The Pentagon committed an additional $2.1 billion in a long-term arms package for Ukraine that will provide air defense systems, artillery munitions, hand-launched drones and laser-guided rockets.
(Bloomberg) — The Pentagon committed an additional $2.1 billion in a long-term arms package for Ukraine that will provide air defense systems, artillery munitions, hand-launched drones and laser-guided rockets.
The money will bankroll the purchase of Hawk launchers and missiles, two types of advanced Patriot air-defense missiles and Puma reconnaissance drones as well as an unspecified number of 105mm and 203mm artillery rounds, according to a Pentagon statement and Biden administration officials.
“This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine” under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the Defense Department said.
Air defense has been a top priority for Ukraine to defend against Russia’s air-and ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles attacking cities and to provide cover from Russian aircraft as Ukraine begins its long-awaited counteroffensive.
But much of the equipment announced Friday won’t be delivered for months — or possibly years — because it will have to be put under contract and produced, unlike the Presidential Drawdown Authority that is providing weapons from US inventories for more immediate battlefield impact.
Before Friday’s announcement, the Defense Department had committed $14.6 billion of the $19 billion appropriated by Congress for the security initiative, and $5.6 billion of that was under contract.
After the $19 billion runs out, President Joe Biden said Thursday, he’s confident he can work with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to continue providing US assistance to Ukraine. The Republican leader indicated this week that he may not back a new supplemental funding package for the war on top of the Pentagon’s regular budget.
Earlier: Pentagon Readies New $2 Billion Ukraine Air Defense Package
“The fact of the matter is that I believe we’ll have the funding necessary to support Ukraine as long as it takes, and I believe that we’re going to add support” as needed, Biden told reporters at a news conference alongside visiting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Patriot Missiles
According to US officials, one of the weapons in the new package is the Patriot Advanced Capability Missile-3, or Pac-3, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp. The other is called the Guidance Enhanced Missile, or GEM-T, made by Raytheon Technologies Corp that it says “provides improved ability to defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or enemy aircraft in complement to the PAC-3 missile.”
The US announced in November that it would supply Hawk systems from its own inventories but they would need to be refurbished with funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
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