Ukraine Fighters May Need More Tanks, Tactical Trucks and Heavy Armour

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Kris Osborn – President, Center for Military Modernization

Ukraine’s success in reclaiming previously held Russian territory, and the progress of their counteroffensive raises interesting questions about the kinds of equipment, weapons and supplies they need as they surge ahead in what looks like a protracted war.

The Pentagon, NATO and other allies have been extremely clear that not only will there be a short, medium and long-term commitment to support Ukraine’s effort but that there will also be weapons development and production contracts to build new weapons for Ukraine. This, the Pentagon has announced, is a clear and impactful way to support Ukraine’s long term needs for weapons and sustainment.

Military Support to Ukraine

All of this raises some interesting questions regarding how military support to Ukraine may evolve moving forward. They may need more tanks, transport vehicles, force protection equipment, basing and a secure, well-defended supply line. The Pentagon is of course quiet about specifics regarding ongoing deliberations, but one has to wonder if the US or its allies will send larger numbers of tanks, heavily armored vehicles, base protection sensors and interceptors and tactical trucks to move supplies, weapons and forces forward as Ukrainians retake territory.

Certainly advancing forces will need forward positioned food, fuel, weapons and ammunition available as they maneuver, and they will also need portable structures such as tents, bedding and other accommodations for arriving forces reclaiming key areas. This means the Ukrainians may also require a new amount of small forward operating bases from which to launch further offensives into Russian held territory.

To a large extent, the overall nature of their fight may shift in a way that requires more heavy armor and mechanized forces. While they clearly have some already, more may be needed to close in on and “break through” Russian barriers, fortifications and troop positions. Ukrainian forces may need to “mass” to a greater extent and maneuver in different, larger formations than they have thus far. This requires force protection, meaning Ukrainian forces on a counterattack will need built-in ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) in the form of drones as well as certain kinds of base protections such as sensors, interceptors, jammers or other countermeasures. This may mean base protections such as something similar to the US Army’s Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) which links sensors to fire control and small interceptor rockets or area weapons such as a Phalanx gun able to fire hundreds of small projectiles per second to knock out incoming enemy fire.