“Act of political loyalty”: how Ukraine implements a contract for the purchase of Javelin

Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andrii Zagorodniuk during a briefing on the State Defense Order announced the conclusion of a new contract for the supply of American anti-tank missile systems (ATGM) FGM-148 Javelin. According to him, the deal with the United States is a "landmark" for the country's armed forces.

“Over the past four months there are interesting topics that I would like to voice. For example, we first purchased Javelin anti-tank missile systems in the United States. This is really a landmark contract for us, ”the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine quotes Zagorodniuk.

In turn, the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anatoly Petrenko said that we are talking about the second installment of Javelin, which Kiev acquired in the United States. He said that the deal was concluded in the fourth quarter of this year.

The first delivery of Javelin to the Ukrainian army was implemented in April 2018 in the amount of $ 47 million. For this money, the APU received 37 anti-aircraft missile launchers and 210 missiles for them. On August 24, 2018, the Ukrainian military demonstrated complexes received from the United States at the Independence Day parade.

"The long-awaited weapon"

The readiness of Kiev to acquire a new batch of Javelin became known this summer. In August, US Chargé d'Affaires to Ukraine William Taylor said that Kiev had sent a request in the framework of the program of external military sales of the United States Department of Defense. The diplomat said that Washington intends to approve the request of Kiev.

In early October, Congress and the Department of State authorized the sale of Javelin to Ukraine. According to the US Agency for Defense Cooperation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive 150 missiles and other equipment totaling no more than $ 39.2 million.

• Javelin complexes at the parade in the center of Kiev, August 24, 2018
• © Gleb Garanich / Reuters

The previous leadership of Ukraine in the person of Petro Poroshenko did not hide the desire to acquire Javelin. In April last year, he called the American anti-tank systems "the long-awaited weapon", which "significantly strengthened the powerful deterrent effect of our combat effectiveness and Euro-Atlantic security." As the former president noted, 37 Javelin units will strengthen the potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “in order to repulse Russian aggression.”

In January 2019, Poroshenko said that the American anti-tank systems had a “noticeable psychological effect” on the demarcation line in the Donbass. According to him, the "Russian tankers" allegedly began to refuse to leave for positions, learning about the appearance of Javelin in service with the Ukrainian army.

In Washington, they explain the supply of anti-tank systems by the desire to maintain the defense capability of Ukraine without violating the "basic military balance in the region." At the same time, the United States prohibits the use of Javelin in the war zone in the southeast of the country. The deputy minister of Ukraine on issues of temporarily occupied territories Georgy Tuka spoke about this condition in May last year. True, he emphasized that the ban could be lifted "at any time."

Military expert Yuri Knutov believes that the purchase of American anti-tank systems does not have any serious impact on the combat effectiveness of the APU. In an interview with RT, he called Javelin's supply “an act of symbolic commercial support.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the sale of anti-tank systems is carried out beyond the annual military assistance to Kiev, which is about $ 250 million.

• APU tank in the area of ​​the demarcation line in Donetsk region
• © Gleb Garanich / Reuters

Political analyst Alexander Dudchak told RT that military-technical cooperation between Ukraine and the United States is carried out to the detriment of the interests of Kiev. The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not receive living money from the Americans and cannot make complaints about the quality of military products. In addition, the United States controls the use of the supplied weapons.

“Underdeveloped countries that buy weapons from the United States are in their financial and political bondage. Ukraine is no exception. For two years, Kiev lowered $ 86 million on Javelin. This is a huge sum for Ukraine, which could go to completely different needs, ”Dudchak stated.

According to experts, the Armed Forces are armed with outdated anti-tank systems. There are also certain doubts about the combat effectiveness of Javelin among Ukrainian specialists. Last summer, a great resonance was caused by a letter posted on social networks by the Luch State Design Bureau (Kiev) addressed to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine, Alexander Turchinov.

The document said that during Javelin launches, problems were identified with the rocket propulsion engines. Employees of the enterprise recommended not to use American systems and warned of the danger they pose to the lives of military personnel. The NSDC denied the authenticity of the letter.

“It's hard to comment on that. On the one hand, the Americans could indeed deliver low-quality Javelin and missiles to them, on the other, Ukrainian enterprises themselves sin by trying to sell their own not very effective ATGMs to the Ministry of Defense, ”Knutov argues.

“Zelensky’s arrival hasn’t changed anything”

Russia has consistently opposed the transfer to Kiev of lethal weapons, including Javelin. Moscow believes that the appearance of American anti-tank systems in the AFU units will complicate the situation on the demarcation line.

In early October, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting on the State Department’s approval for the supply of a second batch of anti-tank systems, advised Kiev to engage in a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbass and not to forget about the need to solve the country's internal problems. In her opinion, the purchase of expensive complexes will only hit the state budget.

“Today, what Ukraine really needs is to resolve the intra-Ukrainian conflict, to lead the country out of the crisis in a number of areas, including the economic crisis,” Zakharova emphasized

Alexander Dudchak believes that the purchase of the second batch of Javelin indicates Kiev’s unwillingness to refuse to implement the power scenario in the Donbass. According to him, there are no guarantees that the APU will not use American anti-tank systems on the demarcation line.

“Ukraine makes it clear that it is ready to continue the fighting. In addition, the purchase of a new Javelin batch is an act of servile political loyalty to the “older American brother” in Washington. Zelensky’s arrival at Bankovaya (where the presidential administration is located. - RT ) has not changed anything. Kiev is ready to spend taxpayer money on the purchase of unnecessary American products, including lethal weapons, ”said Dudchak.

In turn, Yuri Knutov believes that the supply of Javelin can destabilize the situation on the demarcation line. At the same time, the expert does not expect a change in the balance of forces in favor of the Ukrainian army.

“The transfer of any lethal weapon to the APU a priori increases the likelihood of escalation of violence in the Donbass. The siloviki and nationalists are tempted to use it against the militia and civilians. However, I would not exaggerate the combat capabilities of what the Americans supply the APU. Neither Javelin, nor other weapons will disrupt the current balance of power, ”Knut concluded.