The U.S. has approved $425 million in new weapons aid for Ukraine, with the latest package officially using up the Pentagon’s remaining Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
The new security assistance package is split between $125 million in capabilities to be pulled from current U.S. stockpiles and $300 million in USAI funds that will be used to procure “additional laser-guided munitions to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems” for Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The Pentagon’s confirmation it has now exhausted its remaining USAI funds follows White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s recent comments to reporters that the U.S. has “nearly run out” of previously appropriated funding for Ukraine aid and authorities related to supporting Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia’s invasion.
The White House’s new $106 billion supplemental spending request has $61.4 billion for continued Ukraine support, to include another $12 billion for USAI, which are funds used to procure equipment from industry to be transferred to Ukraine (Defense Daily, Oct. 20).
“The administration continues to call on Congress to meet its commitment to the people of Ukraine by passing additional funding to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself against Russia’s brutal war of choice,” the Pentagon said in a statement on Friday.
For the $125 million drawdown portion of Friday’s package, which is the 50th batch of equipment pulled from current DoD inventories, Ukraine is set to receive additional munitions for RTX [RTX] and Kongsberg’s NASAMS air defense systems and for the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built HIMARS launchers.
The U.S. will also provide more 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, TOW missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems, more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades, M181A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitions and 12 trucks to transport heavy equipment, according to the Pentagon.
Friday’s drawdown package is the latest to be funded from the additional $6.2 billion the Pentagon discovered after it overestimated the value of earlier aid provided to Ukraine.
The Pentagon did not specify the specific laser-guided munitions to be procured using the $300 million in USAI funds, while noting they will “strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses over the long term.”
The U.S. has previously included L3Harris’ [LHX] Vampire counter-drone system in an earlier USAI package for Ukraine, which can be equipped to fire APKWS-converted rockets or other laser-guided munitions.