Pentagon budget realignment files are a magnificent source of info about what the US military is up to, what classified programs US Special Operations Command runs in Ukraine, and what equipment has been sent to Ukraine.
Let's dive in - a thread 🧵: 1/n
These Pentagon papers include all items the Pentagon ordered to replace equipment sent to Ukraine up to 12 August 2022.
I.e the Pentagon ordered:
• $1,381,308,000 of Javelins and $73,123,000 of Javelin Command Launch Units (CLU) to replace the Javs sent to Ukraine. 2/n
• $808,811,000 of Stingers. Interestingly $505,054,000 worth of the Stingers are for the Marine Corps, which hasn't ordered Stingers since 2005.
• $31,136,000 M777 howitzer spare parts have been ordered to replace the spares sent by the Marines to Ukraine 3/n
Speaking of M777 howitzers:
• $237,188,000 of M795 projectiles have been ordered and $92,108,000 of M982 Excalibur projectiles
• $396,944,000 are being spent on M232A1 propelling charges, various fuzes, and M82 primers
• $1,698,000 for EPIAFS fuze setters to set Excaliburs 4/n
Even more interesting - the Pentagon spends:
• $10,000,000 to increase 155mm ammo production at the existing plant
• $200,000,000 for a new M795 metal parts plant
• $30,000,000 for a new M795 load, assemble and pack plant
• $265,850,000 for a new propelling charges plant
5/n
• $33,000,000 to increase M739A1 fuze production
• $7,000,000 to increase M82 primer production
• $8,000,000 for 155mm production line spare parts
• $30,000,000 for a dedicated XM1113 and XM1210 production line to speed up introduction of these new projectiles
6/n
Staying with artillery:
• $298,000,000 for counter battery radars (and $53,000,000 for AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air-defense radars)
To replace M777 howitzer towing trucks and ammo transporting trucks the Pentagon ordered:
• $74,267,000 worth of FMTV
• $13,361,000 worth of FHTV 7/n
Now let's have a look at everyone's favorite American icon - the M142 HIMARS. The Pentagon ordered $399,913,000 worth of M142 HIMARS launchers. That's at least 100 launchers... but in the Pentagon papers one can find a hint that the Army is replacing its M777 with M142. 8/n
Until 12 August the Pentagon ordered $139,599,000 of GMLRS rockets. According to these Pentagon papers M31A2 rockets cost $774,750 per pod of six... so we can assume (with a margin of error) that Ukraine received around 180 pods with 1,080 rockets in July. 9/n
And the Pentagon is also increasing M142 and GMLRS production:
• $77,000,000 to procure long lead items for GMLRS
• $44,000,000 to shorten GMLRS production times
• $71,500,000 to increase M142 HIMARS production
10/n
Other interesting info in the ammo section:
• $30,913,000 for 7.62mm machine gun ammo
• $74,750,000 for .50 machine gun ammo
• $72,415,000 for 40mm grenades for Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers ($12,094,000) and M320A1 grenade launchers ($5,268,000) 11/n
• $26,832,000 for AT-4 anti-tank rockets
• $19,115,000 for M72 LAW
• $47,323,000 for a non defined "shoulder launched munition" (I have no clue what that could be)
The ammo section has just small amounts for hand grenades ($3,618,000) and mines ($1,635,000) - either the
12/n
US Army has enough of these or Europeans deliver most of the stuff here.
Mortar ammo orders are also rather small:
• $11,204,000 for 60mm ammo
• $11,308,000 for 81mm ammo
But a lot of body armor, helmets etc. have been ordered: $321,068,000
13/n
Other interesting stuff:
• $867,020,000 for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) to free up M113 for Ukraine
• $77,508,000 to replace "small, medium, and large assault craft" for the US Navy
But now comes the REALLY juicy stuff! 14/n
• $50,000,000 for a program "to integrate design features that enhance interoperability of systems [identified for possible future export] with those of friendly foreign countries"
Likely this program includes stuff like the AGM-88 HARM on Ukrainian Mig-29 integration.
15/n
Air-defense missiles:
• $74,264,000 for 78 AIM-120D for the Navy
• $112,348,000 for 118 AIM-120D for the Air Force
which makes sense as the US needs to replace the AIM-120 that will be sent to Ukraine with the NASAMS 3 systems, but the Pentagon also ordered 16/n
• $288,491,000 for 76 Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles
Either these are for the US Patriot battalions in Poland or they are the first sign of US Lend-Lease for Ukraine.
Also in the Pentagon papers is a $3 million funding for an undefined classified program... and
17/n
$9,123,000 for two "Military Intelligence Programs" run by the US Special Operations Command for a "classified requirement".
Where these programs are taking place - I don't know. What these programs are about - I don't know.
18/n
But as the funding for these two is listed in a publicly accessible Pentagon document I assume they are not classified as "secret" and therefore more likely something like "training Ukrainian Special Forces", rather than something like "ISTAR behind russian lines".
19/n
There are also dozens of entries for the funding of US forces deployed to Europe, but I believe what the US has sent to Ukraine and is now backordering to be more interesting.
