News of Ukraine, foreign and Ukrainian weapons of the army of Ukraine

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The Ukrainian army has received a new type of long-range kamikaze drone, the AQ 400 Scythe. The production of drones was established by the Ukrainian company Terminal Autonomy, previously known as the startup One Way Aerospace. It is reported that the drone is designed in such a way that it can be produced without the involvement of skilled workers. The drone body is made of plywood, the developers tried to make it as cheap as possible, but some sources report that the price of the AQ 400 Scythe drone is about 15 thousand dollars. Please note that the drone body follows the outline of Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The drone can be launched from a catapult or from a wheeled chassis using the thrust of its own internal combustion engine. The drone's range is up to 750 kilometers with a warhead weighing 32 kilograms; the AQ 400 can lift up to 70 kilograms of payload by reducing the flight range. The cruising speed is about 140 kilometers per hour. The drone's elemental base is partially imported; the company can produce 100 drones per month, with the prospect of expanding production to 500 units.

 

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An unusual hybrid of the German BMW 740i E38 was noticed in Ukrainian army units; these vehicles were produced in Germany from 1994 to 2001 and the Soviet MLRS BM-21 Grad. By crossing both types of equipment, the result can be said to be a luxury class MLRS.

 

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Ukrainian M1 Abrams tanks have been enhanced with ARAT protection. Ukrainian M1A1SA Abrams tanks, American-made, began to be equipped, presumably, with ARAT (Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles) dynamic protection of the first generation. ARAT dynamic protection was developed in 2004, specifically for the M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams tanks. The BRAT (Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles) dynamic protection system, previously developed for the Bradly infantry fighting vehicle, was taken as the basis. The first generation of ARAT-1 protection consists of modules designated as M19. ERA units are installed on the aprons of the tank hull; there is none in other places. The modules protect the tank from drones, but cannot protect against the Kornet ATGM and other systems.

 

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A new kamikaze drone equipped with a jet engine was tested in Ukraine. At the moment, the drone developers have not provided any technical information about the drone, including even the drone model is unknown. Visually, no cameras are visible on the drone, apparently the drone is aimed at the target only according to predetermined GPS coordinates.

 

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The first footage of the work of Ukrainian women military personnel. The process of firing a mortar is not shown, but in the video you can see how women prepare a position for a mortar. The brand of the mortar and details about what kind of unit it is are not reported.

 

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The Ukrainian army began using British Supacat HMT air defense systems with AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles. These air defense systems were developed in the UK on an urgent basis, based on Supacat HMT (6x6) armored trucks. As air defense, the trucks were equipped with an installation with two AIM-132 aircraft missiles, developed by MBDA in 1998. The air defense system has only two missiles; due to the risk of damaging the missiles, spare missiles were not deployed. The AIM-132 aircraft missile is equipped with an infrared seeker with the ability to track a target before and after launch. It is unknown whether the air defense missile system received the function of additional missile guidance to the target. The missile's flight range during an air launch is presumably up to 50 kilometers, and about 20 kilometers during a ground launch. The missile weighs 88 kg and has a warhead weighing 10 kg. The Supacat HMT air defense system is equipped with an electro-optical detection station extendable on the mast; visually there is no radar on the air defense system. The proposed design is easy to manufacture and low cost, the cost of the AIM-132 missile is about 200,000 pounds sterling

 

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MAGURA maritime drone units are being created in Ukraine. A unit for managing naval drones has been created in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The unit, called Group 13, is reportedly formed from the most experienced maritime drone operators. It is worth noting that air and sea drones are beginning to play an increasingly significant role on the battlefield, and it is time for the armies of the world to create not units, but a separate branch of the military, consisting of drones and operators of various different specializations. There are no details about the Group 13 division; it is known that it uses MAGURA V5 maritime drones from Spetstechnoexport. Drones are reportedly used in operations in large numbers, up to ten at a time.

 

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The Ukrainian Army will receive EFA CEFA self-propelled pontoon bridges made in France. The EFA self-propelled pontoon bridge was developed by Chaudronnerie et Forges d'Alsace and has been in use since 1993. The self-propelled bridge ferry EFA differs from the usual bridge layers that transport pontoon bridges; the EFA can also be used as an amphibious transporter. The single EFA amphibious transporter creates a 34.55 meter long ferry. Two EFA amphibians connected together on a ramp can transport cargo weighing up to 150 tons. In one hour, the EFA amphibian is capable of covering about 10 water crossings with a length of 100 meters. The self-propelled bridge ferry EFA has a 4-person crew and is used by France and the United Arab Emirates.

 

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The Ukrainian army began to actively use the American M1A1SA Abrams tank, and videos of them began to appear more and more often. One of the M1A1 Abrams tanks was spotted on the streets of Berdychi, in the Avdiivka direction; the footage was taken by an unknown UAV. As you can see in the video, the M1A1SA Abrams tank is not equipped with additional protection against drones, but it is equipped with ARAT dynamic protection, which we previously talked about. The tank moved through the streets of Berdych i alone without escort. According to the latest data, the tank was destroyed by a FPV drone and a grenade launcher.

