Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, France has been communicating more and more about its arms deliveries to Ukrainians. Here are the armaments officially sent to the troops of Volodymyr Zelensky.
France has made 14 deliveries to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. The state still refuses to deliver Leclerc tanks to Zelenski’s troops but draws a large majority of the supplies sent from its own stock.
Information is often given in dribs and drabs because some equipment is classified as a defense secret. Emmanuel Macron also wanted to position itself as a mediator at the start of the conflict, which explained Paris’s reluctance to assume its deliveries.
From now on, each Western tour of Volodymyr Zelenski brings the Elysée to communicate on the subject. On May 15, the French head of state declared that he had “opened the door to train (Ukrainian) pilots now” but that a delivery of fighter planes “would be a theoretical debate”.
Individual fighter equipment is difficult to estimate because most stocks are classified (helmets, bulletproof vests, night vision binoculars, combat rations, NBC uniforms, medical equipment, ammunition of all calibers, fuel and HDP-2A2 anti-tank mines ) .
Here is the detail of the military equipment provided by France to Ukraine:
Anti-aircraft systems with a commitment to renew stocks, including:
- two unit rocket launchers (LRU). Its 70 kilometers of strike perimeter make it possible to target the rear of the Russian troops. These weapons come from the 1st artillery regiment of Bourogne.
- 2 Crotale anti-aircraft defense systems. This model is superior to the Mistral thanks to a radar and a firing computer. France has not communicated on the number of Rattlesnakes sent to Ukraine.
- 1 Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar to come. A contract was signed with Thalès on February 2. A medium-range device that can detect enemy aircraft at 250 km. It also provides protection against rockets and artillery fire.
- A hundred Mistrals. These anti-aircraft missiles are designed for very short range (over a distance of 6000 meters on the ground and up to 3000 meters in altitude). France provides it indirectly: it authorized Norway to deliver to the Ukrainians these missiles that the Nordic country had bought some thirty years ago.
- A Mamba SAMP-T system provided jointly by France and Italy. This system can destroy cruise or ballistic missiles, attack fighter jets and drones thanks to the supersonic speed of these Aster-30 missiles. Its radius is 100 kilometers at an altitude of 20 kilometers.
Artillery :
- 36 Caesar guns. The Ukrainian troops appreciate the modality of this weapon installed on a truck which can move at 80km/h. The gunners can therefore quickly change position to avoid any retaliation.
- 15 TRF1 of 155mm. This towed gun can fire 6 shells per minute over 24 kilometers. He must then move at 10 km/h to change position.
- 24 Milan anti-tank missiles. This weapon can fire at night thanks to an infrared system up to 2500 meters and with a semi-automatic guidance system.
- About twenty AMX10-RC battle tanks: this armored vehicle is classified as a light amphibious. It is equipped with a 150mm cannon and 7.62mm machine guns with a storage capacity of 38 shells. Its design is above all made for reconnaissance and intelligence missions. France is gradually supplying Ukraine with them as orders for Jaguar, a more recent model, fill the French barracks.
- 60 forward armored VAB and transport vehicles: the French land vehicle par excellence. This model present in the army since 1976 is used to transport troops in the hottest areas. It can be equipped with a machine gun, a cannon or a missile launcher system.
- 20 Bastion vehicles: designed in Limoges, this 12.5 ton tank can move 10 soldiers. It is equipped with a machine gun turret.
France accused of not sending enough military equipment
Since the beginning of the conflict, France is the 9th country in terms of assistance to Ukraine according to Kiel Institute. France, by compiling armaments, humanitarian and financial resources has committed 1.74 billion euros. This is much less than European powers like Germany (7.37 billion) and Great Britain (9.83) but also, more surprisingly, than Norway (2.35) and the Netherlands (3 ,94).
His countries are therefore wondering about France’s will in this conflict. To questions from the BBC on October 3, 2022, the Ministry of the Armed Forces argued that the French equipment provided was more focused on its quality than its quantity. For France, some contributing countries deliver obsolete equipment to look good.
The army is also reluctant to give too much, as this would weaken national stocks. Auditioned atNational Assembly on July 20, 2022, General and Chief of Staff of the Army Pierre Schill declared: “If (materials) are sent to Ukraine, it is a military capability that is amputated, the right balance would be to not to give away too much of our equipment.”
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