Morocco will be first North African nation with HIMARS
Morocco is on track to be the first nation in North Africa with HIMARS. The deal was approved last year by the U.S. government. The Pentagon awarded the contract to Lockheed Martin in July for the munitions to go in the launchers.
Morocco is buying 18 M142 HIMARS launchers, along with 9 Humvees and other support vehicles, practice pods and equipment.
Made by Lockheed Martin, the HIMARS – or High Mobility Artillery Rocket System – is one of the premiere long-range mobile precision fire launchers in the world.
They are capable of firing several different types of munitions, like guided rockets, the U.S. Army’s Tactical Missile – also called ATACMS – and even the new Precision Strike Missile.
HIMARS are so good at what they do, the Ukrainians even made up a pretty catchy folk song about them.
The deal with Morocco will see its launchers armed with 40 ATACMS rounds and 72 guided rockets, which will consist of both unitary warhead and the alternative warhead rockets.
In a separate arms sale which was also approved last year, the U.S. agreed to deliver more Joint Standoff Weapons – or JSOWs – to the Moroccan Air Force. Officially labeled the AGM-154, the JSOW is called an air-to-ground missile but it operates essentially like a glide bomb, and comes in two variants.
The Moroccan Air Force flies F-16s armed with JSOWs already, but the HIMARS deal marks the first time any country in North Africa was allowed to buy the system. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are the only two countries in the region with HIMARS.
Moroccan media is reporting the American-made HIMARS will complement Chinese launch systems Morocco already had in its inventory. Those systems were purchased between 6-10 years ago.
Ukraine advent calendar honors ‘Weapons of Victory’
Move over, “Elf on a Shelf.” It’s time for a Bushmaster in the brush. Ukraine’s new advent calendar aims to impress this holiday season.
Most people are at least familiar with the traditional advent calendar. Basic models are made of paper, while others are bigger, more elaborate, and made of plastic or wood.
Behind each door a surprise of some sort. Maybe a poem, or a piece of candy. Perhaps a toy. But now, as Monty Python would say, it’s time for something completely different.
This holiday season the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is taking the advent calendar to the battlefield — and social media. That’s right, counting down each day to Christmas by touting one of their many means of national defense on sites like Reddit or Instagram.
Like a traditional advent calendar, this all began on Dec. 1, with a post about the “Weapons of Victory,” featuring the M142 HIMARS, an American-made mobile artillery rocket system.
After starting with a bang, each successive day in the calendar was followed by other weapons systems from all over the world, a sort of countdown to Christmas and a thank you to the many different countries that gave military hardware to the cause.
Dec. 2 featured the AHS Krab. Designed in Poland, the Krab is a NATO compatible, self-propelled Howitzer. Following that was the British Challenger Two, a main battle tank.
Each post contains a brief description of that day’s vehicle or weapon system, along with a word of gratitude.
“We thank our partners from @DeptofDefense,” the ministry posted on Dec. 8. “We are especially grateful for M2 Bradley IFVs. M2 Bradley serve as both an armored personnel carrier and a tank-killer. Its 25 mm autocannon effectively destroy the enemy and helps our soldiers liberate Ukrainian land.”
While there’s been no official word from the Defense Ministry on the motivation behind these posts, it’s probably not a coincidence they come at a time when American funding for the Ukrainians defense is running out.
US Army’s new Precision Strike Missile almost ready to deploy
The U.S. Army’s Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is the gold standard for modern precision strike artillery. When it comes to staying on top, however, what works today won’t work tomorrow. So, the Army is developing a new long-range weapon called the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
The @USArmy and @LockheedMartin successfully launched PrSM in a short-range production qualification test demonstrating precision and reliability.
Like the ATACMS they are replacing, PrSMs are ground-launched tactical ballistic missiles. The Army said the new missile just marked another major milestone in its development — successfully completing what’s called the Minimum Short-Range Qualification Test. It’s an exercise designed to push the missile’s guidance system to its limits, forcing the weapon to lock on to its target quickly.
Short-range launches also give the missile less space to maneuver. Sharper turns and quick corrections are harder on the missile’s components than a smooth flight. The test also proved PrSM’s structural integrity as well.
The PrSM shares some similarities to the missile it’s replacing, but it is a significant step forward for the Army’s Long-Range Precision Fires program. The PrSM’s planned range will be between 37 and 403 miles — more than double the effective range of ATACMS.
