The U.S. on Tuesday approved $2.6 billion in new weapons aid for Ukraine, to include additional munitions for Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems and counter-drone capabilities.
The latest security assistance package is split between $500 billion in equipment to be drawn from existing Pentagon inventories and $2.1 billion in capabilities to be procured from industry with Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
The drawdown portion of the package includes the additional munitions for the Raytheon Technologies [RTX]-built Patriot air defense systems as well as more rockets for the previously-provided HIMARS launchers, built by Lockheed Martin [LMT].
Ukraine will also receive more 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 120mm mortar rounds, 120mm and 105mm tank ammunition, 25mm ammunition, TOW anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, 11 tactical vehicles for equipment recovery, 61 heavy fuel tankers and 10 trucks and trailers for transporting heavy equipment, according to the Pentagon.
For the portion of the package to be procured with USAI funds, Ukraine is set to receive more munitions for Raytheon and Kongsberg’s NASAMS air defense systems, which utilizes Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles.
USAI funds will also be used for nine “counter-Unmanned Aerial System 30mm gun trucks” and 10 “mobile c-UAS laser-guided rocket systems,” while the Pentagon has not offered details on the specifics for those counter-drone capabilities.
The USAI portion of the new assistance also covers three air surveillance radars, 30mm and 23mm anti-aircraft ammunition, 130mm and 122mm artillery rounds, 122mm GRAD rockets, rocket launchers and ammunition, 120mm and 81mm mortar systems, 120mm, 81mm, and 60mm mortar rounds, 120mm tank ammunition, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin’s Javelin anti-armor missiles, anti-armor rockets, precision aerial munitions and approximately 3,600 small arms and more than 23,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, according to the Pentagon.
Ukraine is also set to receive seven tactical vehicles to recover equipment, eight heavy fuel tankers and 105 fuel trailers, armored bridging systems, four logistics support vehicles, trucks and 10 trailers to transport heavy equipment, secure communications equipment and SATCOM terminals and services, according to the Pentagon.