Joe Biden is asking Congress to approve another $20bn in military aid to Ukraine

 Joe Biden is asking Congress to approve another $20bn in military aid to Ukraine, significantly ramping up the US contribution to the battle against Russian occupation.

Biden will also ask for $8.5bn in economic aid to Kyiv and $3bn in humanitarian relief, as well as funds to help increase US production of food crops and strategic minerals to offset the impact of the war in Ukraine on global supplies.

The total request for supplemental spending comes to $33bn. The last supplemental request approved by Congress in March was $13.6bn.

In a letter to the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, Biden said:

What I want to make clear to the Congress and the American people is this: the cost of failing to stand up to violent aggression in Europe has always been higher than the cost of standing firm against such attacks.

The new military assistance the congressional funding will finance will include:

• More artillery, armoured vehicles, as well as anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft systems.

• Help to build up Ukraine’s cyber warfare capabilities.

• More intelligence sharing.

• Support to increase Ukraine’s ability to produce munitions.

• Assistance in clearing landmines and other explosives and in Ukraine’s defence against chemical, biological and dirty bomb attack.

• Assistance to clear landmines, improvised explosive devices, and other explosive remnants of war and for the government of Ukraine in securing and addressing threats related to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials.

• Further building up US presence on Nato’s eastern flank.

• The package of proposals the administration is sending to Congress also includes measures to strengthen the hand of the justice department in pursuing Kremlin-aligned oligarchs.

Biden said the measures would allow for “expanded and expedited measures for investigating, prosecuting, and forfeiting assets of Russian oligarchs to be used for the benefit of Ukraine”.

Source - The Guardian

United Kingdom sends AS90 Howitzers and 45,000 shells to Ukraine

UK will send 20 AS90 SPHs and 45,000 shells to Ukraine for what senior generals expect will become the largest artillery campaign since the Second World War.

 

Accoridng to the British EXPRESS media source, that 45,000 British-made high explosive shells will be sent along with the AS90 self-propelled Howitzers to Poland this week, where Ukrainian forces will be taught to use and maintain them before they are deployed to the front.

PM Boris Johnson announced that the UK would be sending artillery last week, following an appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for more firepower to counter Russia’s new offensive in the eastern Donbas region.

“This will become an artillery conflict, they need support with more artillery, that is what we will be giving them," he said.

“There are many other friends in Europe, but I’m talking about volumes of help and I’m grateful for it.”

Ukraine is also receiving 90 towed Howitzers from the US and 188,000 shells - enough for three weeks of intensive operations - as part of a wide-ranging £620m defence package which includes target acquisition drones.

France is sending 40 self-propelled Caesar artillery guns.

US gotten first batch of Switchblade drones to Ukraine — Pentagon spokesman

According to John Kirby, the drones have gotten to Ukraine. The US has already shipped the significant number of the first 100 AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions to Ukraine, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said during a briefing Tuesday.

As we know US specialists trained a small group of Ukrainian soldiers who arrived to the US back in autumn in using these drones, they have returned home and train other Ukrainian soldiers.

The US State Department approved a possible FMS to the Poland of M1A2 SEPv3 MBTs

WASHINGTON, February 17, 2022 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Poland of M1A2 SEPv3 Main Battle Tanks and related equipment for an estimated cost of $6.0 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Poland has requested to buy two hundred fifty (250) M1A2SEPv3 Abrams Main Battle tanks; two hundred fifty (250) AN/VLQ-12 CREW Duke counter-IED systems; twenty-six (26) M88A2 HERCULES Combat Recovery vehicles; seventeen (17) M1110 joint assault bridges; two hundred seventy-six (276) M2 .50 caliber machine guns; five hundred (500) M240C 7.62mm machine guns; fifteen (15) AGT1500 gas turbine engines; nine thousand one hundred sixty-eight (9,168) 120mm M865 Target Practice, Cone Stabilized, Discarding Sabot - Tracer (TPCSDS-T) cartridges; four thousand five hundred ninety-two (4,592) 120mm M1002 Target Practice Multipurpose Tracer (TPMP-T) projectiles; thirteen thousand nine hundred twenty (13,920) 120mm M830A1 High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) TP-T cartridges; and six thousand nine hundred sixty (6,960) 120mm XM1147 High Explosive multipurpose tracers. Also included are forward repair systems; trailer mounted generators; Common Remote Operated Weapons Station Low Profile (CROWS-LP); communications equipment; GPS receivers; ammunition; spare and repair parts; Special Tools and Test Equipment (STTE); technical manuals and publications; maintenance trainers; gunnery training systems; tank driver’s trainers; new equipment training; U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics personnel services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $6.0 billion.

The principal contractors will be General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, MI; BAE Systems, York, PA; Leonardo DRS, Arlington, VA; Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, AZ; Raytheon Company, McKinney, TX; and Lockheed Martin, Orlando, FL. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this proposed sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will require approximately (22) U.S. Government and (52) U.S. contractor representatives to travel to Poland for a duration of up to five years to support equipment fielding and training.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value is for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

The Ukrainian KhBTZ started trials of the T-64BV Obr.2022 tank.

