Moscow claims to have bought Soledar, Europe wants to launch its own satellites
AFP
Kyiv called to manage the heterogeneous fleet of tanks and armor promised by NATO
The impending arrival of Western-made tanks and armored vehicles in the Ukrainian theater, even German Leopard 2 heavy tanks, calls on Kiev to train its troops in the use and maintenance of various equipment for some complexes. During the occupation of Kiev nearly a year ago, Kiev’s European allies had already delivered some 300 modernized Soviet tanks, but despite repeated appeals to Ukraine, the non-Western heavy tanks have never been delivered. This allows them to engage directly with the target and destroy it with one shot.” This is a big advantage,” Ukrainian captain Vladimir Tchaikovsky told AFP. Russians.Poland has said it is ready to deliver 14 Leopard 2. Considered one of the most successful tanks in the world, this German tank model is widely distributed in Europe and provides real access to spare parts and ammunition. But Berlin is reluctant to deliver them to Kiev for the time being, due to the fear of escalation with Moscow. The British do not exclude the supply of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. January, at the next meeting of Ukraine’s allies in Ramstein (Germany). or reconnaissance armored vehicles — leading the way by promising 40 German Marders, 50 American Bradleys, and French AMX-10 RCs. According to a French source familiar with the matter, Paris can provide only forty weapons. these highly mobile vehicles. Their delivery “will take place within two months”, the French Armed Forces Ministry said late on Thursday. But “it’s one thing to give all this equipment, it’s another thing to use it,” an American military source commented. During the war, the Ukrainians undoubtedly showed an excellent ability to combine the flood of various equipment sent to them, experts agree. And when it comes to heavy armor, the Ukrainian army is not starting from scratch: until February 24, it had about one fleet. 900 Soviet-made tanks. After all, “Soviet tanks are very rustic, with little electronics on board. Considering the variety of Western tanks and armored vehicles I promised, this could be a logistical headache for them,” warned a French cavalry officer. does. . “The cops are quite diverse, each has its own weapon systems, bearings, engines…” The Leopard 2 fires 120 mm shells, for example, like the French Leclerc or the American Abrams. The British Challenger 2 is equipped with a 120 mm gun that requires special ammunition. As for the French AMX 10 RC, which is mounted on wheels and not on wheels, it is more complex to operate than a battle tank, but uses 105 mm ammunition.- Comprehensive maintenance – However, the high intensity of the fighting between the Ukrainians and the Russians makes it require maintenance . stressed equipment is crucial. Western tanks intended for the front line could not avoid this rule. However, “Ukraine is in a state of general mobilization, it has a lot of manpower. They have the structures and internal devices to master all these different techniques.” Léo Péria-Peigné, an arms expert at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), claims that if the smallest damage is traditionally repaired by mechanics stationed near the front line, more severe maintenance operations must be carried out at the rear. For example, KNDS, a Franco-German group consisting of German KMW and French Nexter, opened a maintenance center in Slovakia in November to repair earthmoving equipment. many French and German troops are deployed in Ukraine — Caesar and PzH 2000 cannons, Gepard anti-aircraft armored vehicles or MARS II rocket launchers. “A military vehicle in terms of land maintenance,” he comments. Thus, “sending 10 Challenger 2 tanks from the UK would be a poisoned gift. It would require mobilizing the entire training and maintenance chain for a limited availability rate, and therefore minimal impact on the ground,” as more than a third of the fleet of this type of equipment is traditionally maintained knowing that it is inactive for service the researcher warns.dab-bur/fz/de
