The Czechia-based milblogger “Praise the Steph” posted a photo on his X and BlueSky channels that showed the US-made M1297 A-GMV “Flyer 72 Light Duty (F72 LD)” tactical vehicle in the hands of a Ukrainian special operations unit on Monday, March 31.
A brief glimpse of the F72 LD was seen along with several other armored vehicles in the video posted on Facebook by the commander of the 6th Separate Ranger Regiment of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and is one of the first confirmations that this specialist vehicle had entered Ukrainian service.
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The post includes a greeting from the commander:
“Brothers and sisters! At this moment, we are a living testimony to the incredible. A year ago, there were few of us. Today, we are a stream of indomitable will that destroys any obstacles.”
“Will and faith are our weapons. Victory is our only horizon! Each of us is not just a fighter. Each of us is a bearer of the spirit that turns the impossible into everyday life. We do not plan to change the course of the war. We change it every minute, every second with our indomitable heart.”
“Our responsibility is absolute. Our honesty is uncompromising. Our loyalty is beyond any statutes and orders. We are the last argument in a duel with those who dared to disturb our peace. We reach for the stars, but our roots are in the Ukrainian land. We learn, but we do not stop. We respect each brother as ourselves. We are not an army. We are a family. We are a pack! The will decides!”
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The 6th Special Purpose Regiment is one of four that makes up Ukraine’s Ranger Corps that was created last year as part of the country’s Special Operations Forces (SSO).
Ranger Corps personnel were trained by NATO special forces and are tasked with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – drone, reconnaissance, sabotage, and artillery targeting operations behind enemy lines.
Each regiment includes its own dedicated UAV, mine-resistant armored vehicles, artillery, anti-aircraft, and logistics elements and is responsible for directly recruiting volunteers into its ranks.
The F72 LD is a modular, air transportable, off-road vehicle selected for use by US special forces as part of the “General Mobility Vehicle (GMV) program to replace the ubiquitous High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV – Humvee) that has been in service since the mid-1980s.
Like its predecessor, it can be fitted with a range of weapons, armor enhancements and other configuration options for use as a 9-man troop carrier, reconnaissance, fire support, casualty evacuation, and as an electronic warfare vehicle.
The FLD 72 can be transported by a range of transport aircraft, can be prepared for parachute airdrops and as under-slung loads of heavy rotary wing aircraft such as the CH-53 helicopter.
Its appearance in Ukraine is notable as, until this sighting, it was not known to be in use other than with US SpecOps units and, although Washington has previously provided other specialized equipment to Ukraine, the F72 LD has not been seen on equipment lists sent to Kyiv.
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