The PrSM can also be fired from the M270 and HIMARS launchers, like ATACMS. The PrSM pods hold two missiles compared to the one missile launch pods ATACMS use.
The new PrSM features an open-architecture and modular design for easy upgrading. The Army said the initial tranche of PrSMs will be armed with an optimized unitary warhead designed to achieve the same effects as ATACMS. PrSM will also comply with the United States’ cluster munitions policies.
After some more testing, the Army says it plans to equip the PrSM with what it calls enhanced lethality payloads. The missile will also be able to engage targets on land or at sea, a prospect which is piquing the interest of the United States Marine Corps.
The Marines are rethinking power projection in the Pacific and are looking at all sorts of ways to put as many missiles on as many islands as possible. The Marines also use HIMARS launchers, and containerized versions of the PrSM are in development. Both would go a long way in creating a relatively inexpensive layered defense in the Pacific.
Once the PrSM is operational, U.S. allies will likely see some benefits as well. The missile was developed in coordination with Australia. The Australian government wants to establish some long-range strike capabilities of its own to counter China.
It’s likely Ukraine is also anxiously awaiting the PrSM’s arrival, but not because its armed forces will get any of the missiles. Once the PrSM is deployed, many military analysts say the U.S. won’t need its stockpile of ATACMS anymore. Ukraine, on the other hand, could use every long-range weapon it can get.
You can always tell when soldiers in Ukraine really like weapons systems, because they usually write a song about them. There’s at least one song about Bayraktar drones, and a little ditty dropped in the summer of 2022, praising the U.S.-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Based on the most recent U.S. aid package to Ukraine, it might be time for a remix.
On Nov. 20, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced trip to Ukraine. Austin used the opportunity to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the Ukrainian war effort and announce a $100 million aid package including more TOW and Stinger missiles, some winter gear and precisely one HIMARS launcher with additional ammunition.
Austin told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “The message that I bring you today, Mr. President, is that the United States of America is with you. We will remain with you for the long haul.”
Ukraine already has 38 HIMARS systems, as well as 23 M270 tracked launchers that fire the same ammo.
According to some analysts, the one new launcher may have been modified to shoot a type of munition first promised to Ukraine back in February: The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB).
The product of partnership between Saab and Boeing, GLSDBs combine air-dropped glide bombs with ground-launched rocket boosters. The result is essentially a precision-guided bomb that militaries can launch from the ground, closing a capability gap an air force would usually fill.
Most traditional artillery and many guided rockets take typical ballistic paths. If a target is on the other side of a hill or building, it can be difficult to hit with ground launched weapons. The GLSDBs give commanders the ability to hit targets on the back side of hills and buildings, what’s known as the “reverse slope.”
Using its glide wings, GLSDBs can hit the reverse slope on a target around 100 miles away. It can fly in any weather condition, day or night, and its multi-purpose warhead comes with a programmable fuse. So, the warhead can be flown deeper into a building, cave or other fortified structure before fully detonating.
In February, when President Joe Biden originally said the U.S. would send GLSDBs to Ukraine, he did caution it would take months for the weapons to reach the frontlines. Boeing said in early October it was on track to deliver the weapons according to the government’s timeline.
If Ukraine now has its hands on the GLSDBs and a launcher that can fire them, it shouldn’t take too long to modify its other launchers to do the same. The ability to shoot bombs that can go backwards should give Ukraine’s commanders on the ground more flexibility while also letting the country’s small air force focus on targets better suited for air-launched missiles.
Ukraine asks US, Germany for ATACMS, Taurus long-range missiles
Ukraine’s slow, methodical and effective counteroffensive is accomplishing what it needs to: bleed Russian forces across the more than 600 miles of frontline. Still, critics in the West are growing uneasy about how long this “death by a thousand cuts” approach is taking.
Ukraine is responding to those critics essentially by saying, “If you want this war over quickly, give us the weapons needed to make it happen.” Specifically, that means Taurus and ATACMS missiles.
There’s no doubt Ukraine wouldn’t exist today without help from its Western allies. HIMARS from the U.S. and Storm Shadow missiles from the U.K. are now a part of the pop culture in Ukraine, with the latter even getting its own short National Geographic-styled “mockumentary.”
