Overview of German Leopard 1 tanks preparing for the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian army. Denmark and Germany will transfer 80 Leopard 1 tanks removed from storage to Ukraine, the tanks will arrive by June 1, and then the offensive of the Ukrainian army will apparently begin. Judging by the number, these tanks will soon be the main figures in military reports. The Leopard 1 tank began to be developed in 1956 by France and Germany, the French constantly reduced their participation in the development and the tank put into service in 1965 can be called German. The tank was designed for battles with Soviet T-55 and T-64 tanks at medium distances. Judging by open data, the tank's armor is weak and breaks through from short distances even with conventional infantry fighting vehicles and almost all types of anti-tank systems. The frontal armor of the tank is from 25 to 70 mm, for comparison, in the T-72M tank it is up to 410 mm. Perhaps in Ukraine, the armor of the tank will be reinforced with dynamic protection units. Based on this, the main strategy of the tank is to work from behind ambushes and from a long distance. The tank went through seven upgrades, the last one was in 1987, the tank received the A5 index, and Ukraine will receive this version. In 1994, 5 tanks met with three Serbian T-55 tanks, as a result of the battle, all T-55 tanks were damaged, one Leopard tank was damaged. Canadian versions of the Leopard 1 tank with reinforced composite armor were in the 2000s in Afghanistan, they were praised for their rate of fire and aiming accuracy, but were criticized by the engines due to erratic operation in dust and at high temperatures. The tank is equipped with a British L7A1 semi-automatic licensed 105 mm gun and, depending on modification, 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine guns. The crew of the tank is 4 people. Power plant with a capacity of 820 hp provides a maximum speed of up to 65 km / h with a power reserve of up to 600 km. Tank weight up to 42 tons.
Mil News Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, South Caucasus, Central Asia Military
Review of Anglo-French cruise missiles Storm Shadow/SCALP of the Ukrainian Army. To carry out the counteroffensive, Britain supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles. The Anglo-French Storm Shadow cruise missile began to be developed in 1994 on the basis of the Apache cruise missile developed in France. The missile was put into service in 2001, the French version of the missile is designated by the abbreviation SCALP-EG. The missile is equipped with a turbojet engine and has a flight speed of up to 960 kilometers per hour. That is, the distance from Kyiv to Belgorod, it can fly in about 20 minutes. The missile was used in Iraq and Libya, the target destruction rate was 97% according to the Italian Air Force, it is worth noting that air defense almost did not work there. In 2018, it was reported that all eight missiles launched from Tornado aircraft were shot down by Syrian air defense forces, this information was denied by the Pentagon, but later the Russian Ministry of Defense showed fragments of missiles. The missile is programmed before launch, taking into account the air defense data and the target. The missile flies autonomously along the route to the target, at an altitude of 30-40 meters, guided by GPS data and cartography, close to the target, the missile gains altitude and then goes into a dive. Climbing is intended to achieve a higher probability of identifying the target with a thermographic camera, climbing may not be applied, but the accuracy of the missile is reduced. You should not expect any significant changes from the supply of missiles, like all cruise missiles, they are easy to shoot down if the area is covered by modern air defense systems, with luck, a cruise missile can even be shot down with MANPADS. The range of the rocket is approximately 560 km when launched from an aircraft, the mass of the rocket is 1300 kg, the mass of the warhead is 450 kg. The cost of the Storm Shadow missile is €850,000 as of 2011.
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CNN: Potential impact of sending F-16 jets to Ukraine
Potential impact of sending F-16 jets to Ukraine
CNN Military Analyst Cedric Leighton speaks to Paula Newton about how F-16 jets could be a game changer in Ukraine.
Potential impact of sending F-16 jets to Ukraine
CNN Military Analyst Cedric Leighton speaks to Paula Newton about how F-16 jets could be a game changer in Ukraine.
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Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force will provide about 100 vehicles to embattled Ukraine.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio conveyed support for Ukraine in a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Hiroshima on Sunday.
Kishida said that Japan will provide high-mobility vehicles that can accommodate 10 people, as well as carrier dump trucks owned by the Ground Self-Defense Force. About 30,000 emergency food rations will also be offered.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo. State Minister of Defense Ino Toshiro handed to Ukraine's ambassador to Japan the list of materials to be sent.
Ino said all of the vehicles have played important roles in GSDF missions. He said they will be collected from units across Japan and transported to Ukraine.
