The US Department of Defence (DoD) announced a $150 million security assistance package to provide Ukraine with key capabilities, including additional air defence interceptors, artillery and other fires, and anti-tank weapons today. In addition, The Biden Administration is announcing a significant package of air defence interceptors using approximately $2.2 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds. According to the DoD, this funding will be used to purchase interceptors for PATRIOT and NASAMS air defence systems for Ukraine.
As previously announced, the Biden Administration plans to accelerate the delivery of these munitions by re-sequencing upcoming Foreign Military Sales deliveries for Ukraine. As a result, Ukraine will be provided with the interceptors it urgently needs to protect its people and critical infrastructure against Russia’s aerial attacks, the US Department of Defence said.
The PDA package is the Biden Administration’s sixtieth tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. The capabilities in the PDA package include missiles for HAWK air defence systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 81mm mortar rounds, tube-launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles, javelin and AT-4 anti-armour systems, small arms ammunition and grenades, demolitions equipment and munitions, tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment, tactical air navigation systems and aircraft support equipment, and, spare parts, maintenance, and other field and ancillary equipment.
The US has been announcing regular packages for Ukraine since Congress passed legislation that approved nearly $61 billion in aid for Ukraine earlier this year. The US recently moved Ukraine to the top of the list to receive air defence capabilities, putting it ahead of other countries that may have already been in line to receive them.
The announcement comes just weeks after the US and Ukraine signed a long-term bilateral security pact that commits the US to 10 years of training Ukraine’s armed forces, providing military assistance and increasing intelligence sharing. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meet with his Ukrainian counterpart at the Pentagon stated that his country will soon announce a $2.3 billion worth of security assistance for Ukraine to help the embattled country defend itself from Russia on Tuesday. It also comes one week before the NATO summit held in Washington, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that they would “take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine.” Austin also stated that steps will be taken to build a bridge for Ukraine’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) membership.
Team BharatShakti
