DOD sending 50 Bradley vehicles to Ukraine as part of $3B aid package

By Tony Bertuca / January 6, 2023 at 2:34 PM

The Defense Department announced today it would be sending 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine, along with other armored vehicles and weapons as part of a new $3 billion security assistance package.

The aid covers $2.85 billion in weapons transfers to be made via presidential “drawdown” authority and $225 million in foreign military financing, according to DOD.

Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, told reporters today the package is the largest in total value to date that the United States has committed to Ukraine.

The drawdown package includes:

• 50 M2A2 Bradleys with associated anti-tank missiles and ammunition;

• 100 M113 armored personnel carriers;

• 55 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles;

• 138 humvees

• 18 155 mm self-propelled howitzers and 18 ammunition support vehicles;

• 70,000 155 mm artillery rounds;

• 500 precision-guided 155 mm artillery rounds;

• 1,200 155 mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine Systems;

• 36 105 mm towed Howitzers and 95,000 105 mm artillery rounds;

• 10,000 120 mm mortar rounds;

• additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems;

• RIM-7 missiles for air defense;

• 4,000 Zuni aircraft rockets;

• approximately 2,000 anti-armor rockets;

• sniper rifles, machine guns, and ammunition for grenade launchers and small arms;

• claymore anti-personnel munitions;

• night vision devices and optics;

• spare parts and other field equipment.

The package marks the first time DOD has transferred Bradleys to Ukraine since the start of a Russian invasion last February.

“The Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and other armored vehicles and artillery systems will complement the recent commitment of combat vehicles to Ukraine by Germany and France,” the Pentagon said.

Additionally, the department said it welcomes Germany’s new commitment to provide Ukraine with one Patriot air defense battery. The United States has already committed one Patriot battery to Ukraine.

“The Biden administration will continue to encourage Allies and partners to make additional donations of air defense systems, artillery, combat vehicles, and other critical capabilities to support Ukraine in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity for as long as it takes,” DOD said.

The State Department, meanwhile, announced today $682 million in additional foreign military financing to “incentivize and backfill donations of military equipment to Ukraine by allies and partners,” DOD said.

The United States has committed more than $24.2 billion to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion.

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