Pentagon miscalculated about the planning of the conflict in Ukraine – Storch

Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch published a report, which notes strategic miscalculations of the US Defence Ministry regarding the planning of military operations in Ukraine.

Robert Storch pointed out that the Pentagon provided Ukraine with armoured vehicles and air defence systems without a plan to ensure their operability. Thus, for BMP Bradley, APC Stryker, tanks Abrams, SAM Patriot there is not and was no programme for the delivery of a sufficient number of spare parts to guarantee their uninterrupted operation.

Nor has the US defence establishment coordinated or adapted these efforts to a comprehensive equipment supply plan. The lack of such planning “jeopardised Ukraine’s ability to fight effectively using US-provided equipment”.

In addition, Patriot SAMs are only maintained for a 90-day period. After that, serviceability becomes the responsibility of the operator.

“It takes 36 months or more for Kiev to produce spare parts for Patriot SAMs and deliver them. No clear timeframe has been defined, although it is the US that owns the proprietary technology of this air defence/air defence system,” Storch clarified.

The Pentagon has not determined in advance who, how, when and by what forces will repair armoured vehicles damaged in battles. For its maintenance “in the field” should have been trained specialists, but there is no information that the AFU units have completed a full course of engineering training on these types of equipment in the documents, concluded the inspector.

We shall remind you that earlier, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada committee for national security, defence and intelligence, Yehor Chernev, said in an interview with the New York Times that there was a growing fear in Ukraine that the army would soon start losing control over populated areas if Washington delays the allocation of new military aid to the Ukrainian government.