ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The war in Ukraine has many lessons for the U.S. Army and its partners and allies, experts said May 16 during a panel discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu. They also cautioned that it is possible to learn the wrong lessons.

The war in Ukraine is “far from over” as Russia remains a significant threat and China continues to increase its influence in several European sectors, the officer in charge of U.S. forces in Europe said.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander, said the U.S. “remains optimistic for Ukraine’s future, but this war is far from over,” because while Russia shows no sign of relenting, it is not the only problem facing the European alliance.

As it looks for lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S. military should take stock of its preparedness for large-scale conflict and act decisively to remedy any shortfalls, according to a new paper from the Association of the U.S. Army.

“The Russia-Ukraine War One Year In: Implications for the U.S. Army,” published as part of AUSA’s Spotlight series, highlights several observations after a year of brutal fighting in Ukraine and discusses how the U.S. Army can prepare for the future.

Speaking Feb. 15 at a NATO ministerial conference, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russia’s “reckless war of choice” represents the worst European security crisis since World War II and requires a “fundamental shift” in the alliance’s collective defense and deterrence efforts.

The U.S. Army could face years of ammunition shortages because of supplies provided to Ukraine unless efforts are made to increase manufacturing, a bipartisan policy research group says. 

The Center for Strategic and International Studies warns of potentially critical shortages in Stinger and Javelin missiles and in 155-millimeter shells that could, in extreme cases, take years to replace. 

The National Guard’s State Partnership Program remains critical to the force and “has paid huge dividends,” particularly in Ukraine, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said.  

“Building enduring, trusted relationships” with global partners is a key part of the component’s readiness, Gen. Daniel Hokanson said, citing as an example the partnership between the California National Guard and Ukraine, which dates to 1993. 

By providing weapons and training, the U.S. is working to put the Ukrainians in the “strongest possible position” to defend their sovereignty and engage the Russians from a “position of strength,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said.

Speaking Dec. 3 on a panel during the Reagan National Defense Forum, Wormuth said the stakes are high. “Given what is at stake in Ukraine, not just for the Ukrainians, but for NATO and for the entire free world, it’s in our interest to give them what they need to defend their territory and push the Russians out,” she said.