Ambassador Sergiy Korsunsky expressed heartfelt gratitude and described Japan as Ukraine's trusted, crucial partner.
The Defense Ministry also plans to accept two injured Ukrainian soldiers at a Self-Defense Forces hospital next month.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio conveyed support for Ukraine in a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Hiroshima on Sunday.
Kishida said that Japan will provide high-mobility vehicles that can accommodate 10 people, as well as carrier dump trucks owned by the Ground Self-Defense Force. About 30,000 emergency food rations will also be offered.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo. State Minister of Defense Ino Toshiro handed to Ukraine's ambassador to Japan the list of materials to be sent.
Ino said all of the vehicles have played important roles in GSDF missions. He said they will be collected from units across Japan and transported to Ukraine.
Ambassador Sergiy Korsunsky expressed heartfelt gratitude and described Japan as Ukraine's trusted, crucial partner.
The Defense Ministry also plans to accept two injured Ukrainian soldiers at a Self-Defense Forces hospital next month.
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The US State Department has approved the sale of a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to Ukraine.
The potential $285 million sale includes one AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel Radar, a Fire Distribution Center, and canister launchers. Ukraine requested the Raytheon system to bolster its defenses against Russian aerial attacks, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.
The potential $285 million sale includes one AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel Radar, a Fire Distribution Center, and canister launchers. Ukraine requested the Raytheon system to bolster its defenses against Russian aerial attacks, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.
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President Joe Biden’s decision on 19 May to help facilitate Ukraine’s efforts to procure advanced fourth-generation fighter aircraft was a significant shift in America’s posture. Announced at the G7 summit in Tokyo, the US reversal demonstrated that Biden had overcome his reticence to make such a move, which he had said could send escalatory signals to the Kremlin.
Kyiv has sought this outcome for a while, but until recently it had been met with Western vacillation. This time, like in the earlier impasse about heavy armour—broken when the UK announced it would send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine—the British government was again the first mover, promising to begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly a variety of Western military aircraft.
But why does Kyiv want Western warplanes so badly? Can it realistically put them to use in the foreseeable future? And which of its friends and partners might be able help?
To begin with, the Ukrainian air force has been seriously degraded by the Russian invasion. Frankly, it’s surprising that it continues to exist at all. One of the more egregious of Russia’s many strategic blunders, stemming from complacent expectations of a swift victory in 2022, was its failure to destroy Ukrainian airpower in the early days of the war. In the face of a robust Ukrainian air-defence network, heavily augmented by NATO military assistance, Russia is still unable to claim air supremacy.
That said, the Ukrainian air force is heavily constrained in its ability to operate effectively. Russia’s military can detect Ukrainian aircraft almost at will. Its own planes can fire standoff air-to-air missiles at Ukrainian aircraft at a greater range than Ukrainian warplanes possess. Ukraine’s main combat aircraft are Russian: the Su-27, which isn’t operated by any Western military, the multirole Mig-29 and the Su-25. And while Poland and Slovakia have recently donated replacement Mig-29s, access to spare parts remains a logistical headache.
The addition of Western combat aircraft will go a long way towards levelling the playing field in the air war. It will enable Ukraine’s air force to target Russian warplanes that currently operate with virtual impunity, often loitering just over the Russian border.
The ability to provide better air support for ground forces is another important reason Kyiv is so keen to acquire advanced Western airframes. While delivery lead times mean Ukraine is unlikely to acquire the planes in sufficient numbers in advance of its looming counteroffensive, they will be critical to defending any territory it recaptures. They will also help Ukraine protect its population and critical infrastructure against missiles and drones, which will doubtless form part of Russia’s response to any Ukrainian successes on the ground.
Critics have claimed that training the Ukrainian military to fly Western aircraft—something its pilots have no experience with—will take too long, and require more planes than Ukraine has pilots available. But those concerns are overblown. An experienced pilot can learn how to fly a Western aircraft like an F-16 Viper in a few weeks, and they can become fully trained in around six months. Ukraine has nearly 50 pilots it can spare, as well as engineering and support crews. And, according to the Ukrainian air force’s Yuri Ignat, around 24 warplanes would be sufficient to turn the tide.
That means Ukraine could be operating at least two squadrons of Western fighters before 2024—and at a time when weather conditions will make any Russian attempts to contest Ukrainian territorial gains more difficult.
