Login
iscover
Missiles, armoured vehicles, drones, and ammunition are among a new tranche of military equipment to be delivered to Ukraine.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has reported the authorisation of a US$775 million (AU$1.2 billion) presidential drawdown of security assistance to Ukraine, in support of the country’s resistance to Russian aggression.
This latest package includes:
- additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
- 16 105mm Howitzers and 36,000 105mm artillery rounds;
- 15 Scan Eagle Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- 40 MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles with mine rollers;
- additional high-speed anti-radiation missiles;
- 50 armoured high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV);
- 1,500 tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) missiles;
- 1,000 Javelin anti-armour systems;
- 2,000 anti-armour rounds;
- mine-clearing equipment and systems;
- demolition munitions;
- tactical secure communications systems; and
- night vision devices, thermal imagery systems, optics, and laser rangefinders.
This represents the Biden administration’s 19th drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
The total value of the US’ security commitment to Ukraine now exceeds US$10.6 billion (AU$15.3 billion) in security assistance since US President Joe Biden assumed office.
“As President Biden has made clear, we will support Ukraine as they defend their democracy for as long as it takes,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.
“The United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities to meet Ukraine’s evolving battlefield requirements.”
The Biden administration’s latest commitment comes just weeks after a global coalition agreed to enhance the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) after meeting at the Copenhagen Conference.
The United Kingdom is among the contributors, pledging a further £250 million (AU$430 million) during the meeting with co-hosts Denmark and Ukraine.
The funding boost is expected to finance military equipment and other support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), as well as the provision of maintenance and repair of existing kit and training.
Coalition partners also offered to expand and coordinate the international training scheme launched by the UK, which has involved the training of more than 2,300 Ukrainian personnel.
Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Latvia have now agreed to join the initiative, with the Netherlands also previously committing to support the program.
Meanwhile, the UK has also committed to sending further multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Ukraine and a “significant number” of precision guided M31A1 missiles capable of striking targets up to 80 kilometres away.
[Related: International coalition ramps up support for Ukraine]
