While France prepares to soon supply AMX-10RC tanks to the Ukrainian army, the United States and Germany have also pledged Kyiv infantry fighting vehicles [VCI] PO2 Bradley and Marten. This was indeed announced by US President Joe Biden and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz after a telephone interview on January 5.
The idea of selling M2 Bradleys to Ukraine, which the US Army intends to replace as part of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle project [OMFV], was revealed by the Bloomberg agency on December 29. Tracks and indicates a combat mass of about twenty tons [selon les versions], this infantry fighting vehicle can carry 6 to 7 equipped infantrymen in addition to its crew of 3. It is armed with a 25mm gun and TOW anti-tank missiles.
As for the Marder, there was talk of supplying it to the Ukrainian army starting in April 2022, after the Rheinmetall concern insisted on sending it a hundred copies. In any case, he had to apply for an export license for this…
As a reminder, this VCI, which has forty years of service in the Bundeswehr, must be gradually replaced by the Puma as part of an exercise to prepare the Panzergrenadierbrigade 37 for leadership of the Highest Readiness, but it has not shone recently Joint Task Force [Very High Readiness Joint Task Force]. In any case, with a combat mass of around thirty tons, the Marder is equipped with a 20 mm cannon [avec 1250 obus] and four anti-tank missiles [MILAN ou Spike].
The number of affected armored vehicles was not specified by MM. Biden and Scholz. That means it would be a matter of 50 M2 Bradleys and 40 Marders.
But this announcement overshadowed that of the German chancellor. While Washington has already promised to supply Kyiv with a Patriot air defense system, Berlin intends to do the same.
“In late December, the United States announced the donation of a Patriot air defense battery to Ukraine. Germany will join the United States in providing Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery,” the joint press release said.
This announcement about sending a Patriot battery to Ukraine came as a surprise. Currently, the Bundeswehr – more precisely the anti-aircraft missile squadron 1 [FlaRakG 1 ou Escadron de missiles anti-aériens 1] – has twelve units. At least one was deployed in Slovakia, part of NATO, to replace a Russian-made S-300 system sold to Kyiv from Bratislava. And three more are to be stationed in Poland, near the border with Ukraine.
That deployment in Poland had also prompted some reprieve…Warsaw had agreed at first, then considered that these Patriot systems would be more useful in Ukraine, before changing its mind and finally accepting the offer.
In any case, these Patriot systems, promised by the United States and Germany to ensure that the Ukrainian air defense is multi-layered, should not be quickly operational, since operator training takes time [au moins une vingtaine de semaines, en moyenne, selon les spécialités]. The question of interceptor missiles will also arise [PAC-2 et/ou PAC-3]whose unit costs are between two and four million dollars.
“The high cost of missiles and their relatively small number in a battery means Patriot operators cannot hit every target. High quality Russian aircraft and ballistic missiles would be suitable targets. Firing $4 million missiles at $250,000 Russian cruise missiles might be justified if those missiles hit sensitive targets. Launching a $4 million missile at a $50,000 Iranian Shahed-136 drone probably wouldn’t be the case,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank, said in a statement.
Nevertheless, in recent months Germany has already delivered Gepard armored anti-aircraft vehicles and the Iris-T SLM short-range air defense system to Ukraine.
I thank @Chancellor for the decision to deliver a Patriot anti-aircraft missile battery to Ukraine. Along with the previously delivered IRIS-T system and the Gepard tanks, Germany is making a single contribution to intercepting all Russian missiles!
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 5, 2023
In a message published on social networks, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Berlin not for the Marder armored vehicles … but for the Patriot system.
“I thank Chancellor Scholz for his decision to supply a Patriot air defense battery to Ukraine. With the already delivered IRIS-T system and the Gepard tanks, Germany is making an important contribution to the interception of all Russian missiles! ‘ Mr. Zelensky indeed confirmed.