Ukraine needs help countering Russia’s minefields. This machine is a huge boost.

UKRAINE’S TOP GENERAL SAYS THE WAR WITH RUSSIA IS AT A STAND STILL. VALERY ZALUZHNY SAYS IN ORDER TO WIN, HIS TROOPS NEED MORE ADVANCED WEAPONS SYSTEMS TO OVERCOME THE MILES OF MINEFIELDS CRIPPLING UKRAINE’S COUNTEROFFENSIVE.

SYSTEMS LIKE THE US-MADE M1150 ASSAULT BREACHER VEHICLE. IT SEEMS UKRAINE IS NOW IN POSSESSION OF THE ABV. PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY STOOD IN FRONT OF ONE DURING A RECENT TROOP CELEBRATION. THE US NEVER MADE THE DETAILS OF THE ABV DELIVERY PUBLIC. SO, IT’S NOT CLEAR HOW MANY UKRAINE HAS OR WHEN IT RECEIVED THEM.

WITH THE DELIVERY, THOUGH, UKRAINE IS NOW JUST THE SECOND COUNTRY AFTER THE U.S. TO USE M1150s. THESE MARVELS OF MECHANICAL MASTERY ARE BASED ON THE ABRAMS TANK CHASSIS AND ARE THEREFORE DESIGNED TO MANEUVER WITH ADVANCING ARMORED VEHICLES.

M1150s CAN EITHER OPERATE WITH A TWO-MAN CREW OR REMOTELY.
THE ABV FORGES A PATH THROUGH EXPLOSIVES-LADEN TERRAIN BY FIRST SHOOTING MINE CLEARING LINE CHARGES. THE ROCKET-LAUNCHED LINES TRAVEL AROUND 100-150 METERS BEFORE LANDING AND DETONATING. THE ENSUING BLAST IS MEANT TO SAFELY DISPOSE OF WHATEVER MINES, BOMBS, AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES WERE AROUND. THE ABV WILL THEN MAKE SURE THE PATH IS CLEAR THROUGH SHEER BRUTE FORCE. THE ABV CAN USE TWO DIFFERENT PLOW OPTIONS TO CLEAR GROUND IN FRONT WHILE ALSO MARKING A SAFE PATH FOR FRIENDLY UNITS TO FOLLOW.

M1150s ARE FAIRLY RARE SYSTEMS. EVEN IN THE U.S. MILITARY, THERE ARE FEWER THAN 200 IN SERVICE. SO, IT’S NOTABLE THE U.S. IS WILLING TO PART WITH THESE SYSTEMS. HOWEVER MANY UKRAINE ULTIMATELY HAS OR WILL RECEIVE, THE M1150 MARKS A SIGNIFICANT STEP UP FOR UKRAINE’S MINE CLEARING CAPABILITIES.

HOWEVER, HAVING BETTER EQUIPMENT TO CLEAR THE EXPLOSIVES IS JUST ONE PART OF ZALUZHNY’S PLAN TO BREAK THE STALEMATE. RUSSIA KNOWS UKRAINE NEEDS TO CLEAR THE FIELDS, AND TARGETS UKRAINE’S DEMINING EQUIPMENT FEVERISHLY.

SO, IF THE M1150s ARE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THEY NEED COVER TO OPERATE. SWEDEN SENT SOME SELF-PROPELLED HOWITZERS THAT MAY HELP IN THIS REGARD.

THE SWEDISH MINISTRY OF DEFENSE CONFIRMED THE DELIVERY OF EIGHT ARCHER ARTILLERY SYSTEMS. THE QUIVERS FOR THESE ARCHERS HOLD 21 ROUNDS OF 155 MM PROJECTILES. LIKE OTHER WHEELED OR TRACKED ARTILLERY, THE ARCHER IS DESIGNED TO SHOOT AND SCOOT; IT JUST DOES IT A LITTLE BETTER THAN MOST. FROM A MOVING POSITION, THE ARCHER CAN STOP, FIRE A THREE SHOT VOLLEY, AND THEN MOVE AGAIN IN ABOUT THE TIME IT TAKES TO COOK A GAS STATION BURRITO.

THE ARCHERS ALSO USE A MODULAR CHARGE SYSTEM WHICH ENHANCES A CAPABILITY KNOWN AS MULTIPLE ROUNDS SIMULTANEOUS IMPACT. IT’S EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE: THE ARCHER CAN FIRE NUMEROUS SHOTS AT A TARGET WITH ALL OF THE SHOTS HITTING AT THE SAME TIME.

THE SPEED AND MOBILITY OF THE ARCHERS AND M1150s WILL LIKELY START YIELDING RESULTS ON THE BATTLEFIELD SOON. AS ADVANCED AS BOTH OF THOSE RESPECTIVE SYSTEMS ARE, THOUGH, IT’S LIKELY STILL NOT ENOUGH FOR UKRAINE TO DEFEAT A MUCH LARGER ENEMY IN RUSSIA.

ZALUZHNY SAID HE’S GRATEFUL TO THE WEST FOR ALL THE WEAPONS PROVIDED SO FAR, ACKNOWLEDGING THE WAR WOULD BE LONG OVER HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THOSE DONATIONS. BUT, EVER THE REALIST, UKRAINE’S IRON GENERAL SAYS IF HIS TROOPS DON’T GET MORE ADVANCED WEAPONS, AND IN HIGH-ENOUGH NUMBERS, THEN THE WAR WITH RUSSIA WILL DEVOLVE FURTHER INTO ONE OF ATTRITION. ZALUZHNY SAYS THOSE CONDITIONS WOULD ONLY FAVOR RUSSIA AND PUT THE REST OF THE WORLD AT GREATER RISK.