BAE 'Fool's Errand' Deal to Produce Howitzers in Ukraine 'Will Make No Difference'
© AFP 2023 / ANATOLII STEPANOV
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Three months into Ukraine's counteroffensive, the Kiev regime has nothing to show for it but piling up losses in manpower and tens of billions of dollars’ worth of NATO-gifted weaponry. However, the lack of success does not appear to have fazed Kiev’s Western allies.
The Kiev regime’s agreement with BAE Systems to explore local arms production in Ukraine is a “fool’s errand," but any way it goes, the defense contractor will come out of it "with a profit," former US Army Military Intelligence officer and political commentator Philip Giraldi told Sputnik.
Ukraine is only contracting with Western arms companies because it is being given everything free by the US and NATO, underscored the founder and chair of the Council for the National Interest.
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently touted a new agreement with the British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company BAE Systems that would establish a local presence in Ukraine.
“The development of our own weapons production is a top priority… In particular, artillery – L119 and M777 systems, armored vehicles – robust CV90. These are the weapons of BAE Systems, which is starting to operate in Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram on August 31. He also said he had met with the company's CEO, Charles Woodburn.
However, the deal, which was ostensibly discussed with the defense contractor back in May, comes amid the botched Ukrainian counteroffensive, which has resulted in huge losses for the Kiev regime, along with piles of NATO-gifted weaponry destroyed by Russia’s military. Furthermore, President Volodymyr Zelensky recently even entreated the West to send Ukraine missiles for Soviet-era anti-aircraft systems, as the West's systems have not turned out to be as effective as they were extolled.
“BAE is probably assuming that the fighting will be over by the time the production and training centers are up and functioning, and they also find the entire situation attractive because they know that no matter how it evolves, they will be paid in full by their own government. It is a fool's errand by the weapons manufacturers but any way it goes they will come out of it with a profit. The same holds true for the US manufacturers involved in arming Kiev,” Philip Giraldi said.
The Kiev leadership touted plans of a future BAE Systems production base on Ukrainian soil back in May, eying the possibility of having local production of the L119 Light Gun 105 mm towed howitzer. UK-donated L119s have been operating in Ukraine since 2022, along with a vast amount of billions' worth of NATO weaponry funneled to fuel the alliance’s proxy war with Russia. The 105 mm howitzer uses the M1 ammunition with a maximum range of 11.4 kilometers. There are also other BAE systems operational in Ukraine, such as the M777 155 mm towed gun and the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle, as per Ukraine’s presidential office.
As for BAE Systems, it stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the agreement would enable it to "to ramp up support to Ukraine’s armed forces and to explore the supply of light guns" to Kiev.
BAE boasts annual sales of more than $29.19 billion (£23 billion) and almost £2.5 billion in profits in 2022, as per media reports.
"The idea of a production plant in Ukraine for British Aerospace is currently foolish for many reasons," Matthew Gordon-Banks, former UK Conservative member of Parliament and retired senior research fellow at the UK Defence Academy, told Sputnik.
Ukraine has been rapidly chewing through all the weapons funneled from the West. However, Kiev still has nothing to show for its botched counteroffensive, which was launched on June 4, with its military sustaining tremendous losses.
“The conflict in Ukraine is the subject of huge propaganda and I think that the issue of a British Aerospace agreement with Kiev also has a significant element of propaganda attached to it. At best, it is just public relations,” believed Matthew Gordon-Banks.
The agreement, which is much-touted by Zelensky, “discusses weapons that will neither change the outcome of the conflict or be available any time soon,” Gordon-Banks added.
Russia's MoD has calculated that Kiev lost over 43,000 troops during the summer counteroffensive alone. As of August 30, 2023, Ukraine had reportedly lost 466 airplanes, 247 helicopters, 6,234 unmanned aerial vehicles, 433 air defense missile systems, 11,570 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, as well as 12,528 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation.
“Ukraine is so bankrupt and reliant on American dollars that I wonder who would pay for everything that Kiev trumpets... The West? US/UK/NATO? Ukraine does not have any money!” emphasized Matthew Gordon-Banks.
The retired UK Defence Academy senior research fellow pointed out that any local production in Ukraine by BAE Systems would “just become a target,” as Moscow has repeatedly pointed out.
Overall, the deal with BAE Systems "will make no difference," underscored ex-US Army Military Intelligence officer Philip Giraldi, adding:
"It will be too little, and too late to have any impact on what will have been a Russian victory."
3 September 2023, 18:37 GMT
The Kremlin has been swift to warn the defense contractor that any of its facilities in Ukraine would be a legitimate target for the Russian military. "Of course, any facilities for the production of weapons, especially if these weapons fire at us, they become objects of special attention for our military,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked to comment on the agreement. He also added that it would not influence the course of conflict or contribute to a reduction of hostilities.
Moscow has underscored time and again that the United States and NATO are direct participants in the Ukraine war because of their support to Kiev by supplying arms and providing it with military training.
"The West is pumping lethal weapons into Ukraine... so don’t say that the US and NATO are not participants in this war - you [the West] are directly participating," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video call with reporters in December 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also warned that Western military aid supplied to Kiev only prolongs war and would not change its outcome, while foreign-made lethal weapons are a “priority target” for Russian forces.
