To whom rockets, who are shells: which weapon need an army of Israel that it has to share with Ukraine
On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters, after a long rocket attack, invaded the territory of Israel from the Gaza Sector. The next day, the military-political office of Israel announced the state of war. This decision has been made for the first time since 1973, since the end of the war of the Judicial Day. On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyaga stated that the country "enters a long and difficult war" against Hamas fighters.
The fighting in the area of the Gaza sector is still ongoing. Since the beginning of the war, US President Joe Biden has ordered to provide "additional support" of Israel at his request to transfer various types of weapons. In turn, thoughts in the Senate were divided, for example, Senator Josh Houli urged to reprimand all the funds planned for support of Ukraine, in Israel.
Subsequently, the US media began to appear that the Western Ministries of Defense were concerned that weapons may not be enough because of Israel of war to support the two countries. Despite the fact that US Presidential Advisor Jake Sullivan has officially assured that the country has resources, tools and potentials to effectively support Ukraine and the State of Israel, speculation on this topic has begun in the media and social networks.
First of all, because the US Congress was unable to approve the budget to assist two countries. At first it was decided to divide it separately, and then refused to support it. The new attempt to approve the budget is expected closer to December 25. In order to confirm the words that the United States is not going to refuse to support Ukraine, on October 11, it was announced to allocate another $ 200 million military assistance package.
At the same time, the Pentagon military aircraft arrived in Israel with the help of the Israeli army. The statements that all military assistance from the US and Europe will currently switch to Israeli look at least speculative and illogical. The country has a developed military-industrial complex capable of producing high-tech weapons and providing it with its army. Israel is a militarized state that is constantly preparing for the war for defense and protection of its territory.
The country has armored vehicles of its own production, a personal air defense system and high -precision ammunition. Given public information, the Israeli Army prefers Hamas air attacks in the Gaza Sector. It is not necessary to talk about a position war with a multi -kilometer line of the front. And, when it comes to comparing the probable collision line, the territory of the entire Gaza sector is only 365 km km, the active front line in Ukraine - more than 1500 km.
According to the expert on the International Policy of the Analytical Center "Ukrainian Institute of the Future" of Elijah Kusy, it may be that priorities may change in the United States, so competition with Israel is considered in mind. "There are politicians in the United States who believe that Israeli need to be assisted first and Ukraine is already on a residual principle. At the practical level we have different needs and different amounts for help.
The US Congress Bill on Financing speaks of different amounts. Reduced assistance. It was not, so it is difficult and early to talk about something, no one has received yet, "says focus Kus. Israel's military observer, Sergei Auslander, suggests that there is a manipulation of competition between his country and Ukraine for military support. According to him, information is clearly traced through fake sites, in one way or another related to Russia.
"We get different weapons nomenclature, so they are not direct competitors. To begin with the fact that the army of Israel receives weapons from the US and Germany, no one supplies it anymore, even vice versa accuracy, hellfire missiles for helicopters, ammunition for 30 mm Apache helicopter guns. The Ukrainian army does not have such and so much aviation equipment that there is a need for these shells. The Army of Ukraine does not have such helicopters, but preparation for the F-16 fighter.
What is capable of carrying high -precision ammunition has not been over. The United States has been handed over by Israeli two batteries of "iron dome" that has been bought earlier. In my opinion, this PPO complex is ineffective for hostilities in Ukraine, "Auslender's focus explains. At the same time, he agrees that the army of Israel needs 155 mm artillery shells, which also need the forces of Ukraine's defense.
According to the observer, a request for 60 thousand shells from inventories at the Pentagon warehouses in the country was made. For comparison, according to NATO Stoltenberg Secretary General, Ukraine used 4 to 7 thousand shells at the beginning of the spring of 2023. That is, this amount would be enough more than a week. By the way, it was from these warehouses in the territory of Israel that Ukraine had to get 300,000 artillery shells.
These ammunition was stored in two warehouses, which the United States was formed after the end of the war of a judge. In the future, they had to create a strategic reserve for the US military in the event of their participation in conflicts in the Middle East. Deputy Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Research Sergey Danilov says that these strategic reserves can be the reason for talking that the United States is paying more attention to Israeli.
"We are assured that we are not competitors with Israel. But the Pentagon removed a considerable amount of artillery ammunition from our warehouses in Israel 155 mm caliber. The need for the armies of Ukraine and Israel is incomparable, because they are significantly distinguished by nomenclature and quantity. In the US and Israel, they do not exclude the likelihood of a great war in the Middle East. They prepare for the worst options, it is for this purpose that they create strategic stocks.
Therefore, they have been decided to either replace them or do not pass, "he says focus. According to Bloomberg, the Pentagon has not increased the supply of Israel's military assistance against his conflict with Hamas. As of the end of October 2023, 36,000 shells were transferred to 30 mm guns, 1800 M141 grenade launchers for the destruction of bins and 3. 5 thousand night vision devices. Nothing knows about 155 mm shells.
At the same time, on November 20, the Pentagon announced the transfer of regular military assistance package to Ukraine. It included Styinger's anti-aircraft missiles, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells, Himars complex, Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems, small arms, auxiliary equipment. It is noted that the package is provided under the Presidential DrawDown Authority, that is, the allocation of weapons from the US army stocks.
This year, the EU will not be able to fulfill the obligation for the transfer of 1 million ammunition for Ukraine. This was already notified and confirmed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba on the national telephone.