's time to start delivering all weapon systems to Ukraine [1]

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Date: 2023-08-18

After months of discussion, the US government has finally approved sending F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine (which will arrive in 2024 after training of the pilots has finished). While reporting has centered on these jets and the long-range ATACMS rockets, there are numerous other weapons systems stored by Western armies which could maybe have a much greater effect, but are held back for whatever reason.

M26 rockets carrying 518 or 644 DPICM submunitions

According to recent reports, Kyiv is asking for these rockets which can be fired from Himars and M270 (MARS) rocket launchers. They have a range of up to 28 miles (45 kilometers), much more than the cluster munition fired from 155 mm artillery. And most importantly, the will destroy everything from artillery to deeply entrenched infantry on an area of 57 acres (0.23 km2), leaving large gaps for an army on the offensive.

One quotation in the article says all you need to know: The US has “tens of thousands of these cluster rockets in Germany sitting around, waiting to be destroyed. Instead of destroying them, just give them to the Ukrainians. And they'll win the war.”

Taurus cruise missiles

Germany is often criticized for delivering too little too late, but has provided Ukraine with extremely important weapon systems worth billions of dollars (complete list). Given that the German army and defense industry has nearly been destroyed by decades of under-investment, 16 years of negligence under the previous Merkel government and ideological animosities, this is a surprising achievement. But at the moment there still is hesitation by chancellor Scholz to supply the Taurus cruise missiles. With a warhead filled with 113 kg of explosives and a range of 300 miles (500 kilometers), they have even better characteristics than the praised Storm Shadow / Scalp missiles which are already in Ukrainian use after having been supplied by the UK and France.

For no apparent reason, the German government again prolongs the inevitable decision to supply them to Ukraine. There were even reports that technical modifications are xamined to prevent a use on Russian territory, nonetheless of Ukrainian guarantees that they will never do this. By the way, there are also German media reports that Scholz is pushing Joe Biden to simultaneously announce the supply of ATACMS and Taurus, similar to Leopard and Abrams tanks.

Patriot batteries

Ukraine’s civilians, grain depots and (from time to time) some military targets are under constant danger of being attacked by Russian cruise missiles. But with the capital Kyiv, there is one place where nearly all cruise missiles and Shahed drones are shot down by an incredibly dense and multi-layered air defense, featuring the best Western systems from Gepard tanks over IRIS-T to the Patriot batteries which are even capable of eliminating the hypersonic Russian missiles long thought to be indestructible.

But only to two or three Patriot batteries have been delivered, so the protection can’t be as good in other major cities of Ukraine. Other German batteries are stationed in Slovakia or Poland, providing protection against an imaginary Russian attack which will never happen as NATO’s retaliation would devastate Russia’s military. And the need for Patriot batteries on US homeland remains completely unclear. So why not just simply lend them to a country under attack where they would actually save lives?

Artillery, artillery, artillery

The same argument applies here: Give everything needed to Ukraine, even from your active stocks. If Russia would attack NATO, Ukraine would be happy to continue its fight against Russia. So they would basically be used the same way against the same enemy — the only enemy from a European point of view, and the only enemy from a US point of view they could be used against as only the Navy could join a China-Taiwan war.

Thinking the unthinkable

From a German perspective, the supply options started with 5000 helmets shortly before the war. Week by week, heavier systems were under discussion. After one and a half year of war, artillery and tanks have been delivered and cruise missiles are under discussion. Cluster munitions have been the hot topic in the US and are now having their effect.

So why not simply skip some future discussions and ask Ukraine what other weapon systems they might need but don’t dare to ask for? Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters will soon be phased out by the German army. Three German Type 206 submarines are currently prepared for destruction, although a single one of them might end Russian attacks in the Black Sea and enable grain exports (after extensive and expensive overhaul). Tomahawk cruise missiles might change the whole course of the war immediately. The list goes on, as currently only a tiny piece of Western capabilities have entered the war.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/18/2188095/-It-s-time-to-start-delivering-all-weapon-systems-to-Ukraine

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