The Ukrainian KhBTZ started trials of the T-64BV Obr.2022 tank. The vehicle is equipped with new fuel system, protected fuel tanks, new Laska K2 12,7 mm AA Machine Gun, new surveillance and sighting systems (most possible the  1G46 instead of the 1G42), new lights and communication and navigations systems.

Kornet-D ATGM vs Merkava Mk4 MBT

The TV channel RT Arabic release video about self propelled Kornet ATGM. At the end they showing Merkava Mk4 MBT mockup as target.

On the video from Kornet-D Self Propelled ATGM was launched salwo of two missiles with very small time difference to break through the APS.

US Army field for the first time the modernized M2A4 Bradley IFVs

Spartan Soldiers assigned to 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division are the first in the U.S Army to field the newly modernized M2A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles as part of the Marne division's glidepath to become the most modernized division in the U.S. Army by summer 2023.(U.S. Army Video by Sgt. Trenton Lowery).

Strong start to Ex WINTER CAMP over the last few days with eFP Estonia Battlegroup.

 

Strong start to Ex WINTER CAMP over the last few days with eFP Estonia Battlegroup. Integrating armour, infantry and engineering capabilities whilst sharpening cold weather skills.

Strong start to Ex WINTER CAMP over the last few days with eFP Estonia Battlegroup.

Integrating armour, infantry and engineering capabilities whilst sharpening our cold weather skills.

Strong start to Ex WINTER CAMP over the last few days with eFP Estonia Battlegroup.

Integrating armour, infantry and engineering capabilities whilst sharpening our cold weather skills.

🇬🇧🇫🇷🇪🇪 pic.twitter.com/7KFNvDm3Wf

— Col Dai Bevan (@ComdUKeFP) February 3, 2022

The T-64BV MBTs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reserves in winter camouflage

Exercise of the tank reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were held in the Donetsk region. During training, the crews trained to moving out of the concentration area to the firing line, maneuvers as part of a company against a possible enemy, and performing tasks in conditions of a sudden change of the situation.

Source Joint Forces Operation

OSHKOSH DEFENSE UNVEILS FIRST-EVER SILENT DRIVE HYBRID ELECTRIC JLTV

Adds silent drive, extended silent watch, increased fuel economy and exportable power without sacrificing performance or protection

OSHKOSH, Wis. (January 25, 2022) — Oshkosh Defense, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), unveiled the first-ever silent drive hybrid-electric Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), the eJLTV.

The eJLTV offers the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps the same level of performance and protection as the base JLTV with the addition of silent drive, extended silent watch, enhanced fuel economy, and increased exportable power that enables it to be used in combat and reconnaissance scenarios.

The eJLTV charges the battery while in use, fully recharging the lithium-ion battery within 30 minutes.  This eliminates the need for a charging infrastructure, which remains one of the most significant challenges to the widespread electrification of the tactical wheeled vehicle fleet.

 “For many years, we’ve been developing, testing and evolving hybrid-electric variants of our heavy and medium-duty tactical wheeled vehicles,” said John Bryant, Executive Vice President for Oshkosh Corporation and President of Oshkosh Defense.  “Now, with the eJLTV, we’re offering our military customers an affordable way to electrify their light tactical wheeled vehicle fleet without compromising the off-road performance or superior protection necessary in combat operations.”

This year, the U.S. Army plans to recompete the JLTV program and issue a follow-on production contract in September 2022.  The follow-on contract, valued at $6.5 Billion, includes an additional 15,468 vehicles and five order years followed by five options years, extending production through FY32. 

“While the U.S. Army has not requested a hybrid-electric JLTV as part of the JLTV recompete, the eJLTV proves that Oshkosh Defense has the team and technical capabilities to produce this highly capable vehicle today,” Bryant concluded.

About the eJLTV:

• Maintains the performance and protection of the proven Oshkosh Defense JLTV

• Improves fuel economy by more than 20%

• Provides battery capacity of 30kWh with opportunity for growth

• Eliminates the need for a towed generator by providing export power capacity of up to 115kW

Oshkosh Defense and its parent company, Oshkosh Corporation, have a rich history in electrification and are pushing the boundaries of innovation for customers. One example is the Oshkosh Defense diesel electric Light Combat Tactical Vehicle (LCTV), from which the Oshkosh JLTV is derived. The LCTV was the world’s first military vehicle to finish the grueling SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. In addition, Oshkosh Defense was awarded the contract to develop and manufacture the U.S. Postal Service’s Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), which calls for the delivery of between 50,000 and 165,000 vehicles over a period of 10 years and will consist of both zero-emission battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel-efficient low-emission internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE), upgrading the USPS fleet to be increasingly sustainable.

Source Oshkosh Defense