via Defense News
The US will send four more high-mobility artillery rocket systems to Ukraine as part of the next military aid package to strengthen Kyiv in what’s become a grinding long-range fires duel, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
The new M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, will bring the total number committed to Ukraine to 16. The light, wheeled multiple rocket launcher allows Ukraine to strike at ranges of 85 kilometers, or 53 miles, and with more precision than previously sent artillery.
I'm doing a bit of reading between the lines when I saw we're bumping up on the limits of what we can give Ukraine.
Why?
This has been an unusual war.
I've never seen a nation that is practically begging for gear flip the switch to making demands.
Early this week I read that Ukraine SecDef stated that they needed 100 more HIMARS/MLRS to go on the offensive against Russia.
We're sending them 4.
The Ukrainians have made no ask for A-10s but that's suddenly on the table and nothing has been said of the F-16s that they've requested.
I don't see the end state that the Ukrainians are looking for. To be quite honest I believe the war has evolved to a point where it will be to their benefit to make it an eternal fight. Another 20 year Afghan war in Europe.
Why?
They have no economy. If the war ends they're up shit creek. Europe and the US are having economic issues. If the war ends then no one will give a damn about Ukraine, no heart strings will be pulled and it will turn into a European problem that needs to be solved by Europeans.
We missed our chance to end this thing on favorable terms. For some reason Biden and the European leadership turned this into a test of wills instead of a battle of interests.
China will keep Russia in the fight. Iran will do what they can too. Additionally we can expect Iran to cause all kinds of mischief in the Middle East to distract the US from this fight and to pressure the US military.
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