 

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The Ukrainian army began to record the appearance of UFOs over the territory of Ukraine, so far 2 cases of UFO appearances have been recorded. In the first case, a large disc-shaped object is visible in the video, the filming was made by the 406th battalion, the recording was made by a Mavic 3T drone, a DJI representative could not explain this footage. It is reported that air defense did not work against these objects. This video can be attributed to interference, but soldiers observing UFOs do not consider it interference.

 

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Footage of a Ukrainian robotic platform designed for laying TM-62 anti-tank mines. In the video, a homemade ground drone creates a mine barrier; technical specifications were not disclosed.

 

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Ukraine will receive BTR-50P, BTR-60 and BRDM-2 from Bulgaria. Since the 1980s, armored personnel carriers have been stored in the warehouses of the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs; the transfer of equipment was delayed due to a lack of funding for transportation. The first train of 30 cars with BTR-60 has already been sent to Ukraine; in total, it is planned to transfer about 110 combat vehicles. Briefly about the technology, the BTR-50P was put into service in 1954, the BTR-60 was put into service in 1959 and the BRDM-2 was put into service in 1962. It is worth noting that the modernized BRDM-2MS reconnaissance and patrol vehicles are now used by the Russian army

 

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Ukraine trains F-16 pilots in Denmark. Belgium has provided 50 instructors and two F-16 training aircraft to train Ukrainian Air Force pilots at Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark. The training follows a shortened program and takes six months instead of the required several years; the first pilots will be ready in May. According to one Belgian pilot, the main problems in training are lack of knowledge of English and different measurement systems. The number of Ukrainian pilots being trained is not disclosed, and the press is also not allowed to see them.
It is assumed that Ukraine will be able to cover its skies with F-16 aircraft; the possibility of doing this is small, according to Western experts. The fact is that the F-16, like the Mig-29 of Ukraine, is a fourth-generation aircraft, they do not have stealth technologies and are clearly visible by air defense and more modern fighters. At the moment, F-16s have not been transferred to Ukraine and their exact number has not been reported. Denmark currently has 33 F-16AM aircraft and 10 two-seat F-16BM combat trainers, while the Netherlands has 29 F-16AM aircraft.

 

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The mechanic-driver of the Ukrainian self-propelled gun AHS Krab, made in Poland, showed his workplace. Previously, Poland transferred 54 AHS Krab self-propelled guns to the Ukrainian army. 155mm AHS Krab. The AHS Krab self-propelled gun was adopted by Poland in 2010 and is assembled from components from different countries. The self-propelled guns use German diesel engines, American Allison Transmission gearboxes, and a turret from the British AS-90M self-propelled gun manufactured under license in Poland. The self-propelled gun chassis is produced under license on the basis of the chassis of the South Korean K9 Thunder howitzer. The firing range of the AHS Krab self-propelled gun is up to 40 kilometers, the average speed is 30 km/h.

 

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The command of the Ukrainian Army published video footage of the construction of defensive structures. The progress of the construction of fortifications is personally controlled by the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. The construction of the defense line is taking place in the Chernigov, Sumy and Kharkov regions. According to experts, the Ukrainian line of defense is vaguely similar to the Russian line of defense of Surovikin. One of the Ukrainian military engineers said that first they lay the so-called “dragon teeth”, then coils of wire, and then mines, if necessary. He also stated that these fortifications should have been built much earlier, in the spring, since their construction takes too much time.

 

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Russian military personnel inspected the landed Ukrainian UAV RQ-20 Puma of American production. The RQ-20 Puma UAV was developed by AeroVironment based on the FQM-151 Pointer UAV in 2007. The RQ-20 UAV is hand-launched and is designed for patrol, reconnaissance and fire support adjustments. The drone's bi-axis, gyro-stabilized multi-sensor system combines conventional and thermal imaging cameras. Each of them has 6x magnification. The system allows you to detect the enemy day and night. The drone has a waterproof body and can be equipped with solar panels; with them, the drone can fly for up to 9 hours, without them for up to 3.5 hours. The design of the drone is interesting; when it hits the ground, it falls apart in strictly defined places, making it easy to assemble and repair in the field. With a wingspan of 2.8 meters and a length of 1.4 meters, the maximum take-off weight of the UAV does not exceed 5.9 kg. The RQ-20 UAV reaches speeds of up to 83 km/h with a range of up to 15 kilometers, at an altitude of up to 15 meters. The expected cost of the RQ-20 Puma UAV is 250 thousand dollars or 23 million rubles. The UAV will be sent for examination by specialists.

 

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Ukrainian mechanics have mastered the repair of US M777 howitzers. Repair units of the Ukrainian army have mastered the repair of individual components of American 155-mm towed howitzers M777. Despite the fact that Ukrainian companies do not have permission, in accordance with American export laws, to repair the barrels of American M777 howitzers, they are partially doing so. According to General of the Ukrainian Army Karpenko, after each “artillery contact” almost a third of the guns fail due to shrapnel and have to be repaired. Due to the lack of spare parts, mechanics have to assemble one howitzer from several and use civilian components, converting them into howitzers. For example, a pipe from one of the excavators was converted and installed on a howitzer. According to mechanics, some howitzers have already returned 3-4 times for repairs. The American 155 mm howitzer has been in production since 2005, it is a British designed howitzer, but final assembly is carried out in the USA. The firing range of a conventional projectile is 25 km, the active-reactive M982 Excalibur is about 40 kilometers, but they are already running out.