Kyiv had hoped Britain and France sending the long-range Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles would spur Germany and the United States to send their own respective long-range missile systems.
Ukraine is reportedly in talks with Germany to get Taurus missiles. They’re very similar to Storm Shadows and are even made by the same company, MBDA Missile Systems. Like the Storm Shadows, Taurus missiles are also air-launched, but they have a longer range and pack a different sort of punch.
Taurus missiles are accurate up to at least 300 miles. They also have dual-stage warheads, allowing them to penetrate deeper before detonation. The Taurus boasts the world’s first programmable fuse, which allows users to decide when to detonate the warhead’s second stage.
Taurus missiles are better suited to strike bridges and bunkers, letting Ukraine save its Storm Shadows for less hardened targets like warehouses and storage depots. Ukraine proved its effectiveness in deploying Storm Shadows almost as soon as the systems were delivered, striking Russian supply lines and storage depots that were previously too far behind enemy lines to hit. However, Storm Shadows aren’t having the desired impact on hardened structures like the bridges connecting Crimea to southern Ukraine.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said as recently as Aug. 3 there were no plans to send Ukraine Taurus missiles. However, on Aug. 7, a member of Ukraine’s Parliament posted on his Facebook page that the German Parliament came to a consensus and would send the weapons.
Pistorius said sending Ukraine Taurus missiles isn’t a priority, and he pointed out the Americans also haven’t sent the Army Tactical Missile System to Ukraine. He was quickly criticized for his comments about long-range weapons not being a priority for Ukraine, but he’s not wrong about the U.S. dragging its feet on ATACMS.
Ukraine has been asking for ATACMS for more than a year. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he talked to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about ATACMS during a phone call on Aug. 7.
ATACMS have a longer range than Storm Shadows, but shorter than the Taurus. However, unlike those other missiles, ATACMS don’t need to be launched from a plane. Ukraine can use HIMARS instead.
Russian air defenses are keeping Ukraine’s air force away from the frontlines, which limits the effectiveness of air-launched missiles. With ground-launched ATACMS added to the mix, Ukraine said its armed forces would truly have enough strike capability to put all of Crimea within range.
Supplying Ukraine those weapons, however, would also bring parts of Russia into range. That’s why, at least for now, the U.S. and Germany are saying “no” to the long-range missile systems.
Sweden wants to join NATO but Turkey, Hungary still say ‘no’
Sweden wants to join NATO. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said his country met its obligations under an agreement with Turkey to join the military alliance and it’s time for Turkey’s Parliament to begin the ratification process.
When he invaded Ukraine last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said one of his goals was to prevent NATO from growing stronger. That strategy failed miserably.
NATO member countries are increasing their own defense spending to record levels, and after decades of military non-alignment, both Sweden and Finland asked to join NATO. Finland was granted entry in April; Sweden is trying to become the alliance’s 32nd member.
Entry into NATO needs to be approved by all its members, but Turkey continues to block Sweden’s bid to join citing security concerns. Turkey accuses Sweden of harboring militant groups it considers terrorists. Ankara is also upset about anti-Turkey protesters in Stockholm.
Sweden said it’s done what it can within the law to meet Turkey’s demands.
Hungary is another NATO member standing in the way of Sweden’s acceptance. Hungary still has fairly close ties with Russia, leading to accusations Hungary is working as Putin’s Trojan Horse within the alliance. But Hungary is also trying to buy $735 million worth of weaponry from the U.S., including HIMARS launchers. Idaho Sen. James Risch (R) is holding up that deal until Hungary changes its mind on Sweden.
While it may not be a full-fledged member, Sweden is still a very close ally to the United States and other NATO-member countries. Sweden takes part in NATO exercises and a U.S. Air Force B1 bomber just landed in Sweden for the first time. The USAF said while there have been exercises conducted with Swedish forces in the past, the landing of the B1 fortifies not only the friendship between the countries, but the collective defense of Europe.
Sweden’s role in defending European democracies is already on display in Ukraine. The Swedes gave Ukraine millions in financial aid and also donated weapons systems like missile batteries, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Ukraine is working with the Czech Republic and Slovakia to buy another thousand Swedish-made CV90 IFVs. The deal is worth billions of euros and further solidifies Sweden’s role in the overall European defense picture.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said because of all the training the Swedes have already done with Western allies, the Swedish military could quickly be interoperable with NATO forces. Austin also said Swedish membership would enhance NATO’s ability to defend the Northern Baltics, an area of growing concern as Arctic ice recedes, opening up potentially new shipping lanes.
