Ukrainian Armed Forces Given American Radar Systems

The United States has handed over radar systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces which detect where artillery and mortars are being fired from. This is both an upgrade in the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces and a display of confidence by their American partners.

The two TPQ-36 counter-battery radar systems can detect a wide range of targets at a distance of up to 24 kilometers. Neither mortars, nor missile systems can be hidden from them. Just one shot is enough for the radar systems to receive exact information regarding an opponent’s location.

“This station is our eyes. The eyes of artillery, of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Even though this is a non-lethal weapon, the system allows us to detect the enemy’s lethal weapons and counter them with our missile weapons and artillery,” Commander of Missile Troops and Artillery Vyacheslav Horbyliov said.

Ukrainian soldiers now have 11 systems of this kind at their disposal. There are also other systems which can be used in similar ways. The United States has been providing them to Ukraine since 2014.

“These radars bolster vigilance and provide reassurance against artillery bombardment, one of the leading causes of casualties in the eastern front,” US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch said. “Russian-led forces will no longer be able to fire mortars and artillery with impunity hidden behind enemy lines.”

Yovanovitch handed symbolic certificates for the new radar systems to the soldiers, who will work with them on the front line. These servicemen have experienced numerous artillery fights in Donbas. Now, Ukraine’s American partners have accepted their suggestions on the modernization of the systems.

“Ukraine is the first country which the American military allowed to maintain and repair the equipment on its own. This is the answer to the question, which is often asked: if the servicemen of the Armed Forces are able to master high-tech equipment,” Head of General Staff Viktor Muzhenko said.

Each of the systems is mobile – standing on two Humvee military trucks. This increases their maneuverability in combat. Ukrainian artillery operators say that it’s a useful function.

According to them, over the four years of the war, enemy artillery has been constantly hunting for the American technology in Donbas. So far, their attempts have been unsuccessful.