DOD announces $1.3B package for Ukraine

By Tony Bertuca / July 19, 2023 at 1:02 PM

The Defense Department intends to fund a $1.3 billion military aid package that will procure weapons from defense contractors to be sent to Ukraine, including air defense systems and critical munitions.

The package, funded via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, includes:

  • Four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and munitions;
  • 152mm artillery rounds;
  • Mine clearing equipment;
  • Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
  • Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS);
  • Precision aerial munitions;
  • Counter-UAS and electronic warfare detection equipment;
  • 150 fuel trucks;
  • 115 tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment;
  • 50 tactical vehicles to recover equipment;
  • Port and harbor security equipment;
  • Tactical secure communications systems;
  • Support for training, maintenance, and sustainment activities.

Unlike presidential “drawdown” authority that directly transfers U.S. equipment to Ukraine, the USAI fund procures weapons from defense contractors that are sometimes not scheduled for delivery for months or even years.

“This USAI package highlights the continued U.S. commitment to meeting Ukraine's pressing requirements by committing critical near-term capabilities while also building the enduring capacity of Ukraine's Armed Forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the mid and long term,” DOD said. “This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine.”

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