NATO is holding a July summit in Lithuania. Sweden, the U.S., and the overwhelming majority of NATO member countries said they hope Sweden’s bid to join will be accepted by then.
Russia offering cash bounties for tanks as Leopard 2s arrive in Ukraine
The first of Poland’s promised Leopard 2 tanks are in Ukraine. More tanks from the U.S. and allied countries will be arriving in country over the next several weeks.
Canada delivers its next batch of Leopard 2 tanks to Europe.
The modern armor is expected to play a critical role in Ukraine’s pending spring counteroffensive. U.S.-made Abrams tanks and the German Leopard 2s are two of the most advanced tanks on the planet.
Russia’s top commanders are well aware of that fact, which is why they’re setting more than just their sights on the Western tanks; they’re offering cash rewards for their capture as well.
Forbes reported that a Russian oil company called Fores started offering around $70,000 to soldiers for the intact capture of an Abrams or Leopard 2 tank. At that time, the bounty was four times what the average Russian makes in a year.
In February 2023, another group raised the bounty to $170,000 and included Britain’s Challenger 2s in the tanks for cash scheme. The idea of offering cash bounties was praised by the Kremlin, and now it seems Moscow wants to get in on the action as well.
The government’s bounties are for destroyed tanks. According to a report from the Conflict Intelligence Team, the Russian Ministry of Defense is offering:
$6500 to destroy a Leopard, Abrams or Challenger tank
The likelihood Russia pays out a bounty to individual soldiers for destroying enemy armor and vehicles is slim. Most of the destroyed Ukrainian armor and vehicles were a result of Russian artillery and minefields. That means proving which soldier is responsible for destroying individual pieces of equipment could be nearly impossible.
However, there is a chance Russia could capture Western tanks. If that happens, more enemy nations than Russia would benefit. In 2022, Russia traded cash and captured weapons to Iran for a shipment of kamikaze drones. Experts have said Iran is now trying to reverse-engineer the weapons, which included U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
Since the start of the war, Russia captured 146 Ukrainian tanks. Most were from the Soviet era. Using past figures to predict future outcomes, it’s possible Russia could capture a dozen or so Western tanks in the next year of fighting.
It’s too early to tell if Russia’s bounty program for captured or destroyed Western tanks is having an impact on the battlefield. However, Russia’s military leadership may be relying too much on monetary gain as motivation for its troops. According to a U.S. Army War College study, most soldiers today fight for the people in their unit, not to achieve riches.
Ukraine is using inflatable tanks and HIMARS against Russia
About 2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu said all warfare is based on deception. If the Chinese philosopher and military general were alive today, he’d most likely be a customer of Inflatech, a company in the Czech Republic that makes inflatable decoys that look like military vehicles.
The inflatable armaments are designed to look like many of the weapons systems seen on the Ukrainian battlefields. Inflatech said it has more than 30 different types of decoys. The models range from tanks to armored vehicles, aircraft, and howitzers. The company even makes a model that looks like the U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems.
Using decoys to throw off the enemy isn’t a new battlefield tactic, but these decoys do offer new benefits. They use lightweight materials like artificial silk to keep the weight down. A fake tank from Inflatech tips the scales at about 220 pounds. The decoys take around 15 mins to set up, they appear on enemy radar, and they are designed to mimic the heat signatures of the weapons they imitate.
Unlike the Russian-looking robot tanks Germany makes for training troops, these inflatable decoys are designed for one thing: wasting Russian munitions. Inflatech’s Chief Executive Vojtech Fresser said Russian rockets and artillery cost far more than the price of a decoy.
Czech TV @ReporteriCT: Czech 🇨🇿 production of inflatable decoys HIMARS, which are delivered to Ukraine 🇺🇦 (English subtitles added) pic.twitter.com/wiyKTjCRSK
“If I force the enemy to destroy a thing of mine by using something which is four times, but in reality, it could be 20 times more expensive, then I’m the winner economically,” Fresser said.
Fresser won’t reveal just how many decoys are in use in Ukraine, but he did tell a Czech TV station between 30-40% of the HIMARS Russia recently claimed it destroyed were actually just giant synthetic-silk sacks filled with air.
