Category: Militarnyi-usa my life

Germany has delivered a military aid package to Ukraine. It includes another IRIS-T SLM air defense system.

The contents of the package were disclosed on the official website of the German government.

The aid is designed, in particular, to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.

The new package includes, as follows:

• IRIS-T SLM air defense system;
• IRIS-T SLS missiles;
• TRML-4D air surveillance radar;
• 4 Armored Personnel Carriers (name unknown);
• 4 HX81 truck tractor trains and 4 semi-trailers;
• 6 border protection vehicles;
• 8 VECTOR reconnaissance drones;
• 5 unmanned surface vessels;
• 4 GO12 ground surveillance radars;
• 5 thousand 155-mm artillery shells;
• ammunition for MARS II multiple rocket launchers;
• 10 thousand safety glasses.

IRIS-T SLS and SLM. Photo credits: Diehl

The German government noted that this year Ukraine received €5.4 billion in military aid from Berlin.

Militarnyi previously reported that Germany was preparing a large military aid package worth €1 billion to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.

It should include Patriot, IRIS-T air defense systems and Gepard SPAAG to protect Ukraine’s critical infrastructure from Russian air strikes.

It was announced that in October, Germany would provide Ukraine with one IRIS-T SLM and one IRIS-T SLS system along with missiles.

As of October, Ukraine has received about 200 Mercedes-Benz Zetros trucks in several versions, with another 50 to be delivered in the coming months.

Zеtros 1833A truck of the German military. Photo from open sources.

These trucks are also used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to transport personnel, provisions, and ammunition.

At the beginning of October, the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall began delivering a new batch of SurveilSpire reconnaissance systems to Ukraine.

SurveilSPIRE mobile surveillance system platform. Frame from DefSecIntel video

The reconnaissance systems consist of mobile surveillance towers with day- and night-capable camera equipment, autopiloted mini drones, and a control system. The SurveilSpire drone defense system is designed for reconnaissance and countering enemy drones.

In Latvia, lawmakers want to transfer cars with Russian license plates to Ukraine.

The Latvian Saeima has approved amendments to the Law on Road Traffic in the first reading that would ban Russian-registered vehicles from staying in Latvia.

As stipulated by the draft law, the owner of a vehicle registered in Russia will have to register the vehicle. He will also have to either take it out of Latvia within three months of the law’s entry into force.

After the end of the transition period, the use of vehicles registered in Russia in Latvian traffic will be allowed if a person is crossing the country in transit.

A vehicle registered in Russia will be able to cross the territory of Latvia in transit only once.

The Saeima of Latvia. Photo credits: media.slovoidilo.ua

The amendments require that before entering Latvia, information about the vehicle registered in Russia, the driver of the vehicle, and the period during which the vehicle will be involved in road traffic in the country must be submitted. It should not exceed 24 hours.

If the vehicle is not registered in Latvia or does not leave the country. Also, if it is found to be used in unauthorized traffic, the vehicle will be confiscated. It is planned that the confiscated cars will be transferred to Ukraine.

The Ministry of Justice notes that, given Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine and the threat to its territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, the presence of Russian-registered vehicles in Latvia is unacceptable.

In addition, vehicles in Russia often do not meet EU technical requirements. The use of such vehicles in road traffic may jeopardize its safety.

The Ministry of Justice points out that, in accordance with the Constitution, a legal framework has been created that will strengthen the security of the state and society during the hybrid threat by removing sanctioned vehicles from Latvian roads. The law is expected to enter into force on November 15.

Illustrative photo with Russian license plates

Previously, the reference to cars registered in Belarus was excluded from the adopted draft law. They will be able to continue to stay in the country. Currently, all Baltic countries have banned the entry of cars with Russian license plates. Poland, Finland, Norway, and Bulgaria have also imposed such bans.

As previously reported, in March, Latvia donated cars that had been confiscated from drunk drivers to the Ukrainian army.

The Russians continue to draw silhouettes of fighter jets on the airfield pavement.

The satellite images showing such drawings were posted by MT Anderson on Twitter.

The images of the Belbek airfield, dated October 26, show four painted silhouettes of MiG-31s with real aircraft next to them.

When comparing a real and a drawn aircraft, one immediately notices the lack of shadows and volume.

