[Goose]

The training schedule makes it look like the US is now planning for this to be a longer term conflict. Until now, the mantra was getting the Ukrainians stuff they can put to good use almost immediately. Now we’re seeing equipment, systems, and strategies that require a significant amount of lead time. I’m guessing the Ukrainians can figure out the Bradleys by the beginning of Spring. But combined arms maneuvers?  Doesn’t that require air support?  Are F-16s next?  Also, 50 Bradleys is like 1 battalion’s worth of IFVs. If a strike force requires 4+ battalions, the US is gonna need to send a lot more Bradleys or tanks or both.  I’m guessing we won’t see this in full display until Fall.  More realistically maybe next year.

Hard to say exactly what the "plan" is at this point. Being able to physically operate the Bradleys is different than really being able to "use" them. A NATO combined arms operation will have at a minimum helicopter gunship support and undoubtedly has attached FACs to call in air support as needed. Ukraine probably can't operate that way anytime soon. Ukraine isn't going to operate exactly like NATO, just like the UK doesn't operate exactly like the US does. That is OK, so there may be a way Ukraine can get a rapidly moving striking force going that is infantry heavy by US standards, but that infantry would be riding in Bradleys and M113s. They are also getting lots of M113s which are "good enough" if you aren't fighting armor.

As far as F-16s go, I don't see that happening, unfortunately. Unless there has been lots of pilot training going on that we don't know about, it would require an absolute minimum of six months to generate some marginally effective F-16 pilots. That would be really pushing it. Maintenance would also be a big issue training wise. The way to do this would have been to take Ukrainian pilots who have no planes and "new" pilots who have no experience at all to the US and train them on a contingency basis. AFAIK, that didn't happen. Even then you get a force that has no "old heads" with F-16 experience, which isn't good. However, in war you sometimes have to tolerate that. Since we didn't do that, the delay time to develop an operational force is long enough it probably is not considered viable.

[Goose]

The training schedule makes it look like the US is now planning for this to be a longer term conflict. Until now, the mantra was getting the Ukrainians stuff they can put to good use almost immediately. Now we’re seeing equipment, systems, and strategies that require a significant amount of lead time. I’m guessing the Ukrainians can figure out the Bradleys by the beginning of Spring. But combined arms maneuvers?  Doesn’t that require air support?  Are F-16s next?  Also, 50 Bradleys is like 1 battalion’s worth of IFVs. If a strike force requires 4+ battalions, the US is gonna need to send a lot more Bradleys or tanks or both.  I’m guessing we won’t see this in full display until Fall.  More realistically maybe next year.

Hard to say exactly what the "plan" is at this point. Being able to physically operate the Bradleys is different than really being able to "use" them. A NATO combined arms operation will have at a minimum helicopter gunship support and undoubtedly has attached FACs to call in air support as needed. Ukraine probably can't operate that way anytime soon. Ukraine isn't going to operate exactly like NATO, just like the UK doesn't operate exactly like the US does. That is OK, so there may be a way Ukraine can get a rapidly moving striking force going that is infantry heavy by US standards, but that infantry would be riding in Bradleys and M113s. They are also getting lots of M113s which are "good enough" if you aren't fighting armor.

As far as F-16s go, I don't see that happening, unfortunately. Unless there has been lots of pilot training going on that we don't know about, it would require an absolute minimum of six months to generate some marginally effective F-16 pilots. That would be really pushing it. Maintenance would also be a big issue training wise. The way to do this would have been to take Ukrainian pilots who have no planes and "new" pilots who have no experience at all to the US and train them on a contingency basis. AFAIK, that didn't happen. Even then you get a force that has no "old heads" with F-16 experience, which isn't good. However, in war you sometimes have to tolerate that. Since we didn't do that, the delay time to develop an operational force is long enough it probably is not considered viable.