All American Weapons Powering Ukraine’s Fight Against Russia

To date, the US has provided approximately $64.1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, bringing the total to around $66.9 billion since Russia’s initial invasion in 2014.

The US Department of State reports the US and its Allies have delivered:

• 10 long-range Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS)

• 178 long-range artillery systems

• Nearly 100,000 rounds of long-range artillery ammunition

• Nearly 250,000 anti-tank munitions

• 359 tanks

• 629 armored personnel carriers (APCs) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs)

• 8,214 short-range air defense missiles

• and 88 lethal UAVs (drones)

Recently, the US lifted restrictions on the use of US-made ATACMS, allowing Ukraine to strike military targets deep within Russia’s rear. This long-awaited decision has drastically expanded Ukraine’s defensive capabilities. During its first week of targeted attacks on Russian military targets, Ukraine has already demonstrated the ATACMS success.

Read more

Category

War in Ukraine

4 Out of 4 Strikes — Successful: Ukraine Allowed to Hit Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadow Missiles

Nov 26, 2024 11:57

ATACMs are some of America's most prized missiles currently being used by Ukrainian forces, but there are many other notable American-made weapon systems in Ukrainian hands fighting Russian aggression.

What are some of the American-made weapons used in Ukraine?

Stryker armored fighting vehicle

The Stryker family of vehicles was built for the US Army but was built by both the US and the Canadian Divisions of the military vehicle manufacturer, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). It was the first new military vehicle to enter service in the US Army since the Abrams. 

The Stryker is a versatile, high-speed, off-road vehicle that's well-suited for Ukraine's urban combat and road assaults. There are 10 variants of the Stryker, and most can carry between 9 to 12 personnel including 3 crew members, and are equipped with a machine gun or a grenade launcher. 

The US has delivered 400 Strykers to Ukraine, who uses the following variants; Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Vehicle, Commander's Vehicle (CV), Engineer Vehicle Squad (ESV), Fire Support Vehicle (FSV), and the Mortar Carrier (MC). 

Ukrainian soldiers from the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, who actively use the Stryker, say that it’s become one of the best-armored vehicles of this war, reliable, safe, and fast. During the Kursk operation, the armor of their APC saved the crew’s lives, said the combat vehicle’s mechanical engineer. 

The 82nd Brigade was hailed by Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy as the keystone of defenses in the Kharkiv sector, and the battle of Vovchansk. During the counter-offensive, the 82nd actively used the Stryker. They managed to retake much of the city, destroyed two companies of Russian groups of an estimated around 200-300 soldiers, and captured dozens of prisoners. 

The 82nd has been described as one of the “most powerful fighting formations” using the Styker, along with other fighting vehicles such as the British-made Challenger and German-made Marder in their successful missions against Russian Forces. 

Abrams main battle tank

The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank (MBT). It entered service in 1980 and was used during the Cold War, and during Operation Desert Storm.  

The US has delivered 31 of their Abrams and several variants of the Abrams have been delivered by their Allies. The Abrams fire 120mm armor-piercing depleted uranium rounds and according to tank commanders, have excellent stabilisation, maneuverability, and accuracy. Though once hailed as one of the world’s MBTs, they have faced some challenges in Ukraine. 

Russian forces found some vulnerabilities in the Abrams and Ukraine has faced some losses of these tanks. Up to 20 have been reportedly destroyed due to advanced Russian weaponry like the Kornet anti-tank missile. 

The Abram’s weaker armor is vulnerable to the modern combat age of drone warfare. In April 2024, Abram’s were pulled back from the frontlines partly due to drone attacks, Pentagon officials said. 

Ukraine however created their own effective enhancement of the Abrams armor and have increased the tank survivability by approximately 35 percent. The upgraded tanks have made a notable impact, increasing their effectiveness on the battlefield. 

Read more

Category

Latest news

How Ukraine’s Simple Armor Upgrade Improved US Abrams Tanks in Combat Against Russia

Sep 16, 2024 17:45

M113 armored personnel carrier

The US produced more than 80,000 M113 APCs. For a long time, it was the main APC of the US Army. The typical M113 carries a crew of 2, and a squad of 11 soldiers along with serving as a base for several dozen specialized vehicles. The M113 can move at speeds of up to 65km per hour. 

Since 2022, Ukraine has been supplied with hundreds of M113 variants from various countries with a range of modifications. The US alone has provided Ukraine with more than 900 M113s. Ukraine has received the APC variants plus ambulance and medical versions. During the Battle of Bakhmut and Soledar, the M113 was seen to be highly effective in evacuating Ukrainian troops under continuous shelling from Russian forces.

M1117 Guardian armored vehicle

The M1117 Guardian, also known as the ASV (Armored Security Vehicle), is a 4x4 armored vehicle that has enhanced protection against landmines, significant in a war with the most landmines in the world. The turret is mounted with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher and a .50-caliber machine gun, providing a full 360° rotation that can elevate up to 45°. 

The US has delivered more than 400 M117s, the first batch was deployed with the 425th “Skala” Assault Battalion and is actively working with the 225th Battalion in the Pokrovsk area of the Donetsk region.

Bradley infantry fighting vehicle

The M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is primarily designed to transport infantry across the battlefield and was largely produced in response to the Soviet BMPs .

The US has supplied more than 300 Bradleys to Ukraine. This IFV has maneuverability that can navigate through Ukraine’s challenging terrain where heavier armored vehicles may struggle. The Bradley's armor protects against small arms fire and shrapnel. 

The US-produced vehicle, upon entering service, replaced the M113 as it is faster, and more powerful and its better suspension makes it more suitable off-road. Since its initial production, it’s had several improvements. 

There are several versions of the Bradley, the M2 is designed to carry more troops whereas the M3 is designed to carry more ammunition. The M2 can travel around 500km on a single tank of fuel and its armor makes it difficult for Russian tanks to penetrate. 

The Bradley has gained legendary status among Ukrainian forces. Russian troops are eager to capture them from Ukrainian forces.

The Bradley has been seen to drive over landmines unscathed and even take on Russia’s T-90M, survived an attack from Russia’s T-72, and suffered minimal damage after being hit twice by anti-tank guided missiles.

Air Defense and Missile System

ATACMS

ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) is a surface-to-surface guided missile fired from the HIMARS and MLRS M270 platforms, striking targets 300km away. 

Since the US delivered the long-range ATACMS, Russian-occupied Crimea—with over 100 critical military targets and the Kerch Bridge, a vital logistical route for Russia—has come under numerous Ukrainian attacks.

Ukraine has had more than 12 successful strikes against key military targets across Crimea, eliminating or damaging Russian air bases, radar stations, communications points, and multiple Russian air defense systems—a serious blow to the Kremlin.

Following the green light, strikes began immediately. Within a week, Ukraine launched four precise missile strikes using American-made ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles against Russian military targets.

Patriot

“Although it is a complex system, it’s the most powerful, and nothing else works against ballistic threats,” said Zelenskyy. 

US-made “MIM-104 Patriot” has been very successful in downing Russian cruise and ballistic missiles, including the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal “hypersonic” missile. 

All Kinzhal ballistic missiles fired at Kyiv by Russian forces have been downed by the Patriot, Ukrainian Air Force Colonel Serhii Yaremenko said on July 4, 2024. Kinzhal missiles are launched from MiG-31K aircraft with a range of 2000km threatening the entire of Ukraine. The Kremlin claimed that their Kinzhal was near-impossible to intercept. 

The Patriot has 3 main truck-mounted sections, a radar to monitor incoming threats, and a control unit that can fire 16 missiles. The system can fire the latest PAC-3 MSE missiles that use hyper-accurate Ka-band millimeter seekers, meaning they can destroy targets through brute kinetic force on impact, known as “hit-to-kill”. 

Each PAC-3 MSE missile costs around $3.7 million but is worth using against targets such as the Kinzhal. 

“The Patriot is by far the most used system in Ukraine, and it has had a good, if not stellar, track record,” said Fabian Hoffmann, a researcher on missile technology at the University of Oslo. “People trust what they see, and the reputation is there."

HAWK

The MIM-23 HAWK (Homing All the Way Killer) is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile and is designed to engage multiple airborne threats simultaneously. Its range is around 40km, it has an advanced surveillance radar for target detection and tracking offering multi-range coverage across different altitudes and ranges.