The Ukrainian government has focused particularly on obtaining the venerable General Dynamics F-16. There are two reasons for that: a number of NATO countries operate them, and there are some 3,000 F-16s in service globally. The trouble is that many US allies are reluctant to release them to Ukraine, either because doing so would degrade their own ongoing operational needs, or because their F-16s are needed to backfill combat capabilities during the transition to more modern aircraft.
The Belgian government has announced that it can train pilots but can’t supply F-16s. Norway has already retired its F-16s, transferring 32 of them to Romania. Poland has said that donating some of its planes would weaken its combat power. Other NATO members like Greece and Turkey that operate the aircraft are clearly not minded to entertain giving them to Ukraine.
The most likely solution seems to be a coalition involving the Netherlands and Denmark. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a meeting with the UK’s Rishi Sunak that the topic was not taboo, and Denmark’s acting defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, claimed that he was ‘open to the idea’. It’s also conceivable—though unlikely—that spare planes might come from America’s aircraft boneyard adjoining Davis–Monthan airbase in Arizona. That would present Ukraine with the logistical problem of having to operate a cornucopia of different types of F-16s, which would also be delayed by the need to check and upgrade aircraft mothballed many years ago.
Perhaps Australia could help here. With its acquisition of the F-35A Lightning II well advanced, the air force still has around 40 F-18 ‘Classic’ Hornets in storage that it has so far failed to sell. The F-18 is not dissimilar to the F-16 in terms of its overall capabilities and would take roughly the same amount of time to train on. And while one report claims that Australia’s Hornets are outdated and degraded, others say they are in good condition and come with spare parts.
Moreover, despite strong initial contributions by both the current Australian government and its predecessor, concerns have recently been raised that Australia’s commitment to assist Kyiv shows signs of tapering off.
Under those circumstances, sending F-18s to Ukraine—or at least seriously investigating the prospect of doing so—would significantly bolster Australian support at a crucial time in Ukraine’s struggle to roll back Russia’s unprovoked, illegal and barbaric invasion.
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/w... Ukraines successand how Australia could help
Kyiv has sought this outcome for a while, but until recently it had been met with Western vacillation. This time, like in the earlier impasse about heavy armour—broken when the UK announced it would send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine—the British government was again the first mover, promising to begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly a variety of Western military aircraft.
But why does Kyiv want Western warplanes so badly? Can it realistically put them to use in the foreseeable future? And which of its friends and partners might be able help?
To begin with, the Ukrainian air force has been seriously degraded by the Russian invasion. Frankly, it’s surprising that it continues to exist at all. One of the more egregious of Russia’s many strategic blunders, stemming from complacent expectations of a swift victory in 2022, was its failure to destroy Ukrainian airpower in the early days of the war. In the face of a robust Ukrainian air-defence network, heavily augmented by NATO military assistance, Russia is still unable to claim air supremacy.
That said, the Ukrainian air force is heavily constrained in its ability to operate effectively. Russia’s military can detect Ukrainian aircraft almost at will. Its own planes can fire standoff air-to-air missiles at Ukrainian aircraft at a greater range than Ukrainian warplanes possess. Ukraine’s main combat aircraft are Russian: the Su-27, which isn’t operated by any Western military, the multirole Mig-29 and the Su-25. And while Poland and Slovakia have recently donated replacement Mig-29s, access to spare parts remains a logistical headache.
The addition of Western combat aircraft will go a long way towards levelling the playing field in the air war. It will enable Ukraine’s air force to target Russian warplanes that currently operate with virtual impunity, often loitering just over the Russian border.
The ability to provide better air support for ground forces is another important reason Kyiv is so keen to acquire advanced Western airframes. While delivery lead times mean Ukraine is unlikely to acquire the planes in sufficient numbers in advance of its looming counteroffensive, they will be critical to defending any territory it recaptures. They will also help Ukraine protect its population and critical infrastructure against missiles and drones, which will doubtless form part of Russia’s response to any Ukrainian successes on the ground.
Critics have claimed that training the Ukrainian military to fly Western aircraft—something its pilots have no experience with—will take too long, and require more planes than Ukraine has pilots available. But those concerns are overblown. An experienced pilot can learn how to fly a Western aircraft like an F-16 Viper in a few weeks, and they can become fully trained in around six months. Ukraine has nearly 50 pilots it can spare, as well as engineering and support crews. And, according to the Ukrainian air force’s Yuri Ignat, around 24 warplanes would be sufficient to turn the tide.
