“They’re here!” What important elements appear in the viral image published by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence has posted an image on social media that has gone viral. The photo shows several military vehicles that have recently joined the Ukrainian Air Force assault force.

They have arrived!
Strykers and Cougars from 🇺🇲, Challengers from 🇬🇧, Marders from 🇩🇪 have officially joined the Air Assault Forces of the #UAarmy!
The greatest vehicles for the best soldiers.
Onward! pic.twitter.com/xZnjtdnwfq

– Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 27, 2023

The four vehicles sent by the Western Allies are:

M1126 Stryker

The eight-wheeled military vehicle is derived from the Canadian LAV III. The Stryker is produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the US Army. It is an armoured personnel carrier and can be configured with machine guns, automatic cannons or grenade launchers. One unit costs about $4.9 million.

Cougar

The vehicle, designed for infantry use, is resistant to mines, other improvised explosive devices and offers protection against small arms. The Cougar features an advanced AC system, which provides comfort to passengers in hot weather even when fully equipped. The vehicle can reach a top speed of 105 km/h. One unit costs about $475,000.

Challenger 2

FV4034 Challenger 2 is the British Army’s main battle tank. It has a crew of four and is equipped with a 120mm main gun, a smaller calibre automatic gun and a machine gun. The tank is protected by Chobham composite armour (composed of layers of ceramic, steel and elastic layers). Challenger 2 incorporates modern electronics, has a range of 550 km and a top speed of 59 km/h. Ukraine will operate 14 such tanks.

Marder 1

Schützenpanzer Marder 1 is a German tracked troop carrier. The vehicle received by Ukraine is simple and reliable, providing good protection for the troops transported. The Marder 1 is equipped with a 20 mm automatic cannon and an anti-tank missile launcher, and is similar to the American Bradley.

Also read: Why not Challenger 2 or Leclerc? Why German Leopard 2 tanks are so important for Ukraine