DOD announces $2.6B aid package for Ukraine

By Tony Bertuca / April 4, 2023 at 11:45 AM

The Defense Department today announced a $2.6 billion security assistance package for Ukraine, including additional ammunition, artillery rounds, air defense interceptors and anti-armor systems as well as other weapons.

Part of the package is funded via $500 million in presidential drawdown authority and includes:

• Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems;

• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);

• 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds;

• 120 mm mortar rounds;

• 120 mm and 105 mm tank ammunition;

• 25 mm ammunition;

• Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;

• Approximately 400 grenade launchers and 200,000 rounds of ammunition;

• 11 tactical vehicles to recover equipment;

• 61 heavy fuel tankers;

• 10 trucks and 10 trailers to transport heavy equipment;

• Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair;

• Spare parts and other field equipment.

Meanwhile, the package also includes items put on contract with vendors via $2.1 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds:

• Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);

• Nine counter-Unmanned Aerial System 30mm gun trucks;

• 10 mobile c-UAS laser-guided rocket systems;

• Three air surveillance radars;

• 30 mm and 23 mm anti-aircraft ammunition;

• 130 mm and 122 mm artillery rounds;

• 122 mm GRAD rockets;

• Rocket launchers and ammunition;

• 120 mm and 81 mm mortar systems;

• 120 mm, 81 mm, and 60 mm mortar rounds;

• 120 mm tank ammunition;

• Javelin anti-armor systems;

• Anti-armor rockets;

• Precision aerial munitions;

• Approximately 3,600 small arms and more than 23,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition;

• Seven tactical vehicles to recover equipment;

• Eight heavy fuel tankers and 105 fuel trailers;

• Armored bridging systems;

• Four logistics support vehicles;

• Trucks and ten trailers to transport heavy equipment;

• Secure communications equipment;

• SATCOM terminals and services;

• Funding for training, maintenance and sustainment.

While drawdown authority allows for the rapid transfers of weapons directly from U.S. stocks, USAI involves procuring capabilities from industry and could take months or years before arriving on the battlefield.

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