That means Ukraine could be operating at least two squadrons of Western fighters before 2024—and at a time when weather conditions will make any Russian attempts to contest Ukrainian territorial gains more difficult.
The Ukrainian government has focused particularly on obtaining the venerable General Dynamics F-16. There are two reasons for that: a number of NATO countries operate them, and there are some 3,000 F-16s in service globally. The trouble is that many US allies are reluctant to release them to Ukraine, either because doing so would degrade their own ongoing operational needs, or because their F-16s are needed to backfill combat capabilities during the transition to more modern aircraft.
The Belgian government has announced that it can train pilots but can’t supply F-16s. Norway has already retired its F-16s, transferring 32 of them to Romania. Poland has said that donating some of its planes would weaken its combat power. Other NATO members like Greece and Turkey that operate the aircraft are clearly not minded to entertain giving them to Ukraine.
The most likely solution seems to be a coalition involving the Netherlands and Denmark. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a meeting with the UK’s Rishi Sunak that the topic was not taboo, and Denmark’s acting defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, claimed that he was ‘open to the idea’. It’s also conceivable—though unlikely—that spare planes might come from America’s aircraft boneyard adjoining Davis–Monthan airbase in Arizona. That would present Ukraine with the logistical problem of having to operate a cornucopia of different types of F-16s, which would also be delayed by the need to check and upgrade aircraft mothballed many years ago.
Perhaps Australia could help here. With its acquisition of the F-35A Lightning II well advanced, the air force still has around 40 F-18 ‘Classic’ Hornets in storage that it has so far failed to sell. The F-18 is not dissimilar to the F-16 in terms of its overall capabilities and would take roughly the same amount of time to train on. And while one report claims that Australia’s Hornets are outdated and degraded, others say they are in good condition and come with spare parts.
Moreover, despite strong initial contributions by both the current Australian government and its predecessor, concerns have recently been raised that Australia’s commitment to assist Kyiv shows signs of tapering off.
Under those circumstances, sending F-18s to Ukraine—or at least seriously investigating the prospect of doing so—would significantly bolster Australian support at a crucial time in Ukraine’s struggle to roll back Russia’s unprovoked, illegal and barbaric invasion.
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/w... Ukraines successand how Australia could help
Charging and firing the American self-propelled guns M109 of the army of Ukraine. Published footage of the crew of the American 155-mm self-propelled howitzer M109 of the army of Ukraine. The video shows the process of preparing a howitzer for a shot by the crew of the Ukrainian army. Earlier, Ukraine received M-109 howitzers of different versions from Latvia, Norway, Great Britain and Italy. Howitzers began to be produced in 1962 and were delivered to many countries of the world. Over the years, the howitzer has been upgraded many times, the latest version being the M109A7. The howitzer uses separate cartridge loading charges. The rate of fire of the howitzer is up to 4 rounds per minute.
Details about Danish Caesar 8x8 howitzers received by Ukraine. The first footage from one of the 19 155-mm Caesar self-propelled guns transferred by Denmark to Ukraine on the Tatra T815 chassis has been published. In 2017, Denmark ordered these self-propelled guns from France, but the self-propelled guns could not be received for a long time, as they corrected defects associated with the gearbox, gun barrels and general design adjustments. On January 19, 2023, the Danish Minister of Defense announced that a decision had been made to transfer all 19 self-propelled guns to Ukraine. At the same time, the minister admitted that the ACS ordered by Denmark on the Tatra T815 chassis had structural defects, Ukraine was informed about this. Differences between the Danish CAESAR self-propelled guns on the Tatra T815 chassis and the French, an automated gun loading system and an armored cabin. The calculation of self-propelled guns was reduced from five to 3 people, the ammunition load was increased from 18 to 36 shells. The mass of self-propelled guns has increased from 18 to 32 tons. The Caesar 8x8 self-propelled guns are equipped with a 410 hp Tatra V8 engine.
Overview of the American boats Sea Ark Dauntless of the Ukrainian army. Ukraine has published footage of exercises with the landing of a river assault using American boats Sea Ark Dauntless. The Sea Ark Dauntless high-speed patrol boat is manufactured by US Watercraft and is used by the US Navy to protect naval bases and operations of landing and sabotage forces. The US has 117 of these boats, but they are being replaced with newer models. The 11m aluminum boats can be armed with two 7.62mm M240 machine guns or two 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns. Some models of boats can be equipped with grenade launchers. Sea Ark Dauntless type boats are capable of taking on board seven people and are equipped with two engines with a total power of 850 hp. and two Hamilton water cannons. The boat develops speed up to 85 km/h.
