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With billions of {dollars} in weapons, the West has sought to provide Ukraine the higher hand in its struggle with Russia. However the dizzying array of arms headed to the battlefield might make it laborious for troops to inform mates from foes.
So the U.S. Military has provide you with a brand new coaching instrument seemingly designed for the battle: a set of enjoying playing cards with photos of 52 totally different NATO-made tanks, armored personnel carriers, vehicles, artillery items and different weapons programs, plus two jokers.
The thought, mentioned Maj. Andrew Harshbarger, a spokesman for the Military’s Coaching and Doctrine Command, is to allow troopers to rapidly “determine enemy tools and distinguish the tools from pleasant forces.”
The Pentagon has issued related decks prior to now to assist forces familiarize themselves with components of warfare over a hard-fought recreation of spades, hearts or poker. Every card has an image of a weapons system, together with its identify, the nation the place it’s manufactured, its export locations and its primary armament.
In a press release, Main Harshbarger didn’t particularly say the brand new playing cards have been geared toward serving to with Ukraine’s combat towards Russia. However he mentioned they might be used throughout navy providers, and in any respect ranges up the chain of command, and centered on “NATO tools that has proliferated to non-NATO international locations.”
Nowhere on this planet is that extra pertinent now than in Ukraine, the place NATO states and allies have flooded the battle zone during the last 12 months with an estimated $68 billion in commitments for weapons and navy help — the overwhelming majority of that from america. Because the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has turn into the world’s third-largest arms importer, in accordance with the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute.
Lots of the weapons programs proven within the new deck have both been despatched to Ukraine within the final 12 months or are getting used to coach Ukrainian troops. Some are nonetheless into account for donation by NATO allies intent on Russia’s retreat.
There is no such thing as a obvious hierarchy of significance within the deck. The German-made Gepard antiaircraft gun — at the very least three dozen of which Berlin has despatched to Ukraine — is the seven of spades. The six of golf equipment is the potent M142 HIMARS system, an American cellular launching pad for guided missiles that helped Ukraine claw again territory from Russia final summer time. France’s Caesar howitzer is the 2 of hearts.
Most, however not all, of the face playing cards function American programs: the Bradley Combating Automobile (the queen of hearts); the M1 Abrams tank (the king of golf equipment); and M113 armored personnel provider (the ace of spades). One of many jokers is the Stinger shoulder-fired missile that’s manufactured by america, Germany and Turkey.
However a few of the playing cards might unintentionally tip the hand of states which have tried to be opaque in regards to the matériel they’re sending.
The jack of hearts, for instance, is an American-made UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, one among which was recently revealed to be within the possession of Ukraine’s navy intelligence providers. However the Biden administration has not disclosed that it’s sending Black Hawks to the struggle, nor produce other international locations which have purchased them — which, in accordance with the playing cards, embrace Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and, earlier than the Taliban seized the federal government in 2021, Afghanistan.
Equally, France reportedly stays undecided on whether or not to ship Leclercs, its primary battle tanks, to Ukraine. The Leclerc is the eight of hearts within the new deck.
The playing cards can be printed over the subsequent month, and officers mentioned it’s anticipated they are going to be made out there to American, NATO and Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainians are more likely to want them essentially the most as they slog by way of not only a fog of struggle but in addition a menagerie of international weapons programs, a few of which they’re nonetheless studying to make use of.
The playing cards might additionally assist American and NATO troops who’re liable for receiving weapons from world wide and transport them into Ukraine.
Christopher Skaluba, a senior Pentagon technique and drive growth official through the Obama administration, mentioned he knew of no earlier deck of playing cards solely of NATO weapons, and that it might show useful not solely to troops on the entrance strains and in logistics hubs, but in addition to officers in Western capitals deciding what programs to ship to Ukraine.
“I’d like to have a pack for myself,” mentioned Mr. Skaluba, now the director of the Transatlantic Safety Initiative on the Atlantic Council in Washington.
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