The inflatable decoy business is going well for Inflatech. The company posted a 30% increase in sales in 2022, with another high-volume year expected for 2023. Fresser said he’d prefer to make toys for kids, “but first, we have to secure a safe world for them. Then, we’ll hopefully return to civilian projects.”
Global defense spending soared in 2022, same expected for 2023
2022 was a banner year for defense contractors. If turnout at this year’s International Defense Exhibit in Abu Dhabi is any indication, 2023 will continue the streak of record sales.
Visitors and exhibitors from 65 countries attracted around 130,000 people for the biennial defense fair. IDEX 2023 was the best attended event in years according to its organizers.
The United Arab Emirates alone signed defense contracts totaling over $6 billion at IDEX. According to CNBC, many of the contractors said the war in Ukraine spurred nations to beef up defense spending. One American contractor even called Russian President Vladimir Putin “the best weapons salesman there is.”
Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin are the two largest American defense contractors. Raytheon manufacturers the PATRIOT missile defense system. Lockheed Martin makes HIMARS. Both systems are in high demand in Ukraine, which is leading to an order backlog as NATO allies look to replenish their own supplies.
— Raytheon Missiles & Defense (@RaytheonDefense) January 25, 2023
Lockheed Martin recorded $19 billion in fourth quarter sales last fiscal year. Raytheon had $4.1 billion in the fourth quarter, but its order backlog totals more than $150 billion.
Across the globe, countries spent more on defense in 2022 than ever before. Germany, Poland, and France all implemented massive defense spending budgets worth billions to counter Russia’s growing threat.
Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany announced it would spend an additional $106 billion on defense. Poland raised defense spending to 3% of GDP, and France’s government said it will increase defense spending by 30% over the next few years.
Japan is raising its defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027 to counter threats from China and North Korea. Both China and Russia said their military budgets are also getting bigger. Russia increased its planned 2023 defense budget by 40%, bringing it to roughly $84 billion.
Of course, this all pales in comparison to the amount the U.S. spends on defense. When President Joe Biden signed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act in December, he approved allotting more than $816 billion to the Department of Defense.
Rep. Don Bacon: ‘Putin is evil’ and Russians ‘hate us’
The war in Ukraine is now entering its second year. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, both soldiers and civilians. The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to push back against the onslaught, but Vladimir Putin’s war machine is showing no signs of letting up.
I am grateful to all the countries that endorsed the crucial @UN General Assembly resolution "Principles of the Charter of the United Nations that underline the comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine". 1/2 pic.twitter.com/nFx8OuOMug
“Putin is evil. What he’s doing is evil,” Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon said. Bacon represents the Cornhusker State’s second district, and retired a brigadier general from the U.S. Air Force. He was the one-time commander at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. He knows more than most what it might take to end the war.
He said Ukraine needs long-range missiles more than anything. Like the Army’s Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of almost 200 miles. ATACMS can be launched from HIMARS, which Ukraine has already been using with lethal precision.
“We want to be able to give Ukraine the ability to defend its airspace and hit targets deep to hold Russian logistics centers at risk,” Bacon said.
When it comes to the ongoing question of sending fighter jets, the congressman said F-16s would be the best option given battlefield conditions in Ukraine. However, with Russia’s advanced air defense systems, Bacon said understands the debate over whether to send them.
Bacon said what he doesn’t understand is why U.S. support for Ukraine may be weakening. Bacon pushes back on the argument Ukraine is getting a blank check from the U.S. If it were true that Ukrainians were getting everything they asked for, Bacon said there wouldn’t still be a debate about F-16s, ATACMS and other heavier weaponry requested by Ukraine.
What the U.S. should give unconditionally to Ukraine, according to Bacon, is support. He said the U.S. is morally obligated to help Ukraine defend itself against Putin. Beyond moral obligations, Bacon said there is also a fair amount of self-interest involved for the U.S.
“If Russia prevails, bullies don’t stop, you know?” Bacon said. “[Russia has] been threatening the Baltics. What happens if they prevail in Ukraine? Are the Baltics next? These are our allies and are part of NATO. So I think we have to stand up and help Ukraine defend its sovereignty. It’s in our national security interest. Make no bones about it. Russia is a threat to America. They hate us.”