Pentagon officially announces rumored $1 bn military aid for Ukraine

On 24 April, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine, valued at an estimated $1 billion. This follows the same-day signing of a national security supplemental by US President Biden, passed by Congress a day earlier. Signing the bill on $95 billion foreign aid funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan by Biden concluded a half-year-long saga of delaying the assistance by Congressional Republicans. The Pentagon's package, which includes air defense interceptors, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons, marks the Biden Administration's fifty-sixth tranche of equipment provided from DoD inventories to Ukraine since August 2021. The DoD lists the following capabilities as included in the $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine:

• Anti-air ammunition
  • "missiles for air defense": RIM-7 short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system and AIM-9M short-range air-to-air missile;
  • FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air-defense anti-aircraft missiles;
  • "Small arms and additional rounds of small arms ammunition, including .50 caliber rounds to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)";
• Long-range rockets
  • "Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)" - there is no additional data if it includes only GMLRS rockets, or also ATACMS tactical ballistic missile, including the rumored supplies of its long-range variants;
• Artillery ammunition
  • 155mm artillery rounds, including "High Explosive and Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions rounds" - i.e. cluster munitions;
  • 105mm artillery rounds;
  • 60mm mortar rounds;
• Vehicles
  • Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles;
  • Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs);
  • High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);
  • Logistics support vehicles;
  • Tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment;
• Anti-tank weapons, additional gear and equipment
  • Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
  • Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
  • Precision aerial munitions;
  • Airfield support equipment;
  • Anti-armor mines;
  • Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
  • Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; and
  • Night vision devices; and
  • Spare parts, field equipment, training munitions, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.

The Pentagon says that this aid package will "surge munitions, weapons, and equipment forward to support Ukraine's ability to defend its frontlines, protect its cities, and counter Russia's continued attacks."

"With the bipartisan support of Congress, Ukraine can count on strong and resolute US leadership to provide consistent security assistance support – together with some 50 Allies and partners – to ensure its brave defenders receive the critical capabilities needed to fight Russian aggression," the US Department of Defense assures.

Some aid to be transferred within days