Russian propagandist Ilya Tumanov (Fighterbomber) has already stated that this practice is ineffective. He also mentioned the ineffective practice of protecting and camouflaging aircraft with car tires and mattresses.

Photo of Tu-95MS strategic bombers at the Engels air base. Photo credits: Planet Labs.

“Practice has expectedly confirmed the scientific findings that the patterns, tires, and mattresses on aircraft serve only one purpose. To lose personnel,” Tumanov said.

He added that such means are ineffective against optical reconnaissance satellites and drones.

It is worth noting that such drawings weaknesses can also be seen when observing the airport by radar reconnaissance satellites, which are also used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Militarnyi has repeatedly reported on the drawings of various aircraft at Russian airfields.

An image of a fighter jet painted on the parking lot. Source: Brady Africk.

For example, on October 1, it was reported that Russians drew Tu-95MS turboprop-powered strategic bombers at the Engels Air Base.

At the end of July, satellite imagery was used to record the drawings of fighter jets resembling aircraft manufactured by Sukhoi.

The drawings were applied over the course of several months at the air base in Yeysk.

Germany, within the framework of support, has transferred Sonobot 5 unmanned surface vehicles to Ukraine.

This was reported by the German project deaidua.org, which tracks assistance from Germany.

The USVs are used to survey water bodies and detect ammunition and other dangerous objects at the bottom.

According to project observers, at least some of the surface drones that Germany supplies to Ukraine are Sonobot 5 drones.

Sonobot 5 USV in Ukraine, 2023. Photo credits: SESU

It is worth noting that earlier this year Ukrainian rescuers published videos and photos of the use of such drones for surveying reservoirs for unexploded ammunition or their remains.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that the Sonobot 5 manufactured by the German company EvoLogics GmbH is a small surface platform that can be flexibly adapted to the needs of hydrographic survey in inland waters.

Sonobot 5 is mainly used for three-dimensional mapping. The device can be used during search operations to identify objects that pose a threat to the safety of people and infrastructure.

For Ukraine, it is urgent to identify explosive objects remaining after hostilities or Russian shelling.

Sonobot 5 surface drone. Photo credits: EvoLogics

The Sonobot 5 surface drone can be equipped with different types of echo sounders and side-view sonar (in different configurations at the request of the customer).

The drone also has a video camera to support navigation, as well as photo and video recording.

Sonobot 5 surface drone. Photo credits: EvoLogics

The drone can carry out autonomous missions on a pre-approved program route. It can also be controlled by an operator in radio-controlled mode. Survey data is displayed in real time.

Sonobot 5 surface drone

The transfer of 5 unmanned surface vehicles to Ukraine as part of military assistance on Friday, October 27, was announced by the German government.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have received a batch of reconnaissance drones from the Slovenian drone manufacturer C-Astral.

According to the sources of Defense News, the transfer took place recently and was not advertised.

“It [the drone] is in fact being used by the Ukrainians and has been for some time,” said C-Astral UAV operator Jernej Moderc at the GSOF symposium.

This regards a tactical reconnaissance UAV known as Bramor C4EYE.

“We do have some communication channels with the troops using them to get feedback and make improvements accordingly,” he added.

Bramor drone. Photo credits: C-Astral

Moderc could not say when or how many drones had arrived in Ukraine. However, according to him, it was relatively recent and multiple systems were transferred.

It is also unknown whether the company sent UAVs on its own, or if the Slovenian Ministry of Defence provided drones from its own stockpile as the country operates this type of drone.

The Slovenian Ministry of Defense declined to comment.

The Bramor C4EYE drone is fully manufactured and assembled in Slovenia by C-Astral.

Bramor drone control station. Photo credits: C-Astral

It is an unarmed aircraft designed primarily for reconnaissance and observation missions as well as convoy escort.

The system has a maximum three-hour autonomy and can operate at a distance of up to 40 kilometers.

Recall that Ukraine will mass-produce new ‘Vidsich’ unmanned aerial vehicles.

The first Ukrainian-made vehicle designed to prepare the soil for demining has been transferred to the disposal of rescuers of the State Emergency Service.

The presentation of the vehicle took place on October 27, 2023 in the Kharkiv region.

The special equipment for sappers was purchased at the expense of the regional budget of the Kharkiv region.

On October 27, the vehicle was transferred to the specialists of the Interregional Center for Humanitarian Demining and Rapid Response of the State Emergency Service.

