The Weapons Ukraine Needs Now to Turn the Tide Against Russia

Key Points – To turn the tide in its war of attrition against Russia, Ukraine requires an influx of specific Western military hardware.

-Key among these are advanced drones, particularly jam-resistant fiber optic First-Person View (FPV) models for reconnaissance and attack, of which there are critical shortages.

-Robust air defenses, including Patriot systems and air-to-air missiles (AIM-7, AIM-9, AIM-120) for its F-16s, are vital against Russian aerial assaults.

-Additionally, more long-range precision strike capabilities like HIMARS/ATACMS ammunition and JASSM cruise missiles, alongside essential supplies like Javelins, artillery shells, armored vehicles, and basic infantry equipment, are crucial for Ukraine’s continued resistance.

Beyond F-16s: Drones, Air Defense & Missiles Key to Ukraine’s Fight

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has grown into a war of attrition. Russia is losing thousands of troops each week for a gain of a few yards of Ukrainian territory.

US military aid to the Ukrainian defense has been greater than that of all other nations combined, although Europe has been steadily increasing its support. But Ukraine needs even more support if it is to continue its war against Russia.

While the political decisions that go into any sort of aid ultimately drive it, this doesn’t consider that. This piece examines the military hardware that Ukrainian defenses currently require to counter Russia’s advances.

Here is a list of what weapons, if supplied by the US, could turn the tide of the war in Ukraine’s favor.

Drones, Especially FPV Fiber Optic Ones

The war has turned into the first major drone war, and advancements have been made on both sides that keep the enemy off balance. Russia was the first to utilize first-person-view (FPV) fiber-optic drones. The Ukrainians quickly followed suit. These are invaluable for battlefield reconnaissance.

And the fiber-optic drones are nearly impervious to jamming. However, due to the popularity of fiber optics, finding them on the open market has resulted in critical shortages of drones.

Fiber optic drones are controlled by wire-thin cables linked to operators. Crucially, this makes them immune to the jamming systems that have become near-ubiquitous in the Russian and Ukrainian armies due to the rapid evolution of drone warfare.

Thanks to their data-transporting cables, fiber optic drones benefit from improved video quality and can also operate at lower altitudes than their wireless counterparts. However, it is their invulnerability to electronic jamming that makes them a potentially game-changing weapon.

However, the wires can get caught in trees and can be cut by another drone. Despite this, these drones are currently at the forefront.  In a recent report, the BBC called these drones “the terrifying new weapon changing the war in Ukraine.”

Ukraine was reportedly producing 200,000 FPV drones per month by the beginning of this year. They are inexpensive to manufacture and capable of destroying tanks and other military equipment worth millions of dollars.

Air Defenses

We recently watched as Russia hit Ukraine with an attack of more than 367 drones and missiles. While Europe produces some excellent air defense weapons, the US-made AIM-7, AIM-9, and AIM-120 are also excellent air defense systems that will complement the US F-16s sold to Ukraine.

NATO promised Ukraine Patriot Missiles last year, and nearly all have been delivered. The Patriot air defense system is considered the gold standard of ground-based air defense, credited with intercepting Russia’s array of next-generation weapons, including hypersonic missiles fired at Ukraine.

The Patriot missiles are expensive, however, with each one costing approximately $3 million. Hand-held Stinger missiles have also been effective.

Missiles and Artillery

Ukraine has received M777 howitzers with a range of 25 miles, HIMARS multiple rocket launch systems with a range of 50 miles, and ATACMS ballistic missiles with a range of 190 miles.

Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, a type of air-launched cruise missile, and a communications system known as the Link 16.

The FGM-148 Javelin is a US-made, man-portable anti-tank missile system known for its fire-and-forget capability and top-attack trajectory. It uses infrared guidance to target and destroy armored vehicles, including those with explosive reactive armor (ERA). The Javelin is designed for single-soldier use and can also be integrated onto various platforms, according to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

The Ukrainians, of course, still need basic military equipment. Trucks, armored vehicles, small arms, massive amounts of ammunition, mortars, medical kits, and body armor, among others, are in short supply.

War of Attrition “Truths”

In a war of attrition, I think of the “SOF Truths,” of which #1 and #2 are very apt.

“People Are More Important Than Hardware”: People—not equipment—make the critical difference. The right people, highly trained and working together as a team, will accomplish the mission with the available equipment. On the other hand, the best equipment in the world cannot compensate for a lack of the right people.

“Quality is better than quantity”: A small number of people, carefully selected, well-trained, and well-led, are preferable to larger numbers of troops, some of whom may not be up to the task. This is especially true right now, with the conscripts that Russia is throwing into the battle, who are half-trained and poorly equipped.

The Trump administration wants to end the war as quickly as possible. Still, if Putin and Russia continue their present path, they are not interested in peace but in the elimination of Ukraine.

More of these weapons will help.

About the Author

Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.

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