Ukraine gets first weapons from latest US aid just 4 days after Biden’s signing – NYT. [article]

5 comments

1. Excerpt:

   > On 28 and 29 April, Ukraine received the first batches of weapons from the new US aid package – just four days after Biden approved it. These included anti-tank missiles and 155mm artillery shells, according to The New York Times. On 30 April, Patriot missiles provided by Spain arrived in Poland and are expected to reach the front lines soon.
   >
   > As the US Congress stalled military aid for Ukraine for more than six months, Ukrainian defenses have significantly degraded, resulting in Ukraine gradually losing ground to Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast. The aid bill finally passed Congress last month and the Pentagon announced a new assistance package, yet the matériel delivery and distribution requires time to have an impact on the current situation.
   >
   > Analysts warn that Ukraine may only stabilize the situation at the front by summer at best or by year’s end at worst.

2. It’s worth noting a lot of the simple stuff can have big impacts. As Perun noted there’s a lot of western stuff that just needs parts. I’d wonder how many Bradleys can be fixed relatively easily with parts now flowing in.

   Even things like the Humvees instantly upgrade infantry units into mobile units. Apparently they got 1,000 of these and 500 MRAPs, that’s a lot of metal in a small package. Instantly it upgrades infantry brigades to mobile.

3. How many more of the 155 cluster shells does the US still have in stock. While they have not signed the treaty they keep saying they will not use them so start moving them. Where are those shell the Czech’s sourced they should be starting to show up soon now.

4. When the shells arrive just in time to hold the line

   That’s logistics!

5. Yanks get a lot of criticism but they’ve perfected military logistics as an art form.