The Pentagon is expanding the training it provides to Ukrainian troops, with plans to more than double the number of forces it instructs at its base in Germany, US officials said on December 15, 2022, The New York Times reported.
500 a month
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the United States expected to train about 500 Ukrainian troops a month at the Grafenwoehr training area in Germany, starting “in the January timeframe.” He said additional US forces were unlikely to be needed.
From squads to battalions
The programme will combine classroom instruction and field work, starting with small squads and building up to larger units, and end with a complex exercise involving an entire battalion, AP reported. The goal is an “advanced level of collective training” that supports combined arms operations and manoeuvre, Ryder said.
Until now, US training had focused on “immediate battlefield needs,” mainly instruction on specific weapons such as howitzers, armoured vehicles and HIMARS rocket launchers. About 3,100 Ukrainian troops had been trained so far.
A longer-term effort
The expanded training will be run by the US Army’s 7th Army Training Command. In November, the Pentagon set up the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine headquarters in Germany to oversee weapons transfers and training, a sign of a longer-term commitment. Allies including the United Kingdom also train Ukrainian troops.
Sources
Image note: The featured image was generated by AI based on the content of this article. It is an illustration, not an actual photograph of the people, places or events described.
