The war in Ukraine continues, and the Ukrainian military is starving for weapons. So, the U.S. has once more greenlighted a new security aid package to Kyiv.
This is the 16th U.S. package of military aid since the war began in February, and it contains some real treats, including the four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which have been key in stopping the Russian advance over the past few weeks.
The Weapons
– Four additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
– Additional ammunition for HIMARS;
– Four Command Post Vehicles;
– 36,000 rounds of 105mm ammunition;
– Additional anti-armor weapons, spare parts, and other equipment.
– Up to 580 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems.
The Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems cost $95 million and come from funds of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), while the rest weapon systems and munitions come are worth $175 million and come from the U.S. military’s arsenal as part of a Presidential Drawdown.
According to the Pentagon, once a security aid package is greenlighted by the White House, the weapon systems are shipped from the U.S. within 48 hours and are on the Ukrainian frontlines in two weeks. This timeline includes the crucial training of Ukrainian troops on how to effectively operate the weapon system (if it is a new one, so the timeline is shorter for weapon systems that the Ukrainians have already received and used on the frontlines).
In the last two years, the U.S. has committed to providing Ukraine with approximately $8.2 billion in military aid (and billions more in economic and humanitarian assistance), with approximately $7.6 billion of that security assistance given since the conflict started almost five months ago on February 24. In the last four weeks alone, the U.S. has committed about $2.4 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 $9.4 billion in security assistance.
Lots of Weapons
In total, the U.S. has provided or committed to providing Ukraine with the following weapon systems, munitions, military supplies, and non-lethal equipment:
– 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;
– 72,000 105mm artillery rounds;
– 126 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers;
– 22 Tactical Vehicles to recover equipment;
– 16 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and ammunition;
– Four Command Post vehicles;
– 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;
– 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;
– Approximately 700 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;
– 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.
