The U.S. has approved a new $300 million weapons aid package for Ukraine, with the new deal including munitions for unmanned aerial systems.
The latest security assistance deal, the 39th package of equipment drawn from current Pentagon inventories, arrives as Ukraine prepares for an upcoming counteroffensive operation and follows DoD’s discovery that it had miscalculated the value of weapons provided to Kyiv by $3 billion.
“[This package] includes key capabilities to support Ukraine’s air defenders as they bravely protect Ukraine’s soldiers, civilians, and critical infrastructure amid Russia’s continuing air strikes killing civilians across Ukraine,” the Pentagon wrote in a statement on Wednesday detailing the new package.
The Pentagon did not specify the munitions to be provided for drones, and the new package also includes delivering “precision aerial munitions.”
The latest deal also includes more munitions for Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built HIMARS launchers and Raytheon Technologies’ [RTX] Patriot air defense systems.
Earlier in May, the Pentagon confirmed that Ukraine had successfully used the Patriot to take out a Russian Kinzhal missile, which has been described as having the ability to operate at hypersonic speeds (Defense Daily, May 9).
Wednesday’s package also includes Raytheon’s AIM-7 and Stinger missiles, Zuni aircraft rockets, AT-4 anti-armor systems, mine clearing equipment, demolition munitions for obstacle clearing and night vision devices, according to the Pentagon.
Ukraine will also receive more 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 105mm tank ammunition and over 30 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairs of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, said in a recent statement the Pentagon’s $3 billion accounting error overvaluing Ukraine aid was “extremely problematic, to say the least” (Defense Daily, May 22).
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week Denmark and the Netherlands would also lead an upcoming international effort to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, with the U.S., Norway, Belgium, Portugal and Poland also planning to participate in the initiative (Defense Daily, May 25).