In order for Ukraine to win the war, a Polish General made an essential weapons list
Abrams tanks during transport - illustrative photo
General Leon Komornicki, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces and President of the Foundation for the Fallen and Murdered in the East, highlights the types of weapons Ukraine needs to win the war. Without this equipment, the Ukrainian army will not defeat Russia in the next five years.
The West continuously supports Ukraine in terms of its defensive and offensive capabilities. Over the past few weeks alone, support has been announced in the form of over 1 million artillery shells sent to the front line from the Czech Republic. Countries like Spain, which recently delivered Leopard 2A4 tanks, also dispatch additional combat equipment.
It is also significant that the USA prioritised Ukraine supplying ammunition for Patriot systems and F-16 fighters (AIM-120 AMRAAM). Analysts believe this means that Ukraine will receive at least 1,500 advanced missiles for these vital systems – the Patriots – and F-16 jets from the USA within the next 16 months.
However, even Western support may be insufficient, and Ukraine will not win the war against Russia within the next five years without the proper weapons. General Leon Komornicki notes that Kyiv can resist the Russian Federation and defeat the aggressor only if equipment supplies are increased.
The weapons Ukrainians need
Komornicki details the weapons the Ukrainian armed forces need to win the conflict with the Russian Federation. According to the Polish General, the most important are "hundreds of HIMARS rocket systems and long-range ATACMS missiles". But that's not all. Komornicki lists many more pieces of equipment needed by the Ukrainians, including:
- more than 150 F-16 aircraft or equivalents equipped with hundreds of JASSM missiles;
- more than a thousand long-range kamikaze drones;
- 3 million artillery shells (155mm);
- 25 Patriot batteries;
- 500 tanks;
- 3,000 infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers;
- 1,200 artillery systems (155mm).
The General from Poland does not specify the exact types of tanks, artillery, and infantry fighting vehicles Ukraine needs. By name, he mainly mentions the valuable F-16 fighters and Patriot complexes. This is not the first time an expert discussing F-16s has pointed out the number of aircraft Ukrainians need. Analysts have often emphasised that at least 120 American fighters should be delivered to Kyiv.
Remember that F-16s can accelerate to approximately Mach 2 (about 2,500 km/h) and carry weaponry on nine hardpoints. They are also highly manoeuvrable, significantly increasing pilots' survivability.
On the other hand, the Patriot systems, which Komornicki also pointed out as necessary to send to the front, are designed to counter any air threat. They can eliminate helicopters, planes, drones, and ballistic and cruise missiles. A missile launched from a Patriot launcher reaches an altitude of 25 km and a distance of 160 km. It accelerates to a speed of Mach 5, which is about 6,000 km/h.
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