The Worldwide Response to Russia's War On Ukraine

[Albany Rifles]

Apart from the US having a LOT of F-18s I believe Canada, Finland & Spain all fly them. Not sure if they have anything useful to contribute other than pilot training or a few spares. Still, the US should have enough spares to help.

There is an issue with parts because some companies which made parts for the F-18 have shifted to F-35 parts.

But they would still have some sources.

[Albany Rifles]

That's a good point, several good points actually.

As an aside, when the Blue Angels get "new" Hornets/Super Hornets, they are the oldest and most worn-out airframes in the inventory. The Blues burn through whatever life is left and then off to AMARG or to the Naval Aviation Museum they go.

Same with the F-16s for the USAF Thunderbirds.

[Goatboy]

None of the European members have enough spare airframes of any one particular type to warrant transferring them to Ukraine. Four of five Tornadoes here, a couple of Grippens there, maybe a few Raphales thrown in as well would be a logistical nightmare for the Ukrainians, their armed forces are already struggling to maintain the disparate combat systems they're already received. Training would be even more of the problem because you'd have to train a cadre of pilots on one specific type of jet meaning none of them could crossover to fly any of the others without going back for several weeks or even months of new training. The reason F-16s were suggested is that they're one of if not THE most widely used western 4th gen fighter in the world, so on paper there are heaps of potential air-frames out there to be traded about, refurbished and handed over to the Ukrainians. Enough anyway that the Uki's only have to train their pilots and maintenance crews on one platform.

The F-18s are actually a bit of a fluke. From memory (so I could be wrong here) not many countries outside of Canada and Australia fly (or flew) the F-18 apart from America and most of theirs are fully committed. Australia just happens to be transitioning from the F-18 to the F-35 so the RAAF has built up a one off stockpile of air frames it was going to sell back to the US for spare parts before this idea came up. Again if it was only an handful of planes the idea wouldn't have made much sense. But if all 41 can be delivered in one or more batches before the F-16s can it definitely makes sense to send them. They're not a long term potion of Ukraine after the war but they would be very useful during it.

Oh certainly, there's a big downside to all that disparate gear. I guess part of me was hoping, for example with tanks, that Ukraine could leverage some of the different characteristics of each, tailored to a certain situation. I believe Challengers can be fitted with an excellent plow, coupled with their heft, to make short work of so called dragon's teeth, trenches etc.

[Gun Grape]

There is an issue with parts because some companies which made parts for the F-18 have shifted to F-35 parts.

But they would still have some sources.

These are old 18s. Not Rinos

The same old 18s that the USMC had to raid a museum for parts 7 years ago

https://breakingdefense.com/2016/03/...how-bad-is-it/

[Officer of Engineers]

As much as I detest suggesting it it's probably far better for Ukraine to get planes with a couple of years left which they promptly burn through in six months of intensive warfare than it is to delay. And being brutally honest a lot of those planes probably wont last out whatever flight hours they have left anyway. And as much as I wish it were otherwise the same probably goes for their pilots. There's that old expression that say's 'the perfect is the enemy of the good'. Ukraine cant wait for the perfect solution, it needs a 'good' (enough) NOW! Once they win? Fine, that's the time to start worrying about giving them the 'perfect' air force for their long term strategic needs. Right now they need planes that can fly out the next 12 months.

Is Australia going to pay to bring these planes back to battle readiness because I can't see the US doing it anytime soon.

[Monash]

Is Australia going to pay to bring these planes back to battle readiness because I can't see the US doing it anytime soon.

The story only broke yesterday. The all important details like whose going to pay for what and when etc hasn't been revealed yet.

[Monash]

Is Australia going to pay to bring these planes back to battle readiness because I can't see the US doing it anytime soon.

By way of a follow up I saw a report today stating that the aircraft were well maintained during their lifetimes and had received several upgrades over their period of service. No details of course but it doesn't sound like the RAAF flogged them to death or many corners when it came to looking after them toward the end of their careers. To me at least this suggests that most of the 41 air frames should be (relatively) easy to return to service and at reasonable cost. Maybe I'm being optimistic when I say that but I only a a few brief media snippets to go on. We'll see.

[Gun Grape]

Canada bought 18 of the RAAF Hornets a few years ago.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/f18...alia-1.5836504

[Monash]

Thanks! That explains the discrepancy in numbers I found when I was trying to reconcile the number of F-18s Australia purchased to the number in storage.

[Albany Rifles]

These are old 18s. Not Rinos

The same old 18s that the USMC had to raid a museum for parts 7 years ago

https://breakingdefense.com/2016/03/...how-bad-is-it/

Ahh...I had a CDR table mate at Defense Acquisition University course who was the NAVY PM for spare/repair parts for all fixed wing aircraft for USN/USMC. He laid that problem out for us as a case study in our Sustainment module. I just realized it was in spring 2017. Thought it was really recent. COVID has really screwed up the timelines!

Thanks for harshing my mellow, Gunny!

[TopHatter]

France to intensify arms delivery to help Ukraine counter-offensive -Macron

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said that a long-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive against occupying Russian forces had started, and he promised more military aid to the Kyiv government.

At a press conference after a meeting with Polish and German leaders, the so-called Weimar Triangle, Macron said: "We have done everything to help it."

"We have intensified the delivery of ammunitions, weapons and armed vehicles ... We'll continue in coming days and weeks," said Macron, who in recent days said he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirming the start of the counter-offensive.

Asked whether Germany agreed Ukraine needed to be given security guarantees at a NATO summit in July, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "It's clear we need this and we need it in a very concrete way," he said.

