NATO-trained units will serve as tip of spear in Ukraine’s counteroffensive

The Washington Post ^ | June 4, 2023 | Isabelle Khurshudyan and Kamila Hrabchuk

[Timber Rattler]

When Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive finally begins, the fight will be led by brigades armed not only with Western weapons but also Western know-how, gleaned from months of training aimed at transforming Ukraine’s military into a modern force skilled in NATO’s most advanced warfare tactics.

As other Ukrainian units were fighting to expel the Russian occupiers from the country’s east and south, the brand-new 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade was preparing for the next phase of war from a classroom at a NATO base in Germany.

The brigade’s leadership trained with computers that simulated situations they might face in real life. Deputy commander Maj. Ivan Shalamaha and others planned their assaults and then let the program show them the results — how their Russian enemies might respond, where they could make a breakthrough and where they would suffer losses.

“You understand the overall picture, how it works,” Shalamaha said. “You understand where and what your shortcomings were. And we pay attention to what we failed to do during this simulation.”

Now the war games are over. The 47th brigade and other assault units have been armed with Western weapons, including Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and relocated to a secret location closer to the front line. During a recent visit by Washington Post journalists, the soldiers were waiting for the order to charge ahead to retake a large swath of Ukrainian territory and tip the war back in Kyiv’s favor.

The counteroffensive will be the biggest test yet of the U.S.-led strategy of giving the Ukrainians weapons and training to fight like an American army might — but on their own.

[Justa]

W-80 armed TLAMs to Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania NOW!!!

[Thunder 6]

“The counteroffensive will be the biggest test yet of the U.S.-led strategy of giving the Ukrainians weapons and training to fight like an American army might — but on their own.”

An “American army” doesn’t have 29 year old Brigade Commanders. There is a reason it takes 20 plus years to train a maneuver Brigade Commander.

For that matter it takes years to develop a Bradley Fighting Vehicle Commander: Maintenance, gunnery (TOW II, 25mm cannon, 7.62mm MG’), Maneuver as single vehicle, section/Platoon movement,coordination with supporting arms Tanks, Artillery, Air Support, etc...just off the top of my head.

I’m just a bit skeptical that all these NATO weapons systems and maneuver doctrine that take months/years to master are suddenly going to be executed by 20-something volunteers...

But, they do look cool in their battle rattle.