In November 2022, against the background of the large-scale impact of the Russian Armed Forces on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the White House promised to transfer various air defense / missile defense systems to Kiev, including the defense system aircraft M1097 Avenger (“Avenger ”) in one of the upcoming US military assistance programs. In January 2023, the Pentagon agreed to donate 8 units of these short-range self-propelled anti-aircraft missile systems, located on the chassis of an all-terrain vehicle HMMWV (Hammer).
On April 5, the Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhiy Naev, informed the public on his Telegram channel that these American short-range air defense systems had already entered combat service with Ukrainian troops. He clarified that the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were trained on the territory of Germany.
On May 7, the head of the press center of the Vostok grouping of the RF armed forces, Colonel Alexander Gordeev, reported on the operational situation of the previous day that in the direction of Yuzhnodonetsk (Ugledarsk) near the village of Vodyanoye, an air defense system launcher was destroyed by an air defense system (UAV-kamikaze) of the Lancet “Avenger” series based on the “Hammer” car.
Images have already appeared on the web showing how it happened. Note that this is not only the first confirmed loss of such an air defense system after the United States transferred them to Ukraine, but probably the first real combat loss in general since the implementation US Army service over 30 years ago.
There is no doubt that a similar fate is destined for the rest of the Avenger air defense systems, which were supplied by the Americans to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Photos used: US Army
Read the Latest Government Politics News on The Eastern Herald.
