Logistics problems seen for supply of heavy arms
Western governments have promised an array of heavy weapons to Ukraine as it battles a Russian invasion, but experts say a drawn-out conflict could see them run into complex logistical challenges, including for maintenance and ammunition.
Germany has joined France, Britain, the United States and the Czech Republic with a commitment to provide Gepard antiaircraft tanks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has long demanded heavy arms on top of the defensive weapons flowing into the country from the West since Russia’s attack on February 24.
Abandoning its assault on the capital Kyiv and other cities, Moscow’s offensive is focusing on the Donbas region in Ukraine’s east and on its Black Sea coast.
“Self-propelled artillery, battle tanks and armoured vehicles can lend considerable punch to Ukraine’s forces, and even rebuild some capabilities eroded by two months of war,” Leo Peria-Peigne of France’s Institute for International Relations (IFRI), said.
The “short-term capacity increase has priority” for now over “medium-term logistical considerations, which will nevertheless have to be looked at,” he said.
“Pretty much any and all defence equipment is welcome, but it will need to be well supported to ensure that Ukraine can keep it in the field,” Nick Brown, director of Janes Defence Insight, agreed.
Existing links to Ukraine for delivering defensive weapons meant new shipments were likely to flow smoothly, observers said.
And Ukraine’s backers have mostly avoided sending complex systems that would require months of training and intensive logistical support, like US-made Abrams main battle tanks.
Czech-supplied ex-Soviet armour is similar to that already used by Ukraine, and crews could be trained on it within a few hours.
Meanwhile, France is sending Caesar self-propelled howitzers, which have a reputation for “ease of use”, Marc Chassillan, a military engineer specialising in tanks and armoured vehicles, said.
“You can learn how they work in a morning.”
Germany’s Gepard flak tanks are trickier, with their “sophisticated” and “highly demanding” radar-guided weapons system, Chassillan said – possibly requiring “several weeks” of training.
An option Berlin is still considering is the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, which should be easier to adopt for “seasoned Ukrainian troops who have been fighting since 2014,” Hans Lothar Domroese, a former senior German general, told public broadcaster WDR last week. Once present in Ukraine and with trained crews, complex vehicles and equipment still need a whole logistics chain to provide maintenance and spare parts in case of breakdowns or battle damage.
“It’s a complex question, but maybe less so than in other countries without Ukraine’s industrial potential,” said IFRI expert Peria-Peigne, hailing its “infrastructure and considerable know-how in military vehicles and heavy industry”.
“If European manufacturers and Ukrainian soldiers can cooperate without issues, maintenance should follow along without any special hurdles,” he added.
Carlo Masala of Germany’s Military University in Munich said the important thing was to get these type of weapons to Ukraine and into position at the front on time so they could help Ukrainian troops.