Western weapons bolster Ukraine's fight with unexpected impact
The past year has been the most challenging for Ukrainians since the full-scale Russian invasion began on 24th February 2022. It was also a time of new equipment deliveries from the West and events that manufacturers of American and European weapons once considered fictional during the Cold War. We present some of the biggest equipment surprises that have emerged in Ukraine as part of Western military aid.
At the beginning of the conflict, Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones and M142 HIMARS systems gained significant recognition for effectively devastating Russian columns and front-line logistics. However, as conditions on the front evolved, other types of weapons became more prominent.
The years 2023-2024 brought Ukraine many modern tanks, such as British Challenger 2s, German Leopard 2s, and American M1A1 Abrams. They were joined by older yet useful machines, such as Polish PT-91 Twardy and German Leopard 1A5s, which, after modifications, are even quite resistant to the main anti-tank threat in Ukraine, namely drones.
The second key category of heavy equipment in Ukraine consists of infantry fighting vehicles: American M2A2 Bradley, Swedish Strf 9040C (CV90), and German Marder 1A3. These vehicles, along with tanks, found themselves on Russian territory in Kursk Oblast. A situation where such vehicles combat Russians on their own territory would have been unthinkable for designers of this weaponry decades ago.
New generation artillery shells and long-range weapons
A significant surprise was the delivery of British Storm Shadow cruise missiles in 2023 and American ballistic missiles MGM-140 ATACMS at the turn of 2023-2024. There was also interest in the delivery of experimental German-Italian Vulcano GLR ammunition of 155 mm calibre.
Storm Shadow missiles gained fame due to their hard-to-detect nature and ability to strike targets up to approximately 500 kilometres away. Ukrainians successfully utilised this capability not only to destroy Russian depots but also command points in the Kursk region. The missiles weigh around 1,300 kilograms and offer exceptionally high precision thanks to an advanced targeting head.
On the other hand, ballistic missiles MGM-140 ATACMS have proved effective in eliminating several batteries of air defence systems such as S-400 Triumph and S-300, and destroying targets on Russian military training grounds. Initially, Ukraine used M39 variants with a range of 165 kilometres, but it is possible they received newer versions with a range of up to 300 kilometres.
Ukrainians also received advanced 155 mm artillery shells facilitating the destruction of hard-to-hit targets, such as self-propelled artillery systems and tanks from the T-90 family. For this purpose, they were also supplied with Franco-Swedish Bonus rounds and German SMArt 155, which independently detect and attack armoured targets in a designated area thanks to onboard sensors.
The Vulcano GLR guided missiles allowed for effectively destroying valuable enemy objects far behind the front line. They are characterised by the ability to accurately hit targets at a distance of about 70-80 kilometres. The weapon strikes objects precisely within three metres in strong electronic warfare interference conditions. These missiles - apart from satellite and inertial navigation - also have the ability to use a seeker head guided by a reflected laser beam. In this mode, the target must be illuminated with a beam by a drone or soldiers of a special reconnaissance unit until the moment of impact.
More air defence and debut of F-16 aircraft
As part of support, Kyiv received additional medium-range anti-aircraft systems, Patriot and SAMP/T (currently, a total of seven batteries are in Ukraine), which are crucial for defence against ballistic missiles.
Although Patriots date back to the 1980s (excluding the newer variant from Romania), they provide effective protection against modern Russian weaponry. Equally competent are the somewhat mysterious Franco-Italian SAMP/T systems. Additionally, Western countries supplied more short-range anti-aircraft systems, such as MIM-23 HAWK, IRIS-T SLM/SLS, NASAMS, Skynex, or Gepard.
In 2024, Ukraine also received its first F-16 aircraft. These aircraft are currently mainly used as a complement to ground-based air defence against drones and cruise missiles.
The F-16s delivered to Ukraine are equipped with radars capable of detecting even more challenging low-flying targets. The aircraft are additionally fitted with targeting pods suitable for detecting and tracking such objects. Objects detected using these tools are destroyed by AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles or using onboard six-barrel M61A 20 mm cannon.
One of the Ukrainian F-16 pilots achieved a feat worthy of a film script, as during one mission, he downed more cruise missiles than he had actual missiles. According to media reports, after using up four carried AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, the pilot destroyed two more Russian missiles with the onboard cannon. Furthermore, there is also a case of an air engagement victory of an F-16 against a Russian Su-34.
Western weapons on Soviet equipment
Over time, there have been instances of equipment improvisation involving combining Western weapons with Soviet platforms. An interesting example is the integration of Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft with non-kinetic American ADM‑160B MALD missiles and French AASM Hammer guided bombs.
The mentioned bombs are conceptually similar to American JDAM-ER, and their advantage lies in effectively striking targets at a distance of 15 kilometres when dropped at a low altitude. Due to the so-called radar horizon, flying at a low altitude is the only way to hide a traditional aircraft from ground-based air defence radars at a distance of less than 40 kilometres.
Unfortunately, such a manoeuvre limits the range of dropping aerial bombs to a few kilometres, making the aircraft vulnerable to being shot down by simple handheld launchers like the 9K38 Igla. The French solved this problem by adding foldable wings, a control section, and a rocket engine to the conversion kit for standard aerial bombs of the Mk 82, 83, and 84 families.
These solutions - coupled with a TOSS manoeuvre performed by the aircraft (the aircraft suddenly climbs just before dropping the bombs, followed by a dive after the release) - provide a striking range that exceeds even the capabilities of Pantsir-S1 air defence systems. As a result, valuable Russian objects in the front-line region can be targeted by bombs capable of destroying even the most fortified positions.
On the front, anti-aircraft systems referred to as FrankenSAM have also appeared. In this instance, Soviet launchers and radars - with the help of Western countries (most likely Poland and the Czech Republic) - were integrated with American RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and RIM-162 ESSM missiles. This kind of improvisation allows for the continued use of experienced crews in combat after exhausting stocks of Soviet missiles.
These are some of the most interesting instances of Western equipment use in Ukraine. It's worth noting, however, that deliveries have been and continue to be very limited, and they appeared too late. This results in the effects of these weapons' use being less spectacular than anticipated by both Ukrainians and weapons manufacturers.