As the @DeptofDefense released the last file on 12 August I am looking forward to the next one,
20/n
as that will have more GMLRS ammo, 105mm ammo, likely HARM backorders, and I am sure a lot of unexpected stuff.
21/end
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Gripen fans continue to spam my mention with claims how fantastic Sweden's Bas 90 and Gripen combination is... and that it would work for Canada's North too...
Ok, let's quickly compare Canada's three northern territories (Yukon, Northwest, Nunavut) and Sweden... ... 1/6
Land area:
🇸🇪 450,295 km2 (173,860 sq mi)
🇨🇦 terr.: 3,593,589 km2 (173,860 sq mi)
The land area of just the three territories (without Canada's 10 provinces) is already 8 times bigger than all of Sweden...
(In total Canada's land area is 9,984,670 km2
2/6
(3,855,100 sq mi) or 22 times Sweden).
Population:
🇸🇪 10.61 million
🇨🇦 terr.: 0.13 million
Sweden's population is 81.6 times bigger than that of the three territories... and if you look at population density:
🇸🇪 23,6/km2
🇨🇦 terr.: 0,013/km2
3/6
Saab loooves to tout the claim that the Gripen can "operate from dispersed air bases".
They do that, because they know no one of you knows what it means. And every time I see someone regurgite "dispersed air bases" (or "road runways" or "short runways") I know I am dealing
1/36
with someone, who knows absolutely nothing about the topic.
So allow me to take you on a deep dive into what "operating from dispersed air bases" actually means.
Let's start with Såtenäs Air Base in Southern Sweden - the most important Swedish air base. 2/n
When the Viggen entered service, Såtenäs received it first.
When the Gripen entered service, Såtenäs received it first.
When the Gripen E entered service, Såtenäs received it first.
In the 1950s Sweden developed the Bas 60 system, which would have dispersed the Swedish 3/n
The 11th Airborne Division is the least likely to be used to invade #Greenland.
The division's deputy commander is Canadian. He is responsible for Operations. The 11th would have to arrest part of their own officers, before being able to plan a Greenland invasion.
Also
1/6
there are just 8 C-17 Globemaster aircraft at Elmendorf Air Force Base. The USAF would need to fly a dozen more up to Alaska, which of course Canada would notice. Then to reach Greenland the C-17 would have to cross Canada's North, which NORAD's Canadian officers would report
2/6
to the Canadian and Danish governments.
It is much more likely the US will inform allies that a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg will fly to the Middle East, which means the air route will take them right over Greenland. And at Fort Bragg you also have the
3/6
This is a typical clown tweet by someone, who knows nothing about WWII.
3 years before D-Day, the Soviets & nazis were in a love-feast, while the US had not entered the war; & when it did it had to cross an ocean full of nazi submarines to stage troops & materiel for D-Day.
1/14
And unlike the warmongering Soviets, which in June 1941 fielded 304 divisions, the US Army fielded just 37 divisions when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (+ two Marine Corps divisions).
Before any D-Day the US Army had to start forming new divisions (38 in 1942 and 17 in 1943) &
2/n
then ship those divisions across the Atlantic, which was teeming with German subs, while the Soviets just used trains to bring troops and materiel to the front (& if the Soviet had had to ship troops across an ocean, they would have just accepted that a third of their troops
3/n
The @RoyalAirForce - once the strongest air force in Western Europe... but now...
7 Eurofighter Typhoon squadrons are expected to fulfill the tasks, for which 35 years ago the RAF fielded 40 squadrons (31 active & 4 reserve + 5 shadow squadrons, which would have been formed
1/27
from the personnel & fighters of the RAF's operational conversion units).
At the end of the Cold War these 40 squadrons were assigned to 4 commands, each with a specific mission & enough aircraft to fulfill their mission.
No. 1 Group was tasked with striking Soviet forces
2/27
in Northern Germany, including with WE.177 tactical nukes.
The Group fielded 8 active, 4 reserve and 2 shadow squadrons, which flew Tornado GR1, Jaguar GR1A, and Harrier GR5 fighters (the reserve squadrons flew Hawk T1A). The group also included the RAF's 3 aerial
3/27
Since there are still people claiming the Gripen is the "ideal fighter for Canada"... here are the refueling stops the Gripen C/D needed to get from Ronneby in Sweden to Eielson Air Base in Alaska.
So of course this is an "ideal fighter" for Canada... as it will have to stop 1/5
at every Canadian airfield to refuel...
For the curious ones:
On 13 July 2006 five Gripen C and two Gripen D left
their base in Ronneby Sweden. They refueled at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, then flew to NAS Keflavik in Iceland, where they refueled and stayed overnight.
2/5
On 14 July the Gripens flew to Sondre Stromfjord in Greenland for another refueling, then proceeded to RCAF Iqualuit in Canada for refueling and the night.
On 15 July the Gripens flew to Churchill, refuelled and then flew to RCAF Cold Lake, where they spent 16 July to rest.
3/5