The main topic of recent days and even weeks has been the granting of lend-lease to Ukraine by the United States in the course of its struggle against the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. However, there is not very much clear, specific and, most importantly, understandable information on this topic, and at the same time it is fragmented.
But since last Monday, May 9, US President Joe Biden signed the lend-lease law for Ukraine, and this very law immediately entered into force, it's time to fully understand what exactly has already happened, and what exactly will happen in the near future .
What is Lend-Lease, what will Ukraine receive under Lend-LeaseWhat is lend-lease
So, for starters, it is important to understand the very concept of lend-lease. It appeared during the Second World War, when the United States decided to provide the USSR with comprehensive assistance in terms of the supply of weapons, military equipment, equipment, raw materials (and more). For this, the lend-lease program was developed and launched, the essence of which was as follows:
- The USSR receives supplies on a lease basis;
- immediate payment for these deliveries was not provided, while there were no payment terms at all - they should have been fixed only after the end of the war through the negotiation process (by the way, in the end, it dragged on right up to 1972!);
- weapons and equipment supplied under the Lend-Lease program, and then lost in battles, were not subject to payment.
In a word, lend-lease is a US program for the supply of weapons, military equipment, equipment, raw materials, food for rent without immediate payment. The modern lend-lease program is also adapted to the realities of today: it allows you to avoid bureaucratic delays, which radically reduces delivery times. The developed logistics system also affects this factor in an equally effective way.
Thus, the signing of the lend-lease program for Ukraine by the President of the United States means the most prompt deliveries to our country of the widest range of weapons and military equipment without the need for payment in the foreseeable future.
And now, after the essence of lend-lease has been clarified, two pressing questions immediately come to the surface: what exactly will Ukraine get, and how quickly will this happen? Moreover, the word “receive” does not mean the moment of the appearance of combat units in Ukraine, but their involvement at the front, in direct combat operations.
With answers to these questions, everything is a little more complicated, but there are still some specifics
What Ukraine will receive under Lend-Lease from the USA
When it comes to deliveries under the current lend-lease, then, first of all, we mean heavy offensive weapons, which are not in the arsenal of Ukraine, but which it urgently needs to transfer the war from defensive to offensive.
First of all, the Armed Forces of Ukraine need modern artillery, which has special indicators in terms of range, accuracy and destructive power, MLRS systems (multiple launch rocket system - from the category of Gradov, Smerch, but only the latest generation and, accordingly, with completely different characteristics ) and anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM). Of course, Ukraine has a need for tanks, all kinds of infantry fighting vehicles / armored personnel carriers and aviation. However, in order to change the pattern of war, long-range artillery, as well as modern MLRS and air defense systems, are extremely important at the initial stage.
There is no complete and substantive list of EVERYTHING that Ukraine will receive under Lend-Lease in open sources, and it seems that this information should not be made public in the interests of the successful conduct of military operations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to expel the Russian occupiers.
SAM PatriotAt the same time, if we sum up all the leaked information, then under the lend-lease program Ukraine will receive:
- M777 howitzers (caliber 155 mm);
- M109A6 Paladin self-propelled artillery mounts;
- MLRS on HIMARS wheeled chassis;
- universal MLRS M270 MLRS;
- SAM Patriot;
- mobile Norwegian air defense system NASAMS 2;
— tanks of the third generation M1A2 Abrams;
- US infantry fighting vehicles M2A3 Bradley;
- multifunctional light fighters of the 4th generation F-16 °C/D.
When Lend-Lease weapons will be at the front
Taking into account all the features of the current lend-lease program, deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine within its framework will be carried out as soon as possible. And this is not a banal play on words! According to the lend-lease regulations, armaments and military equipment must be delivered to the western border of Ukraine no later than 72 hours after the start of the delivery process. Thus, already this Thursday, Ukraine will be ready to accept on its territory a lot of interesting things from among what it will receive under Lend-Lease.
But the western border is not a front at all. Next, the most important stage of Lend-Lease's work will come - the delivery of the received weapons and military equipment to the front. Safe and sound! After all, it is no secret that the Russian Federation has sought and will continue to strive to destroy any military assistance to Ukraine even before the moment it finds itself in the combat zone.
Therefore, the process of transferring weapons and military equipment from the west of Ukraine to the east will require no less significant skills from the Armed Forces of Ukraine than during the conduct of hostilities. Here you have to act like in football. Only as the opponent's goal - the front line, and as the ball - military equipment. As in a football match, it will be necessary to deliver the ball to the goal with the help of well-coordinated team actions and within the framework of the chosen tactics. You just won’t be able to run directly with him - and most likely you won’t have time to run to the middle of the field, as soon as you lose the ball.
Based on this, the timing of the transfer of received supplies from the western border of Ukraine to the front may take considerable time. Of course, measured in days, not weeks, but still. Apparently, the first combat units of weapons and equipment received under Lend-Lease will be able to enter the battle no earlier than the middle of next week.
Howitzer M777At the same time, it should be taken into account that in some cases additional time will be required to master the received military equipment. Yes, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have experience of joint exercises with NATO, but this does not mean that, for example, every tank crew of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be able to operate the M1A2 Abrams tank. And what can we say about fighters.
Therefore, apparently, artillery, MLRS and air defense systems will appear on the front first. However, as mentioned above, this is exactly what the Armed Forces of Ukraine need in the first place and as soon as possible. And tanks, infantry fighting vehicles / armored personnel carriers and aircraft received under Lend-Lease will “catch up” later. When exactly is an open question. But this is unlikely to happen before the end of May.
M777 howitzers are already deployed on the front
However, it is important to understand that talks and transfusions from empty to empty are definitely in the past - now we are talking about specific deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine, which are taking place, and not planned. Moreover, even before Biden signed the lend-lease law, Ukraine not only received certain weapons, but is already fighting with them against the enemy.
So, the other day there was a video of the use of the M777 howitzer with a digital fire control system by Ukrainian soldiers. The range of this artillery gun is from 25 to 30 km (depending on the type of shells used) and even in the nominal mode of use, the howitzer is capable of firing two shots per minute (intensive firing mode - 5 shots for two minutes).
The icing on the cake is that the M777 can fire the M982 Excalibur guided artillery round with extended range GPS guidance. Just one projectile can hit a target that would take dozens of unguided artillery shells to destroy.
The use of the M77 howitzer by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the war against the Russian Federation:
