Arming Ukraine,
U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday that he is considering sending lethal defensive arms to Ukraine if the peace talks scheduled for Wednesday don’t halt fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government troops. But precisely what kind of weapons would the U.S. be likely to send? The National Post’s Allison McNeely spoke to Admiral James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, and retired U.S. Gen. Charles Wald about what could be in store. Adm. Stavridis and Gen. Wald are two of the co-authors of a recent report from the Brookings Institution, the Atlantic Council and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs calling for more U.S. military assistance for Ukraine.
1. Javelin Missiles
Both Adm. Stavridis and Gen. Wald named this shoulderfired anti-armour missile as a potential defensive weapon the Ukrainian military could use against Russian-supplied rebel tanks. While many Russian tanks have “reactive” armour — meaning they have a defensive layer that explodes in order to disable an incoming missile — the Javelin is designed to first destroy that reactive shell, allowing the missile to “penetrate” the tank itself, Gen. Wald said. Adm. Stavridis pointed to the Javelin’s low cost and limited training requirements as two of its virtues.
2. Shadow UAV
A second option both mentioned were drones. The unmanned Shadow can’t carry a weapon but it would give Ukrainian soldiers greater surveillance ability, Gen. Wald said. He said using this particular unarmed UAV “eliminates some of the controversy” surrounding drones. While the Shadow has about a six-metre wingspan and a 100km range, the even smaller, super-light Raven, would be another option, Adm. Stavridis said.
3 .Counter - Battery Radar
Counter-battery radar systems such as the TPQ 36 show troops where artillery has been fired from, Gen. Wald said, and would give the Ukrainians the ability to counterstrike. Adm. Stavridis said pro-Russian rebels have been shelling the Ukrainian military headquarters and suggested the small, field-ready Cobra system as one that could potentially help government forces. According to the Atlantic Council report, 70% of Ukrainian casualties are from rocket and artillery fire.
4. Secure radios
Ukrainian soldiers do not currently have a way to communicate securely with each other for logistical or combat purposes, Gen. Wald said. Although he declined to give a specific example of secure communications technology the United States could potentially send overseas, the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) is a system frequently used by the U.S. military.