{"id":32120,"date":"2022-09-28T22:02:19","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T22:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/09\/28\/with-a-mix-of-donated-weapons-ukraines-defenders-adapt-in-war\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T20:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:51:08","slug":"with-a-mix-of-donated-weapons-ukraines-defenders-adapt-in-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2022\/09\/28\/with-a-mix-of-donated-weapons-ukraines-defenders-adapt-in-war\/","title":{"rendered":"With a mix of donated weapons, Ukraine\u2019s defenders adapt in war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Following Kyiv\u2019s successful counteroffensive against Russia\u2019s invading forces, U.S. defense officials say Ukrainians have found new ways to use a patchwork of donated weaponry more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The war has edged closer to a stalemate as it passes the seven-month mark. Faced with recent battlefield setbacks for his forces in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has tried to raise the stakes by threatening to use the nuclear arsenal and calling up military reservists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed Monday that the Ukrainian military will take back its \u201centire territory,\u201d and has drawn up plans to counter \u201cnew types of weapons\u201d used by Russia. He decried the Russian mobilization as nothing more than \u201can attempt to provide commanders on the ground with a constant stream of cannon fodder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/photo-galleries\/2022\/03\/06\/ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the mobilization, observers say Putin likely aims to stabilize his defensive lines and protract the conflict beyond 2023. Because Russia could assemble new formations by February, there\u2019s a \u201cneed to reinforce success now by continuing to expand training and equipping of Ukrainian troops,\u201d Jack Watling of the U.K.-based think tank Royal United Services Institute recently argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comments come amid U.S. military assessments that Ukrainian forces have used a combined arms approach to great success. Gen. James Hecker, the head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, told reporters Sept. 19 that Russia had lost more than 60 fighter jets in the war so far, nearly all of which were taken out by the Russian-made air defenses that Ukraine uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. believes one Russian aircraft crashed upon takeoff because of shoddy maintenance, and that another was shot down. Others were hit while sitting on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hecker estimated that less than 20% of Ukrainian fighters have been destroyed, but did not provide more specifics about the size of the fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because neither side has established clear control of the skies, \u201cthey now stay away from one another and it ends up being a ground war,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2022\/09\/27\/inside-a-liberated-ukrainian-city-and-how-nato-tactics-helped-free-it\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22266568169765.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Inside a liberated Ukrainian city, and how NATO tactics helped free it<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Before NATO countries began training Ukrainians, officers would shout orders and cared more about rank than results.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In lieu of supplying longer-range weapons and advanced American fighter jets, the U.S. is focusing on other kinds of support as the conflict enters a new phase. Russia\u2019s Foreign Ministry <a href=\"https:\/\/ria.ru\/20220915\/ssha-1816979852.html\">said<\/a> earlier this month that supplying longer-range weapons would cross a \u201cred line,\u201d and make the U.S. a party to the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPut yourself in the position of the Secretary General of NATO or President Biden: You\u2019re trying not to make this bigger than what it is right now,\u201d Hecker said. \u201cThat\u2019s a very difficult tightrope to walk down, to make sure that Ukraine has what they need to survive and fight and try to protect their sovereign country, without turning this into World War III.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense contractors are toeing that line by equipping Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft with anti-radar missiles designed for more capable Western jets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It typically takes the U.S. military a year or two to integrate new weapons onto a jet for the first time. In Ukraine\u2019s case, the process took just a couple of months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you take a Western HARM anti-radiation missile that\u2019s designed for F-16s &#8230; to put them on an Eastern Bloc MiG-29 or Su-27 is no easy feat,\u201d Hecker said. \u201cIs it as integrated as it is on an F-16? Of course not. So it doesn\u2019t have all the capabilities that it would on an F-16. But we\u2019re able to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2022\/09\/21\/use-us-for-combat-zone-tests-ukraine-minister-tells-us-war-industry\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"205\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1242753646.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Use us for combat zone tests, Ukraine minister tells US war industry<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Ukraine&#039;s deputy defense minister suggested anti-tank systems with a 6-kilometer range or suicide drones as options his military could use.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HARM missiles can pick up on anti-aircraft radar signatures to home in and destroy those systems. Introducing those weapons into the fight has forced Russian troops to temporarily turn off the radars altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you get them to shut down their radars, then they can\u2019t shoot down aircraft,\u201d Hecker said. \u201cEven though you don\u2019t get a kinetic kill [of a radar], you get a kill by having them shut down. Then you get localized air superiority for a period of time, where you can do what you need to do, and then you leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s one example of how combat tactics are evolving as the war carries on. Ukrainians and Russians alike have started moving their surface-to-air missiles every six to 12 hours, Hecker noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HARMs have given Ukrainian forces the ability to fly more close air support missions against moving targets inside Russian-held territory, either by destroying enemy anti-aircraft systems or during that brief pause while the radars are off, Hecker said. That approach can keep pilots safer as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To hit faraway static targets, the Ukrainians prefer using U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems over sending in aircraft that could be shot down. Ukrainian forces have wielded HIMARS against Russian supply depots and artillery.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2022\/08\/31\/why-washington-should-provide-atacms-weapons-to-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7161494.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Why Washington should provide ATACMS weapons to Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The ATACMS can help Ukraine defeat the invasion while avoiding direct conflict between Russia and NATO.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HIMARS has become iconic in the fight against Russia, but the weapons aren\u2019t effective without spotters to identify enemy targets, according to Mark Cancian, a senior international security adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt fires \u2026 so far beyond what front-line forward observers can see,\u201d Cancian said of HIMARS. \u201cIt needs drones, which we\u2019ve provided. It needs counter-artillery radar, which we\u2019ve provided, and also overhead surveillance, which we are also likely providing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Cancian argues that HIMARS isn\u2019t the silver bullet it\u2019s made out to be. Instead, he credits cannon artillery as \u201cthe main killer on the battlefield.