Ukrainian soil preparation vehicle for demining, October 2023, Kharkiv region. Photo credits: SESU

“This is the ninth mine clearance vehicle that will operate in the Kharkiv region. But the first one of our own Kharkiv production,” said Oleh Syniehubov, Governor of Kharkiv region.

The cost of one such vehicle amounts to 5,600,000 UAH.

According to Syniehubov, the prototype has been tested for 4 months. During this period, the vehicle blew up more than 300 anti-personnel mines. It has already received a certificate of conformity, which allows for the establishment of its production and use for demining territories. It was developed by local manufacturers on the chassis of a tracked tractor of Kharkiv production.

It is noted that the vehicle is easy to manufacture, use, maintain and repair. It uses mechanisms that make it easy to restore and replace any part of its mechanism even in case of damage from hitting an anti-tank mine.

The Kharkiv-made equipment works remotely, at a distance of 300 meters, eliminating any threat for people.

The soil preparation vehicle for demining, October 2023, Kharkiv region. Photo credits: Kharkiv RMA

To operate the vehicle, a remote control is used. The total weight of the machine reaches 16 tons, and the operational speed is 3-4 km/h. It is able to “neutralize 95% of all mines”.

The operator training will last several weeks. After that, the equipment will work on the most mine-littered areas in the Kharkiv region.

The control panel of the soil preparation vehicle for demining, October 2023. Photo credits: SESU

By the end of November, the rescuers of the State Emergency Service will receive another such soil preparation vehicle purchased at the expense of the Kharkiv regional budget.

Military assistance to Ukraine from Western countries has led to an increase in the revenue of defense contractors.

This is reported by Reuters.

This is due to the fact that the governments of the United States and Europe replenish their weapons after its transfer to Kyiv to protect against Russian invaders.

It is noted that the American defense companies Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics expect the available orders for hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, hundreds of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense/missile defense systems and a surge in orders for armored vehicles to increase their revenues.

For instance, a division of General Dynamics Combat Systems which produces armored vehicles, tanks and artillery used in Ukraine, experienced an increase in its revenues by almost 25% compared to the same period last year.

Production of 155mm shells in the USA. Photo from the open sources

“We’ve gone from 14,000 (artillery) rounds per month to 20,000 very quickly. We’re working ahead of schedule to accelerate that production capacity up to 85,000, even as high as 100,000 rounds per month,” Jason Aiken, General Dynamics’ chief financial officer, said.

Launch of an AIM-120C AMRAAM missile from the NASAMS air defense system. Photo from open sources

The American company RTX (Raytheon), which manufactures AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles used in Ukraine in NASAMS air defense systems, said it had already received new orders worth $ 3 billion since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Also in the third quarter, sales of Northrop Grumman’s weapons grew by 6% due to high demand for GMLRS family rockets used in the HIMARS and M270 MLRS.

The GMLRS missiles production. Photo from the manufacturer’s company

Global trends

Rising profits for defense companies are a global trend.

Thus, the Swedish company Saab raised its full-year sales forecast for its products, and the German concern Rheinmetall reported that profit in the third quarter had increased due to high demand for weapons and ammunition.

At the same time, the leaders of several defense companies also warned that the lack of skilled workers and problems with supply chains of components and materials continue to limit their ability to fulfill growing orders for the production of new weapons.

Leopard 1A5 tank in Ukraine. September 2023. Photo credits: ArmyInform

As previously reported, the Belgian division of the international defense company KNDS delivered to Ukraine thousands of 105mm tank shells for Leopard 1 tanks. They were ordered in June 2023 by the Belgian government in the amount of 32.4 million euros.

American developers were able to integrate Patriot anti-aircraft missiles with the old Soviet-era air defense system within the FrankenSAM project.

The New York Times reported on this with reference to representatives of the American defense industry and the Pentagon.

The new FrankenSAM (a hybrid of the Soviet and American air defense systems) has already been successfully tested.

According to the publication, the anti-aircraft “Frankenstein” managed to hit the drone. Tests took place at the White Sands Test Center in New Mexico.

‘FrankenSAM’ program: the second life of outdated missiles

The missile was integrated with both the launcher and the radar station (according to NYT, it was the Ukrainian-made radar – ed.).

This air defense system is planned to be shipped to Ukraine this winter, along with a supply of anti-aircraft missiles from the United States and allies.

