US announces new 2.6 billion USD package of military aid for Ukraine

On 4 April 2023, the United States announced a new $2.6 billion package of military aid for Ukraine. New security assistance for Ukraine includes the authorization of the US Presidential Drawdown of security assistance with more ammunition for US-provided HIMARS, air defense interceptors, and artillery rounds that Ukraine is using to defend itself, as well as anti-armor systems, small arms, heavy equipment transport vehicles, and maintenance support essential to strengthening Ukraine's defenders on the battlefield valued at up to $500 million, the US Department of Defense said. In addition, Ukraine is provided with a significant package of air defense capabilities and artillery and tank ammunition, mortar systems, rockets, and anti-armor systems within the framework of $2.1 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds. Unlike the US Presidential Drawdown, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry rather than delivering equipment drawn down from the US Department of Defense stocks. The announcement of the current USAI package represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional capabilities to Ukraine's Armed Forces, the US Department of Defense said. The latest military aid includes:

• Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems;
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155-mm and 105-mm artillery rounds;
• 120-mm mortar rounds;
• 120-mm and 105-mm tank ammunition;
• 25-mm ammunition;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Approximately 400 grenade launchers and 200,000 rounds of ammunition;
• 11 tactical vehicles to recover equipment;
• 61 heavy fuel tankers;
• Ten trucks and ten trailers to transport heavy equipment;
• Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair;
• Spare parts and other field equipment;
• Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
• Nine counter-Unmanned Aerial System 30mm gun trucks;
• Ten mobile c-UAS laser-guided rocket systems;
• Three air surveillance radars;
• 30-mm and 23-mm anti-aircraft ammunition;
• 130-mm and 122-mm artillery rounds;
• 122-mm GRAD rockets;
• Rocket launchers and ammunition;
• 120-mm and 81-mm mortar systems;
• 120-mm, 81-mm, and 60-mm mortar rounds;
• 120-mm tank ammunition;
• Javelin anti-armor systems;
• Anti-armor rockets;
• Precision aerial munitions;
• Approximately 3,600 small arms and more than 23,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition;
• Seven tactical vehicles to recover equipment;
• Eight heavy fuel tankers and 105 fuel trailers;
• Armored bridging systems;
• Four logistics support vehicles;
• Trucks and ten trailers to transport heavy equipment;
• Secure communications equipment;
• SATCOM terminals and services;
• Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.

"The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," the US Department of Defense announced.

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