US to announce $1.3 bn military aid for Ukraine

The previously unreported weapons package includes air defenses, counter-drone systems, exploding drones, and ammunition, one of the US officials said, according to Reuters. 

The United States is using funds in its Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program, which allows President Joe Biden's administration to buy weapons from industry rather than pull from US weapons stocks.

Among the systems and ammunition the US plans to buy for Kyiv are counter-air defenses made by L3Harris Technologies (LHX.N) called the Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment or VAMPIRE, one of the officials said.

Also included are two different types of loitering munitions, the Phoenix Ghost drone made by AVEVEX, a private company in California, and the Switchblade, made by AeroVironment Inc (AVAV.O).

Additionally, a person briefed on the matter said Ukraine will get a significant number of counter-drone systems made by Australia's DroneShield Ltd (DRO.AX) alongside radars, sensors and analysis systems.

The US Department of Defense's impending announcement of the security assistance to Ukraine comes alongside a virtual meeting on Tuesday of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a gathering of allies assisting Kyiv as Ukraine presses its counteroffensive against Russia.

Delivery of the weapons and systems depends on their availability and production timeline. The contents and value of the package may also change up until the announcement.

The Pentagon has provided more than $10.8 billion in security assistance for Ukraine under the USAI in fiscal 2023, in seven separate tranches. The planned package would be the eighth. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2022, Washington put $6.3 billion worth of USAI funds to work buying for Ukraine's defense.

Western countries have been supplying military aid to Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022. The aid evolved from artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023.

The Kremlin, in turn, has repeatedly warned against continued arms deliveries to Kyiv. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.

SKH/PR