Using Hybrid All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to Win the War in Ukraine
Could a mixture of ATVs, mobile weaponry, satellites, Starlinks, GPS locators, drones, and solar panels help Ukraine protect its cities and win its war with Russia? Read on for an extended argument on how a nimble, stealthy, pointed operation using such tools could help Ukraine.
By Bob Cantrell
The Problem
Initially, Russia’s military leaders thought they could invade Ukraine with superior manpower and equipment and take control of the country in a few days. Instead, they encountered a trained Ukrainian army equipped with advanced weapons such as Stinger missiles to defend their airspace and Javelin missiles to defend their ground. Furthermore, the Ukrainian people exhibited a strong will to fight. As a result, Russia’s initial thrust was impeded, and they suffered heavy casualties.
Due to these high initial casualties, Russia quickly changed its strategy to the one used for thousands of years: surround a city, bombard it, and prevent critical food, water, energy, and rearmament supplies from entering. That is what Russia is doing today. They bomb and shell a Ukrainian city from afar with airstrikes and ground artillery. They stop critical supplies from reaching a besieged Ukrainian city. Once a city surrenders, Russian military forces move to the next city and repeat the process. Russia plans to have fewer casualties and effectively utilize its superior troop and equipment strengths with this strategy.
Given Putin’s mindset to win at all costs, Russia’s new strategy of surrounding cities, cutting supplies, and bombing and shelling cities into submission will probably and eventually lead to Russia’s occupation of Ukraine. Due to the fierce resistance by the Ukrainians to the Russian invasion, the cities are expected to be severely damaged, and considerable civilian and military casualties are expected as well.
Even though Russia may shortly occupy Ukraine, many people believe that Putin will eventually lose the war due to a long-term insurgency by the Ukrainians and stiff sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its European allies. Unfortunately, the reinstatement of Ukraine as an independent state may take years to happen under this scenario.
This forecast outcome is expected to come at a high cost to Ukraine, with bombed-out cities and significant civilian and military casualties. However, it does not have to be this way.
A New Strategy to Fight the Russians
Ukraine needs to go on the offensive to break Russia’s stranglehold on its encircled cities. The following is a suggested strategy for the defense of Ukraine.
The U.S. and its European allies would supply the Ukrainians with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), initially gas-powered ATVs but with hybrid gas/electric ATVs as soon as possible. The hybrid ATVs would have the advantage of being quiet in electric mode for sneak attacks. The hybrid ATVs would also emit no heat to reduce potential Russian heat-seeking missile attacks. Furthermore, they could be charged with solar panels when gasoline is in short supply or when hiding in the country. In addition, some ATVs would have racks installed for holding either Stinger, Javelin, or guided missiles.
In addition, the U.S. and its European allies would supply the Ukrainians with the Stinger, Javelin, and guided missiles to load onto their ATVs, night vision goggles, AK-47 assault rifles with plenty of ammunition, GPS locators, and Starlink for communication as well as solar panels for remote charging of the hybrid ATVs and Starlinks. Surveillance drones could also be supplied to locate Russian forces for a future attack. In this way, the Ukrainians would be prepared to take the offensive with their fully equipped ATVs.
Some of the Ukrainian forces would leave the cities and hide in the country in small patrols, numbering about five per patrol. An ATV in each patrol would carry either a Javelin, Stinger, or guided missile launcher as well as their respective missiles. Another ATV would have Starlink and GPS guidance systems. The remaining three ATVs would be riding shotgun with AK-47 assault rifles.
Consider the following example of an operation targeting a Russian artillery installation. First, U.S. satellites would pinpoint Russian artilleries’ exact GPS coordinate locations. Next, a Ukrainian patrol would be given the GPS coordinates over their Starlink communication devices. Alternatively, the Russian target could be found by using the patrol’s surveillance drone. Then, using the patrol’s GPS locator or knowing its location from drone operations, the patrol would sneak up within a mile of the Russian artillery position. Finally, when the artillery is firing and producing heat, the patrol would take it out with a heat-seeking Javelin missile. The patrol would then quickly sneak away and hide. With night vision goggles, this operation could be done day or night. The rest of the patrol could defend with their AK-47 assault rifles in the case of a possible Russian small arms fire.
The same tactic discussed above could be employed for Russian tanks and vehicles moving troops and supplies when a heat signature is available for Javelin missile guidance. For troop encampments with no heat for missile guidance, guided ground-to-ground missiles using U.S. satellite-provided GPS coordinates could be used to sneak up, fire, and sneak away, day or night. Whenever Russian aircraft are in the area, Stinger missiles could be fired to bring them down. In addition, ATVs could be used with trailers to supply hidden ATV patrols in the country with new missiles, fuel, food, and water.
Separate Javelin, Stinger, and guided missile patrols could be employed in the proximate area to each other. Together, they would form an ATV battalion, quick to move from hiding to attack and back into hiding. They would never take a Russian force head on; they would only make fast, devastating hit-and-run attacks.
Suppose the Russians have not surrounded a Ukrainian city. The city’s military could be supplied directly by the U.S. and NATO with ATVs, Javelin, Stinger, guided missiles, night goggles, GPS locators, AK-47s, drones, solar panels, and Starlinks. On the other hand, if a city has already been surrounded, the Ukrainian military fully equipped ATV battalions from a non-surrounded city could open a supply channel to the besieged city to provide critical supplies.
By taking the offensive, Ukraine’s cities could be spared from being destroyed and a vast number of military and civilian lives saved. The winning strategy is to create a hard-hitting, fast-moving, hidden mobile military force using hit-and-run tactics with equipped ATVs with excellent communication and lethal firepower. I strongly believe this new strategy could win the war for Ukraine in short order if employed quickly and in large numbers.
I hope this information will get into the hands of the U.S. government or military officials who can take immediate action. If you know someone who can help, pass this post along. If not, post it to people you know. Maybe some of them may know someone who can help. Time is of the essence; Ukrainian lives depend on it.
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