Ukraine on Monday claimed new gains in the early phase of the counter-offensive, saying its forces recaptured seven villages from Russian troops along an approximately 100-km (60-mile) front in southeastern Ukraine.

The three-way meeting in Paris was meant to send a signal of unity between eastern and western Europe, after Warsaw took on a major logistical and diplomatic role in helping Ukraine, while often castigating German and French leaders for being too slow.

Macron said the meeting was proof that there was no division between "old" and "new" Europe, a distinction once made by the United States when eastern European countries refused to back France and Germany over the war in Iraq 20 years ago.

However, divisions emerged during the short question-and-answer session with journalists.

Both Macron and Scholz said they supported the migration deal agreed by EU ministers last week, in which EU countries unwilling to take in refugees at home would be asked to give a financial contribution to their hosting peers.

But Polish President Andrzej Duda said he was "skeptical".

"We took in those who needed help in Poland ... we helped, to be honest, we did not receive any particular help especially from EU institutions," he said.

"I hope that no institution in the EU will come up with an idea to punish us for the fact that while still having the perspective of more Ukrainian refugees arriving, we are skeptical about accepting migrants from other directions as well."
________

[TopHatter]

Germany to Seal Tank Repair Hub Deal With Poland in Coming Days



(Bloomberg) -- Germany and Poland are closing in on a deal to set up a service hub to repair Leopard battle tanks and other equipment as Ukraine undertakes its counteroffensive against Russian forces, Berlin’s envoy said.

Talks should wrap up “in the coming days,” before the July 11-12 NATO summit in Vilnius, Thomas Bagger, Germany’s ambassador to Poland, told Bloomberg in Warsaw on Tuesday. The hub will be used to supply badly needed spare parts for the German-made equipment, he said.

After months of pressuring North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to deliver hardware, Ukraine is sending them into the battlefield as part of a much-anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces to retake territory. Equipment, including Leopard tanks and US Bradley Fighting Vehicles, have shown up in images from the front line.

At least four of Ukraine’s Leopard 2 tanks and 16 of its Bradley fighting vehicles have been destroyed, damaged or abandoned so far, according to Oryx, an online group that catalogues confirmed equipment losses on both sides.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed Monday in Paris that long-struggling talks on the hub were nearly at an end — and that Germany, which has delivered Leopards, air defense systems such as Patriots and Iris-T and Gepard anti-aircraft guns, will soon be in a position to help repair them close to the battlefield.

“Of course it’s best if weapons systems only move a short distance outside of Ukraine, get repaired on the scene and then are redeployed,” Scholz said alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda and France’s Emmanuel Macron.

Poland, which has also delivered Leopard tanks to Ukraine, had criticized Germany for months before Scholz gave the green light for deliveries in January. German supplies of spare parts for older-model Leopards also became a source of friction between Warsaw and Berlin.

Service hubs have also been set up in Slovakia and Romania.
________

[Amled]

That has to be good news for the Ukrainians!
Even a layman such as myself knows that in battle shit happens, and equipment has to be repaired.
So repair depots close to the front (And in safe territory???) would be optimal.

[Albany Rifles]

France to intensify arms delivery to help Ukraine counter-offensive -Macron

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said that a long-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive against occupying Russian forces had started, and he promised more military aid to the Kyiv government.

At a press conference after a meeting with Polish and German leaders, the so-called Weimar Triangle, Macron said: "We have done everything to help it."

"We have intensified the delivery of ammunitions, weapons and armed vehicles ... We'll continue in coming days and weeks," said Macron, who in recent days said he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirming the start of the counter-offensive.

Asked whether Germany agreed Ukraine needed to be given security guarantees at a NATO summit in July, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "It's clear we need this and we need it in a very concrete way," he said.

Ukraine on Monday claimed new gains in the early phase of the counter-offensive, saying its forces recaptured seven villages from Russian troops along an approximately 100-km (60-mile) front in southeastern Ukraine.

The three-way meeting in Paris was meant to send a signal of unity between eastern and western Europe, after Warsaw took on a major logistical and diplomatic role in helping Ukraine, while often castigating German and French leaders for being too slow.

Macron said the meeting was proof that there was no division between "old" and "new" Europe, a distinction once made by the United States when eastern European countries refused to back France and Germany over the war in Iraq 20 years ago.

However, divisions emerged during the short question-and-answer session with journalists.

Both Macron and Scholz said they supported the migration deal agreed by EU ministers last week, in which EU countries unwilling to take in refugees at home would be asked to give a financial contribution to their hosting peers.

But Polish President Andrzej Duda said he was "skeptical".

"We took in those who needed help in Poland ... we helped, to be honest, we did not receive any particular help especially from EU institutions," he said.

"I hope that no institution in the EU will come up with an idea to punish us for the fact that while still having the perspective of more Ukrainian refugees arriving, we are skeptical about accepting migrants from other directions as well."
________

The stridency of Poland is understandable given they were occupied for so long by Russia/Soviet Union. Germany you'd expect to be a little more like Poland because of being divided by the Soviet Union for 47 +/- years. France's foot dragging is expected. Glad all have understood the gravity and the opportunity available right now for Ukraine to really hurt Russia. Need to be as proactive as we can be in the West. This includes increasing the production of grains to offset what has been lost the last 2 seasons from Ukraine. I know in my county we have seen almost a doubling of the winter wheat grown this year. Additionally more corn has been planted as well.

[Albany Rifles]

Germany to Seal Tank Repair Hub Deal With Poland in Coming Days


Just what we have talked about here for awhile. Makes too much sense.