https://sputnikglobe.com/20240104/ukraines-hodgepodge-of-nato-arms-proved-failure-long-before-arriving-on-battlefield-1115969643.html
Ukraine's 'Hodgepodge' of NATO Arms Proved Failure Long Before Arriving on Battlefield
Ukraine's 'Hodgepodge' of NATO Arms Proved Failure Long Before Arriving on Battlefield
Sputnik International
After reports that the majority of Leopard tanks provided to Ukraine by Germany are no longer operational, security analyst and US Navy vet explains why that is not surprising to him.
2024-01-04T04:19+0000
2024-01-04T04:19+0000
2024-01-04T04:15+0000
analysis
mark sleboda
russia
ukraine
germany
nato
krauss-maffei wegmann
military & intelligence
sputnik
leopard 2
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The state of Ukraine's arms in the ongoing conflict is a clear example of a "logistical nightmare" as much of the military equipment the Kiev regime was given from its supporters "wasn't working in the first place," international relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda told Sputnik."This is the inevitable logistical nightmare of trying to use and create a proxy army entirely dependent on a hodgepodge of different, often antiquated equipment and throw them up against the Russian military," Sleboda told Sputnik's Critical Hour on Wednesday.The Leopard-2 tanks sent by Germany and other NATO countries were specifically targeted by Russian defenses, resulting in them being scattered across the battlefield in various states of destruction. Oftentimes, armies will attempt to recover damaged and destroyed tanks from the battlefield in hopes of repair, but the lack of parts and repair facilities has made that task difficult for Ukraine. Sleboba noted that a plan to have a repair center open in Poland was considered but fell through and only in the last month did a facility open in Lithuania, although it lacks the parts necessary for repair because the Leopard tanks are no longer produced.The Kiev regime is reduced “to cannibalizing those Leopards that still have some functioning spare parts to keep the other operational.” This strategy, Sleboda underscored, is not sustainable.Furthermore, Sleboda explains that European NATO countries, particularly Germany, have their own issues with their military arsenal, detailing that an internal German military assessment from 2022 determined that significant portions of German military equipment were in a state of disrepair.Touching on the long-hyped F-16 fighter jets recently supplied to Ukraine, Sleboda stated that just like the Leopards and other supposed Western game changers, the F-16 is unlikely to turn the tide in Ukraine's favor.He went on to note that the F-16s are no longer the formidable fighting bird it was in the 1970s and 1980s. “[F-16s] might have been cool for Maverick and Iceman in 'Top Gun,' when these were new. But that is an old movie, I hate to tell you, young people haven't even seen 'Top Gun' when these older F-16s were actually a formidable weapon,” he explained.When matched against Russia’s more modern aircraft, including the SU-35, Sleboda predicts the NATO-supplied fighter jets “will soon be decorating the steps of Zaporozhye, right alongside the Bradleys and the Leopards,” adding that the older models were provided as “another token political effort so that Western countries can pretend that they're providing military support to the Kiev regime.”
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/leopard-2-tanks-supplied-to-ukraine-are-non-operational--german-mp-1115956739.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/what-awaits-f-16s-in-ukraines-skies-1115947153.html
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leopards in ukraine not working, ukraine cannot repair leopards, will the f-16 be a game changer?
leopards in ukraine not working, ukraine cannot repair leopards, will the f-16 be a game changer?
Ukraine's 'Hodgepodge' of NATO Arms Proved Failure Long Before Arriving on Battlefield
On Tuesday, it was reported in German media that Green Party politician Sebastian Schafer wrote arms manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, informing them only a “small number” of the Leopard 1 and 2 tanks delivered to Ukraine by Germany were operational. Schafer highlighted a lack of spare parts and called for measures to address the issue.
The state of Ukraine's arms in the ongoing conflict is a clear example of a "logistical nightmare" as much of the military equipment the Kiev regime was given from its supporters "wasn't working in the first place," international relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda told Sputnik.
"This is the inevitable logistical nightmare of trying to use and create a proxy army entirely dependent on a hodgepodge of different, often antiquated equipment and throw them up against the Russian military," Sleboda
told Sputnik's Critical Hour on Wednesday.
The Leopard-2 tanks sent by Germany and other NATO countries were specifically targeted by Russian defenses, resulting in them being scattered across the battlefield in various states of destruction. Oftentimes, armies will attempt to recover damaged and destroyed tanks from the battlefield in hopes of repair, but the lack of parts and repair facilities has made that task difficult for Ukraine.
Sleboba noted that a plan to have a repair center open in Poland was considered but fell through and only in the last month did a facility open in Lithuania, although it lacks the parts necessary for repair because the Leopard tanks are no longer produced.
The Kiev regime is reduced “to cannibalizing those Leopards that still have some functioning spare parts to keep the other operational.” This strategy, Sleboda underscored, is not sustainable.
Furthermore, Sleboda explains that European NATO countries, particularly Germany, have their own issues with their military arsenal, detailing that an internal German military assessment from 2022 determined that significant portions of German military equipment were in a state of disrepair.
”All 18 of its modern German infantry fighting vehicle, the Puma, fail - all 18 of them [...] 102 out of the German Army's 142 boxer armored fighting vehicles [were] out of order. Less than half of the Army's 48 Puma infantry fighting vehicles [were ready for] operation. Leopard-2s a little better - 132 out of 167 were operational," Sleboda pointed out. "This was before they sent some of those that were operational to Ukraine. Even the vaunted supposedly, again, wonder weapon provided to Ukraine, [the] self-propelled howitzer, the Panzer ... Just 41 out of 61 were operational and this is their [for] own military.”
Touching on the long-hyped F-16 fighter jets recently supplied to Ukraine, Sleboda stated that just like the Leopards and other supposed Western game changers, the F-16 is unlikely to turn the tide in Ukraine's favor.
“The United Kingdom is going to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16s. Here's the problem. The United Kingdom doesn't fly the F-16s. They don't have F-16s, they don't have F-16 pilots, right? But they're going to train the Ukrainians on the F-16s. I predict that is going to turn out even better than their Leopard tank drivers,” Sleboda joked.
He went on to note that the F-16s are no longer the formidable fighting bird it was in the 1970s and 1980s. “[F-16s] might have been cool for Maverick and Iceman in 'Top Gun,' when these were new. But that is an old movie, I hate to tell you, young people haven't even seen 'Top Gun' when these older F-16s were actually a formidable weapon,” he explained.
When matched against Russia’s more modern aircraft, including the SU-35, Sleboda predicts the NATO-supplied fighter jets “will soon be decorating the steps of Zaporozhye, right alongside the Bradleys and the Leopards,” adding that the older models were provided as “another token political effort so that Western countries can pretend that they're providing military support to the Kiev regime.”
