News Analysis

Realizing they were not achieving their goals in the north, the Russian command decided to regroup its forces in the East of Ukraine to seize a land strip along the Azov and the Black Sea, an area that the Ukraine separatists that support Russia could control. The terrain in the eastern part of Ukraine is open, and the ground has dried since the winter enabling military formations to move off roads. Although most of the Ukraine army was deployed in this region, the Russian forces maintained numerical superiority.

A conflict erupting in 2022 is likely to involve the direct intervention of Russian mechanized regiments stationed in Belarus and East Ukraine, which are superior to the Ukraine forces. The outcome would be determined by Ukraine’s ability to endure a prolonged conflict. A strong Ukraine stands with the resolve of its new friends in the West, should assist Kyiv in facing the Russian onslaught.

The following satellite images were taken yesterday (19 February 2022). These recent images show a continued build-up of forces in Crimea, despite the Russian MOD announcement of units moving out of the peninsula. The satellite images were taken by ImageSat International (ISI) and show open areas around the township of Novoozerne on the western side of the Crimea peninsula.

Syria claimed yesterday that two surface-to-surface missiles launched from Israel struck the military airbase of Al Mezzeh, in a suburb of the capital Damascus, about 56 km from the Golan border. While Israel did not respond to this allegation, the Syrian claim may indicate Israel is maintaining a new precision strike capability, by tactical surface launched rockets, extending its deterrence capability throughout the region – both against adversaries in the close range, as well as the long range.

When the orders were received on the 24th of February and units began rolling forward across the border, the operational forces lacked adequate planning and intelligence and did not prepare ammunition and supplies for the battle. They were unaware of the terrain and mobility constraints expected downrange and did not prepare the equipment to deal with those obstacles. Neither they had the foresight of an alternative' plan B' in case that 'decapitation' move failed.

With ongoing domestic procurement of naval weapon systems for Magen corvettes and Dolphin submarines, and growing export opportunities, naval programs become an important growth opportunity for Israel’s defense industries.

By February 2022 the Russian forces deployed on the Russian-Ukraine border included 10 Russian armies gathered from the Eastern, Central, Western, and Southern military districts, all these forces arrived in Western Russia to take part in extensive military exercises with Belarus. After completing those exercises, about 120 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) were deployed along the Ukraine borders, ready to move south and west into Ukraine if ordered. The units from the Southern District have joined two armies of Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists from the Donbas. 

The largest fleets of M-60 are in Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, where the M-60 is used alongside the M-1A1. In the recent years, these tanks are heavily engaged in combat operations, in Yemen, Syria, and Sinai where they have suffered significant losses to anti-tank weapons. To survive and continue to be effective in service these tanks must be modernized.

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the completion of a successful firing test of the Onix ground-launched, supersonic anti-ship cruise missile at a naval target floating at the Arctic Sea, 200 kilometers from the Chukotka Peninsula. The test reinforces the Russian claim to control this new, strategic sea route that has opened as a result of global warming effects.

New Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV) are equipped with turrets that not only mount the main weapon systems but add many new features, including optronics, battle management, active protection, guided missiles, and drones. Our podcast discusses the trends and future of such systems.

The US Army is deploying one of the new Iron Dome batteries to Guam, to be tested as part of the Island's defense against cruise missiles. This deployment is far away from the hot spots in Syria and Iraq, where US forces suffer repeated attacks and could use Iron Dome's combat-proven capabilities to defeat missiles and drone attacks.

The Raytheon Company announced it has been selected to provide the US Army with its next-generation, 360-degree capable radar – known as the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS). Deployment of sensors like LTAMDS is expected to close the vulnerability of sectorial air defenses that was clearly demonstrated in the failure of Saudi Arabian air defenses to detect and warn of the Iranian cruise missile attack.

The FGCV demonstrates IAI/ELTA’s ability to deliver innovative tools that provide a new level of flexibility, resilience, and survivability to field units, improving the maneuverability, situational awareness, and lethality of each element and the entire formation as a whole. It also confirms the company’s ability to contribute proven capabilities and technologies for the benefit of the important Next Generation Fight Vehicle (NGFV) Program.

Israel requests Washington for urgent delivery of two KC-46A aerial tankers, to bolster its capability of operations at long ranges. While the IAF already has several aerial tankers based on the Boeing 707, they are too old and inefficient to support a full-scale operational campaign of the size and complexity the IAF requires. This episode discusses the options Israel has to support this capability