We break down all of the gear being sent to Ukraine: With the fighting in Ukraine nearing its fifth month, the U.S. is committing more military aid to the Ukrainian military.
The latest package of military aid for Ukraine is worth $400 million and contains additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which have been devastatingly effective against the Russian forces.
More HIMARS for Ukraine
More specifically, here is what the latest package of military aid for Ukraine contains:
- Four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and additional ammunition for HIMARS;
- Three Tactical Vehicles to recover equipment;
- 155mm artillery ammunition;
- Demolition munitions;
- Counter-battery systems;
- Spare parts and other equipment.
“The White House will be announcing the President has decided to provide another round of presidential drawdown authority the following capabilities: four high-mobility artillery rocket systems, HIMARS, and additional ammunition for those HIMARS. This is the capability I just referred to as being especially important and effective in assisting Ukraine and coping with the Russian artillery battle in the Donbas,” a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday.
U.S. Army Spc. Colton Davis, an infantryman assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 198th Armor Regiment, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard, fires a Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile during a combined arms live fire exercise as part of Exercise Eastern Action 2019 at Al-Ghalail Range in Qatar, Nov. 14, 2018. The multiple exposure photo demonstrates the multiple stages the missile goes through after it is fired by Davis. This is a multiple-exposure photo. (U.S. Army National Guard photo illustration by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
Javelin anti-tank missile. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
In the last two years, the U.S. has committed to providing Ukraine with approximately $8 billion in military aid (and billions more in economic and humanitarian assistance), with approximately $7.3 billion of that security assistance given since the conflict started almost five months ago on February 24. In the last two weeks alone, the U.S. has committed about $2.2 billion to security assistance to Ukraine. And since 2014, when Moscow first attacked Ukraine in Crimea and the Donbas, the U.S. has provided Kyiv with more than $9.2 billion in security assistance.
Total U.S. Security Aid to Ukraine
Since the war started, the Pentagon has provided or committed to providing the Ukrainian military with the following weapons systems:
- Over 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems;
- Over 6,500 Javelin anti-armor systems;
- Over 20,000 other anti-armor systems;
- Over 700 Switchblade Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- 126 155mm Howitzers and up to 411,000 155mm artillery rounds;
- 36,000 105mm artillery rounds;
- 126 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers;
- 22 Tactical Vehicles to recover equipment;
- 12 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and ammunition;
- Two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
- 20 Mi-17 helicopters;
- Counter-battery systems;
- Hundreds of Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles;
- 200 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers;
U.S. Marines with Ground Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, fire a M777 during fire missions training at Mount Bundey Training Area, NT, Australia, Aug. 6 2020. The training provided Marines a unique opportunity to develop new techniques and procedures to integrate direct and indirect fire. The ability to rapidly deploy fire support and employ indirect fire weapons provide the Marine Corps an advantage as an expeditionary forward force deployed to austere environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Lydia Gordon)
On Friday, Canada joined France in announcing the delivery of heavy artillery to Ukraine.
- Over 10,000 grenade launchers and small arms;
- Over 59,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition;
- 75,000 sets of body armor and helmets;
- 121 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- Laser-guided rocket systems;
- Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- Unmanned Coastal Defense Vessels;
- 26 counter-artillery radars;
- Four counter-mortar radars;
- Four air surveillance radars;
- Two harpoon coastal defense systems;
- 18 coastal and riverine patrol boats;
- M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
- C-4 explosives, demolition munitions, and demolition equipment for obstacle clearing;
- Tactical secure communications systems;
WATERS NEAR GUAM (Mar. 10, 2016) – Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) conducts a live fire of a harpoon missile during Multi-Sail 2016. Multi Sail is a bilateral training exercise aimed at interoperability between the U.S. and Japanese forces. This exercise builds interoperability and benefits from realistic, shared training, enhancing our ability to work together to confront any contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
A view of an RGM-84 surface-to-surface Harpoon missile, immediately after leaving a canister launcher aboard the cruiser USS LEAHY (CG-16), near the Pacific Missile Test Center, Calif.
- Thousands of night vision devices, thermal imagery systems, optics, and laser rangefinders;
- Commercial satellite imagery services;
- Explosive ordnance disposal protective gear;
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment;
- Medical supplies to include first aid kits;
- Electronic jamming equipment;
- Field equipment and spare parts;
- Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.
1945’s New Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
