The Americans are Ready to Re-Equip Ukraine's 82nd Air Assault Brigade for Combat
Key Highlights :
As the Ukrainian military's long-anticipated 2023 counteroffensive continues, the 82nd Air Assault Brigade—a powerful formation of 2,000 personnel with 14 Challenger 2 tanks, 40 Marder tracked infantry fighting vehicles, and 90 Stryker wheeled IFVs—has yet to join the fight. But a recent video of the 82nd's Strykers speeding along a dirt road gives a reminder that the brigade is ready to roll into action at the command of Ukrainian commanders.
The United States is already sending fresh vehicles to replace the brigade's eventual combat losses. The American aid packages of the last few weeks have included an additional 67 Strykers, on top of the 90 wheeled IFVs the Americans originally pledged. This extra equipment could potentially equip a battalion or two in some other brigade, but it's likely the others are an attrition reserve—replacement vehicles to keep the 82nd Brigade in fighting strength once it finally enters combat and starts losing Strykers.
The 14 Challenger 2 tanks, donated by the United Kingdom, are some of the best weapons the Ukrainians have for a direct assault on Russian fortifications. The 71-ton, four-crew tank has thick composite armor, and is equipped with powerful depleted-uranium rounds for its 120-millimeter rifled guns. The 40 Marder IFVs, meanwhile, have sloped frontal armor offering protection equivalent to between 53 and 70 millimeters of steel. They carry three crew and six infantry, and pack a 20-millimeter autocannon and Milan anti-tank missile launcher.
The 16-ton, eight-wheel Stryker is thinly armored compared to the Marder, but it has high speed and good fuel-efficiency—and is easier to maintain than a tracked IFV. This makes it ideal for a swift, deep exploitation of an armored breakthrough.
In a combined-arms assault, armored mineclearing vehicles would roll out first, followed by the Challenger 2s and Marders. The Strykers could race through the gap and into the Russians' lightly-defended rear area. However, a successful armored breach can cost the attacking force a lot of vehicles, as the 37th Marine Brigade and the 33rd and 47th Mechanized Brigades have already discovered.
The United States is taking steps to ensure that the 82nd Brigade is well-prepared for the eventuality of combat losses. The Americans are sending an additional 67 Strykers, so that the 82nd Brigade can be re-equipped and remain in fighting strength once it enters combat. With these extra vehicles, the 82nd Brigade will be ready to take on the Russians and help the Ukrainian military in its counteroffensive.