Overview of Ukrainian UJ-22 UAVs attacking Moscow on May 30. A large-scale Ukrainian UAV attack took place today at 4 am on Moscow and the Moscow region. According to the latest data, 32 UAVs of various models were involved in the attack. One of the used UJ-22 Airborne UAVs manufactured by the Ukrainian company Ukrjet. The UAV is made of carbon fiber and equipped with a communication system with two independent data transmission channels. The UAV can fly at an average speed of 160 km/h, at a range of up to 800 km, with a maximum flight altitude of 6000 meters and a takeoff weight of 85 kg. UAV payload weight 20 kg. Flight time up to 14 hours. As it turned out, part of the drones carried an industrial shaped charge KZ-6 with a warhead mass of 1.8 kg. As a result of the attack, 19 UAVs were reportedly shot down by Russian air defenses, 10 UAVs fell on their own in the fields, and 3 UAVs crashed into residential buildings. The remains of the UAV are studied by specialists and local residents who took them as souvenirs. As a result of the UAV attack, none of the residents in Moscow was seriously injured, two people sought medical help.
Overview of Turkish armored cars Otokar Cobra 2 of the Ukrainian army. Turkish armored vehicles Otokar Cobra II began to use the Ukrainian army. The multi-purpose tactical armored vehicle Cobra II was developed by Otokar and was first introduced in 2013. The armored car was developed on the basis of a prototype Hummer XM-1211 armored vehicle, with which the American company AM General tried to replace Hammer armored vehicles in the US Army. The armor of the vehicle provides protection against bullets of various calibers, fragments and explosive devices weighing up to several kilograms, depending on the configuration. The exact level of protection is not disclosed. Vehicle armor can be reinforced with overhead modules; vehicles were delivered to Ukraine without additional armor. The first version of the armored vehicle was very popular and was purchased by many countries, only weak armor was noted, this was corrected in the second version of the armored vehicle. Strengthening armor protection led to a strong increase in curb weight - this parameter reached 18.5 tons, the first version of the Cobra armored vehicle weighed only 6 tons. The vehicle can be fitted with a 7.62mm machine gun, a 12.7mm Browning machine gun, or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. Some of the vehicles were equipped with remotely controlled combat modules. The car is equipped with ABS, tire inflation system, video cameras and air conditioning. The armored car is equipped with an engine with a capacity of 360 to 400 hp and has a speed of up to 110 km / h, a cruising range of 700 km. Part of the armored vehicles can float. The five-wheel version of the car can accommodate up to 11 people.
Assault Ukrainian tank Challenger 2 anti-tank line of defense. The Ukrainian army has published footage of exercises to break through the fortified defense line with the help of Challenger 2 tanks, information about these English tanks is on the channel. It is worth noting that the Russian army, in order to prevent the displacement of concrete tetrahedra, fastens them with iron cables. This significantly complicates the tank to overcome concrete gouges.
Teachings of the Ukrainian army, overcoming the fear of tanks. Footage of the training of Ukrainian mobilized military personnel at one of the training grounds has been published. In the video, the soldiers are taught to overcome the fear of the tank, judging by the video, one of the soldiers still needs to train. Such a psychological exercise is also carried out by Russian military personnel, we have previously talked about this.
Details about the British trucks Foden 8×6 of the army of Ukraine. The ex-president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, together with volunteers, continues to purchase military equipment in England for the needs of the Ukrainian army using the funds of his foundation. This time he purchased used English Foden 8×6 trucks manufactured in 1988. The machine is equipped with a 340 hp Rolls-Royce engine, an Allison automatic transmission and a Multi lift transfer device for interchangeable containers up to 18 tons. Used DAF military trucks have also been purchased.
The Ukrainian army is modernizing the T-72M1 and T-64BV tanks. The Ukrainian army began the modernization of the T-72M1 and T-64BV tanks. Earlier, Poland handed over to Ukraine T-72M tanks, which are an export version of the T-72A tank developed in 1979. The export version of the tank is distinguished by the device of the collective protection system and shells. Also, the T-72M received a monolithic turret armor instead of a combined one. The Ukrainian army is modernizing tanks, equipping them with dynamic protection and anti-cumulative gratings, and other improvements are being carried out, but there is no data on them yet.
