The U.S. and Germany announced they will provide heavy armor to Ukraine in the form of American Bradleys and German Marders.
The U.S. and Germany announced they will provide heavy armor to Ukraine in the form of American Bradleys and German Marders.
Ukraine will soon get a big boost to its armor arsenal, as the U.S. will donate M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles while Germany will provide Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles to fight Russia’s all-out invasion.
U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a joint announcement about the new aid Thursday.
Photo 1: The U.S. will send Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jensen Guillory)
The U.S. is expected to announce an aid package that includes Bradleys tomorrow, according to Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman.
“I can confirm that another round of security assistance for Ukraine is anticipated tomorrow and that, as the White House has indicated, that newest assistance will include Bradley Fighting Vehicles,” he told reporters, including from The War Zone, at a press briefing Thursday afternoon.
Ryder provided no specifics about the number of Bradleys expected to be in the package. Reuters reported that the package will include 50 Bradleys.
The Bradley provides “an armored capability that can transport mechanized infantry into battle in support of both offensive and defensive operations, providing a level of firepower and armor that will bring advantages on the battlefield,” Ryder said.
Germany will also provide Marders to Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Thursday, according to Reuters.
“Both countries agreed to train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use them, it said, while Germany would also supply a Patriot air defence battery to Ukraine, which has scored some battlefield successes since Russian forces invaded last February but has asked allies for heavier weapons to defend itself,” according to Reuters.
Last month, the U.S. agreed to send a Patriot battery to Ukraine.
The announcement that Bradleys and Marders are going to Ukraine came after French President Emmanuel Macron told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday that France will send AMX-10 RC armored combat vehicles to Ukraine.
What is clear is that these developments highlight that Ukraine’s allies are now moving to drastically enhance the country’s armored capabilities.
We will have a deep dive on what the Bradley Fighting Vehicle will bring to the fight in Ukraine very soon, so keep an eye out for that.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