\u201d The U.S. has provided Ukraine with hundreds of conventional artillery guns and hundreds of thousands of rounds for them to fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cArtillery can fire at long ranges, it can fire a lot [and] it can inflict a lot of damage, particularly as armies become locked in positional combat,\u201d Cancian said. \u201cWhen they\u2019re moving, it\u2019s harder for the artillery to catch up. But when the front line stabilizes, as it\u2019s done in the last four months, artillery really comes into its own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At first, Ukraine was shelling the Russians with 155 mm howitzer rounds that aren\u2019t as accurate as HIMARS, Hecker said. That system\u2019s arrival has offered much better targeting capabilities, so Ukrainian troops can more effectively act on the coordinates passed on by the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/09\/25\/veterans-captured-fighting-in-ukraine-return-home-to-alabama\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22267704879738.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Veterans captured fighting in Ukraine return home to Alabama<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh arrived home to Alabama on Saturday, greeted by hugs, cheers and tears of joy at the state\u2019s main airport.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Russian forces have adapted and learned to keep its forces on the move, Hecker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were able to take out their command-and-control command posts, and some of their weapons storage areas. It was a lot easier,\u201d Hecker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. and NATO officials are betting that the intelligence supplied to Ukrainian troops will continue to strengthen their hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Western officials haven\u2019t publicly acknowledged the full extent of that aid, the New York Times reported that the U.S. has provided Ukraine with information on command posts, ammunition depots and other key Russian nodes. Such real-time intelligence has reportedly allowed the Ukrainians to target Russian forces, kill senior generals and force ammunition supplies to be moved farther from the Russian front lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the beginning of the war, the U.S. would alert Ukraine whenever cruise missiles were incoming, according to Hecker. Alarms would sound nationwide and Ukrainians would hunker down wherever they could find protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cObviously, this happened a lot, so they weren\u2019t able to fight the war,\u201d he said. \u201cAs we matured through this, we could give them a better idea of where it might be going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2022\/09\/22\/us-weapons-partisans-played-role-in-ukraines-successful-offensive\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chechen-tank.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US weapons, partisans played role in Ukraine\u2019s successful offensive<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">One officer described how his men laid the groundwork for victory by slipping deep into Russian-held territory in the months leading up to the assault.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That progressed to updating Ukraine on the location of Russian equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe would not say, \u2018Here\u2019s the target for this, go target these things.\u2019 We would just give them the intelligence. Let them decide if they wanted to target it,\u201d Hecker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe whole counteroffensive was their idea \u2026 where it was going to occur and when it was going to occur,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adding to that intel-sharing enterprise, Air Force Special Operations Command has started creating teams within each wing that combine more traditional ground warfare with those of intelligence, cyber, space and information ops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat synergy can take place \u2026 at a tactical level, solving problems that are much more locally focused,\u201d AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Jim Slife said Sept. 7. \u201cOur first one of those is being established in [Europe] right now. Some of the initial challenges that they\u2019re working on, inside that part of the world \u2014 really, some pretty impressive work coming out of that organization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air Combat Command boss Gen. Mark Kelly called the work of Air Force cyber and intelligence units in Europe \u201ctheir finest moment.\u201d The service did not provide more details on their missions by press time Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/09\/08\/us-unveils-2b-in-military-aid-for-europe-arms-for-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"209\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22251326864081.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US unveils $2B in military aid for Europe, arms for Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">New aid includes loans for Ukraine and 18 countries to buy arms.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the meantime, Ukraine continues to press its Western backers for munitions that can fly farther and target more precisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, it appears the U.S. and NATO will stick to its rule of withholding weaponry that offers longer range than 50 miles, or 80 kilometers, Hecker said. The allies continue to provide firepower on the condition that Ukraine doesn\u2019t use those munitions to target Russian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMost of what\u2019s been happening so far has been about immediate needs, and about the fights that they\u2019re engaged in right now and what can be done relatively quickly to help them,\u201d Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Sept. 19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no plan to quickly provide fighter jets to Ukraine, Kendall said. When it comes to rebuilding the country\u2019s future force in the long term, though, the U.S. will look at how it could contribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon is now focused on building an allied force of air, land and sea assets that connect with those of NATO countries. It\u2019s unclear whether it would take the same approach with Ukraine, which has not been accepted into the transatlantic military alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are options that we\u2019ll consider based on their needs, and we\u2019ll have those conversations at the right time,\u201d Kendall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That time may not come soon, as challenging winter weather looms and Ukraine digs in for the long haul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kendall said Russian troops are \u201csuffering some setbacks\u201d but \u201cshow no signs of fundamental change\u201d amid this month\u2019s counteroffensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like COVID, right? We all thought it was going to be done in a couple of months, and here we are,\u201d Hecker added. \u201cI think we\u2019re probably looking at years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gen. James Hecker, the head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, told reporters Sept. 19 that Russia has lost more than 60 fighter jets in the war so far.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":71448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,36,19],"tags":[8628],"coauthors":[3484,3446],"class_list":["post-32120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-pentagon","tag-ukraine"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"QOEI2WM46BDZXG7UZXDP5XMIF4","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2022\/09\/28\/with-a-mix-of-donated-weapons-ukraines-defenders-adapt-in-war\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>With a mix of donated weapons, Ukraine\u2019s defenders adapt in war - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gen. 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