The HAWK was phased out of US service in 2002 but has since been used by many countries globally. Several countries have sent their surplus of HAWK systems to bolster Ukraine’s arsenal. 

The Ukrainian Air Force has demonstrated how the HAWK can intercept a range of airborne threats, such as the Kh-59 cruise missile and the Shahed drones.

One unit of the Ukrainian Air Force reportedly shot down 14 missiles and 40 Shahed drones launched by Russia.

AN/TWQ-1 Avenger

The Avenger is a self-propelled surface-to-air missile system that provides short-range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles. It’s an unarmored Humvee  truck with a swiveling, open-top turret for up to eight Stinger infrared-guided surface-to-air missiles and a .50-caliber machine gun with a range of up to 5km. 

Aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Systems

Switchblade 600 Unmanned Aerial System

The Switchblade 600 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is a drone with high-precision optics, over 40 minutes of loitering endurance, a range of more than 40km, a loitering speed of 113km/ph, a sprint speed of 185km/ph, and an anti-armor warhead for engaging larger, hardened targets at greater distances. This drone is capable of neutralizing heavy armored vehicles, including tanks.

In October 2024, the Ukrainian 14th Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Regiment published a video of the Switchblade in action highlighting its success against key Russian targets. Their reconnaissance drone detected a Russian 9K330 Tor surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. The Switchblade 600 was then launched striking the SAM vehicle, causing the Russian crew to flee while their SAM caught fire. 

HARM—High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile

AGM-88 HARM is a tactical, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions, designed to suppress or destroy surface-to-air missile radar and radar-directed air defense artillery systems. It has a range of 48km, travels at supersonic speeds of around 2,400km/ph, and has a high explosive warhead. 

Once airborne, it can work in three modes, missile-as-sensor, preemptive, and self-protect. The HARM hunts for targets that match the electronic description and when it senses a radar, an icon appears on the cockpit display, then the pilot pulls the trigger to strike. 

HARM has been used in the Kharkiv offensive to suppress and destroy Russian air defense systems. Since their first delivery, Ukraine was firing the HARM from Soviety jets that are not designed to use them which dramatically reduced their capabilities. The HARM can be fired from an F-16 Fighting Falcon which Ukraine now has in its arsenal.

Zuni aircraft missile

The Zuni rocket is an unguided air-to-surface missile system, it has a standardized rocket section to which different warheads can be attached. It’s been seen actively used in Ukraine, mounted on Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-24 helicopters. The US has supplied more than 4000 rockets via various military aid packages. 

The Telegram channel Soniashnyk published a video of the Ukrainian 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade firing the Zuni rocket from a Su-25 directly hitting a building where Russian soldiers were positioned.

Hydra-70 aircraft missile

The Hydra 70 missile has been produced since the 1960s but has had continuous upgrades. Its mass production has made it available to most countries allowing for easy transfer.

The initial speed under normal conditions is around 700 meters per second, but this changes depending on a variety of factors such as air temperature. It can be mounted on various helicopters, aircraft, and ground vehicles and has a wide range of launchers developed for it. 

It has around 20 versions of warheads in its arsenal divided between high-explosive, High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), smoke, illuminating, white phosphorus, inert training, and flechette, using special warheads with increased aerodynamic resistance.

Anti-armor and small arms

Javelin

The Javelin anti-tank missile is one of the US most famous weapons. It’s a powerful symbol of US aid, and Ukraine has cemented its reputation as a “wonder weapon”. The FGM-148 Javelin Weapon System has proven to destroy Russian tanks with ease. It’s small enough to be carried by one soldier and strike a target more than 2,5km away. It’s known as a “fire and forget” missile because it guides itself automatically once locked onto a target.

Lockheed Martin, the Javelins producers say that it has a 94% “engagement success rate.” Reports cited one US official claiming 300 Javelins had destroyed 280 Russian vehicles which amounts to around 93%.

Reports claimed that US President Joe Biden said that due to its success and symbolism, parents have named their daughters Javelin or Javelina after the launcher. 

A popular meme depicting Mary Magdalene holding a Javelin missile in an Eastern Orthodox style has become world-famous. Founder of “Saint Javelin” Christian Borys, has used the image to raise funds for humanitarian aid and symbolizes Ukraine's resistance against Russian forces.