The sources of the American publication did not name the specific type of SAM into which the Patriot missiles were integrated.

It is worth noting that missiles used in the Patriot (MIM-104) SAM are comparable in size to the Buk missiles and are somewhat smaller than those that the S-300 SAM uses.

S-300PT air defense system. Photo credits: Ukrainian Air Force Command

Earlier, the United States and Ukraine succeeded in integrating RIM-7 missiles with Buk air defense systems and creating a new air defense system that fires AIM-9X missiles.

According to MP Oleksandra Ustinova, several modified Buk systems are already capable of firing American missiles in Ukraine.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to modernize 17 launchers in total, but the American industry is able to redesign only five launchers per month.

The efforts of Ukraine and the United States within the FrankenSAM program are aimed at compensating for the loss of Soviet missile reserves during the winter of 2022-2023 and protecting the Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

The Canadian military is set to scrap dozens of M113 armored personnel carriers this year that could have been transferred to Ukraine.

CBC reported on this.

The armored personnel carriers will go to a scrapheap, even though a private company has offered to refurbish them for use in Ukraine.

The Department of National Defence reports that 67 tracked light armor vehicles out of a fleet of 140 are “parked awaiting final demilitarization and disposal, or are being used as a source of spare parts” for the 73 APCs that remain in service.

According to the Department of National Defence, all of the M113 troop carriers, which have been in service for decades, are in “poor condition” and are awaiting disposal.

Canadian M113 Lynx. Photo from open sources

The Canadian army also has 195 LAV II Bisons and 149 Coyote armored reconnaissance vehicles that will also be taken out of service this year.

Armatec Survivability has offered to update surplus armored vehicles, the federal Conservative opposition noted this week.

David Pratt, a former Liberal Defense Minister who speaks for the company, shared that the proposal is to “refurbish armored vehicles in a number of versions, which could include infantry fighting vehicles, ambulances, and support vehicles”.

He added that the M113s are not part of the plan and refused to offer further details, citing commercial confidentiality.

Canadian M113 in the museum. Photo from open sources

The Canadian Department of National Defense has considered Armatec Survivability’s proposal, but a final decision has not yet been made.

The Department of National Defense states that Canada has to consider multiple factors before donating battlefield equipment to Ukraine.

“Any equipment donated by Canada must be battlefield sustainable, but more importantly, must meet a specific need identified by Ukraine and be equipment that the Ukrainians are trained to use and have the resources and capabilities to maintain,” the Department noted.

The Department added that the remaining M113s “are in very poor condition or are kept as a source of spare parts.”

Militarnyi previously reported that the Ukrainian power companies purchased 50 M113 APCs for border guards.

Insurgents in Myanmar captured Ukrainian-made MT-LBMSh tracked infantry fighting vehicles.

Videos of the incident were published on social media.

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) rebels reportedly seized combat vehicles in the Chinshwehaw Military District.

The published videos captured two IFVs, one of which is visually destroyed and cannot be restored.

In 2017, Militarnyi reported that the Kharkiv Tractor Plant was manufacturing vehicles on the MT-LB chassis for Myanmar.

Indeed, Myanmar received the first Ukrainian MT-LBMSh much earlier. It is confirmed that the country received 10 combat vehicles in 2007 and 16 in 2009.

There are unconfirmed reports that Ukraine has sold a slightly larger number of MT-LBMS to Myanmar, but there is no official information on this.

MT-LBMSh is a Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle based on the MT-LB tracked tractor, which was equipped with the KBA-105 Shkval remote weapon station with a ZTM-1 30mm automatic gun, a PKT 7.62mm machine gun, an AG-17 30mm grenade launcher, and a Barrier ATGM.

The combat vehicle also has enhanced armor protection due to mounted add-on armored screens. It is worth noting that the enhanced protection was used only in the export version for Myanmar.

In addition, the combat vehicle received a new YMZ-238B engine with a capacity of 330 horsepower, which provides a maximum road speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

The IFV crew consists of three people: commander, gunner, and driver, and the squad compartment can accommodate up to 7 soldiers.

It is worth noting that the commander does not have an effective observation instrument and is forced to observe the battlefield and the movement of the combat vehicle through periscopes.

The MT-LBMSh combat weight increased from 9.7 tons (MT-LB) to 12.5 tons as a result of the modernization.