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Volodymyr Zelensky and bosses from British defence giant BAE Systems have discussed setting up an arms factory in Ukraine as he seeks to build up Kyiv’s arsenal of weapons.
Ukraine’s president highlighted the discussions - which included possible “localised production” of weapons in the country - in his overnight address as his military forces are on the brink of launching a major counter-offensive against Vladimir Putin’s army
Mr Zelensky said: “I spoke with representatives of the powerful British defence company BAE Systems. This is a truly large-scale weapons manufacturer – the weapons that we need now and that we will need in the future to ensure the security of our country and the entire region.”
He added: “We are working to create an appropriate base for production and repair in Ukraine. We are talking about a wide range of weapons: from tanks to artillery.
“We will provide Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, with this new foundation of strength.
Ukraine’s president highlighted the discussions - which included possible “localised production” of weapons in the country - in his overnight address as his military forces are on the brink of launching a major counter-offensive against Vladimir Putin’s army
Mr Zelensky said: “I spoke with representatives of the powerful British defence company BAE Systems. This is a truly large-scale weapons manufacturer – the weapons that we need now and that we will need in the future to ensure the security of our country and the entire region.”
He added: “We are working to create an appropriate base for production and repair in Ukraine. We are talking about a wide range of weapons: from tanks to artillery.
“We will provide Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, with this new foundation of strength.
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Ukraine has asked Berlin to provide it with Taurus air-to-surface missiles that have a range of in excess of 500 kilometres.
"We have a received a request from the Ukrainian side in recent days," a ministry spokesman said, without providing further details.
The request comes as Ukraine prepares to launch a counteroffensive in an effort to wrestle back territory seized by Russia since Moscow invaded its neighbour in February 2022, sparking the biggest conflict on European soil since World War II.
The missiles, produced by a Germany-Swedish joint venture Taurus Systems, would allow Ukraine to strike well inside Russia with their range of more than 500 kilometres (310 miles).
"We have a received a request from the Ukrainian side in recent days," a ministry spokesman said, without providing further details.
The request comes as Ukraine prepares to launch a counteroffensive in an effort to wrestle back territory seized by Russia since Moscow invaded its neighbour in February 2022, sparking the biggest conflict on European soil since World War II.
The missiles, produced by a Germany-Swedish joint venture Taurus Systems, would allow Ukraine to strike well inside Russia with their range of more than 500 kilometres (310 miles).
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Australia, in collaboration with the United States, is currently engaged in discussions regarding the potential donation of 41 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornets to Ukraine, diverting them from their originally planned fate of being scrapped.
The move comes in response to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for fighter jets to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities. Recent reports from the Australia Financial Review shed light on the ongoing negotiations surrounding this significant military endeavor.
The retired F/A-18 Hornets, currently stored at the Williamtown RAAF base near Newcastle, face the options of either being scrapped or sold to RAVN Aerospace, a US private sector aviation company, for training purposes, if the negotiations with Ukraine do not succeed.
However, RAVN has recently identified 14 of the F/A-18 jets that are in the best condition and could potentially be sold to the Ukrainians as part of a “revitalization and training” program.
Details about the Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian army. The Ukrainian military has completed training in Sweden on the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle and will soon receive about 50 armored vehicles of the CV9040 version. The second-generation tridsfordon 90 armored vehicle with the CV90 export index was developed in 1993 in Sweden by Hägglunds. Now Sweden is armed with 549 CV9040 infantry fighting vehicles of various modifications and models. The vehicle's armor is capable of withstanding 14.7 mm bullets, while the frontal armor provides protection against 30 mm projectiles. The machine can be reinforced with additional armor plates, but then its mass will increase from 22 to 35 tons. The infantry fighting vehicle is equipped with a modern fire control system with day and night sighting channels and has a high accuracy of firing data calculation. The infantry fighting vehicle is armed with a powerful 40 mm Bofors L70 cannon and a 7.62 mm machine gun. The gun is equipped with an unusual ammunition supply system, it has 3 ready-made magazines of 8 shells each, each magazine needs to be reloaded for about 20 seconds, then the shells are fed by a special automatic loader. Gun ammunition 220 shells. Despite its age, the machine is quite modern in its characteristics, as it has been constantly modernized and is now in service with 7 countries. 550 hp engine with a combat weight of the vehicle of 23 tons, it allows it to develop a speed of 70 km / h. The crew of the car is three people and six to eight paratroopers.
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