Trench warfare, precision missiles and armed motorcycle units: Why the war in Ukraine looks increasingly anachronistic
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/why-the-war-in-ukraine-looks-increasingly-anachronistic/Brand new HIMARS are sharing the field with World War I-style trenches and repurposed old motorcycles. This week the Pentagon announced it was sending even more advanced munitions to Ukraine’s military. The $400 million package strengthens its artillery capabilities, even as the war in Ukraine is increasingly looking like a conflict from the past. Despite the advanced missile systems pouring into the country, the two armies are fielding old tanks, beaten up cars mounted with new cannons and deploying tactics from the early 20th century, not the 21st. That weaponry and armor have become more important than ever since the initial Russian push failed and the war has turned into artillery slugfests and trench warfare.
Ukraine has received a steady stream of ever-more-advanced weaponry from NATO member states. Those started with Javelin and Stinger anti-air and anti-tank missiles, to large 155mm howitzer cannons, to most recently the high mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS. These have drastically increased Ukraine’s ability to meet the larger Russian army in battle.
This past week the United States announced it was sending four more HIMARS, a 50 percent boost from eight to 12. The U.S. has stressed that the HIMARS aren’t being used to strike inside of Russia, just at Russian forces in Ukraine’s territory. The weapons were already a game changer – as the name suggests, they can fire multiple rockets in one salvo, but the platforms are also highly maneuverable allowing them to relocate and attack quickly. Ukraine quickly put them in the field once they arrived late last month.
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