As part of the increase in security assistance announced by President Biden on September 26, designed to strengthen Ukraine’s position against Russian invasion as much as possible and ahead of a possible change in strategy under President-elect Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has communicated a new military aid package.
This constitutes the seventy-first shipment of equipment delivered by the Biden administration to Ukraine since August 2021, using resources from DoD inventories. Under Presidential Reduction Authority (PDA), this package, valued at approximately $725 million, includes key capabilities to address Ukraine’s most urgent needs, highlighted by air defense systems, rocket and artillery ammunition, and anti-tank weaponry.
Weapons and ammunition systems included in the military aid package:
- Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
- Stinger missiles;
- Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions;
- Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
- 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
- Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS);
- Non-persistent land mines;
- Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles;
- Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
- Small arms and ammunition;
- Demolitions equipment and munitions;
- Equipment to protect critical national infrastructure; and
- Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
This new delivery seeks to reinforce the most immediate defensive needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the face of the advancing Russian offensive.
Summary of total military aid delivered to Ukraine by the US.
Since the start of the Biden administration, the United States has committed more than $62 billion in military assistance, of which approximately $61.4 billion has been committed since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.
Detail of military aid delivered to Ukraine, as reported by DoD:
Air Defense
- Three Patriot air defense batteries and ammunition.
- 12 National Advanced National Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and ammunition.
- HAWK air defense systems and ammunition.
- AIM-7, RIM-7 and AIM-9M air defense missiles.
- More than 3,000 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
- Avenger air defense systems.
- VAMPIRE systems to counter drones (c-UAS) and munitions.
- c-UAS vehicles with cannons and munitions.
- c-UAS mobile laser-guided rocket systems.
- Other c-UAS equipment.
- Anti-aircraft guns and ammunition.
- Air defense system components.
- Equipment to integrate Western launchers, missiles and radars with Ukrainian systems.
- Equipment to support and maintain Ukraine’s current air defense capabilities.
- 21 air surveillance radars.
Artillery
- More than 40 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and ammunition;
- Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb launchers and guided rockets;
- More than 200 155mm Howitzers and more than 3,000,000 155mm artillery rounds;
- More than 7,000 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds;
- More than 70,000 155mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems;
- 72 105mm Howitzers and more than 800,000 105mm artillery rounds;
- 10,000 203mm artillery rounds;
- More than 400,000 152mm artillery rounds;
- Approximately 40,000 130mm artillery rounds;
- 40,000 122mm artillery rounds;
- 60,000 122mm GRAD rockets;
- More than 300 mortar systems;
- More than 700,000 mortar rounds;
- More than 100 counter-artillery and counter-mortar radars; and
- More than 50 multi-mission radars;
Armor and ground maneuver
- 31 Abrams tanks;
- 45 T-72B tanks;
- More than 300 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles;
- Four Bradley Fire Support Team vehicles;
- More than 400 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers;
- More than 900 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers;
- More than 400 M1117 Armored Security Vehicles;
- More than 1,000 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles;
- More than 5,000 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);
- More than 200 light tactical vehicles;
- 300 armored medical treatment vehicles;
- 80 trucks and more than 200 trailers to transport heavy equipment;
- More than 1,000 tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment;
- 153 tactical vehicles to recover equipment;
- 10 command post vehicles;
- 30 ammunition support vehicles;
- 27 armored bridging systems;
- 20 logistics support vehicles and equipment;
- 239 fuel tankers and 105 fuel trailers;
- 58 water trailers;
- Six armored utility trucks;
- 125mm, 120mm, and 105mm tank ammunition;
- More than 1,800,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition; and
- Mine clearing equipment.
Aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS)
- 20 Mi-17 helicopters;
- Switchblade, Phoenix Ghost, CyberLux K8, Altius-600, Jump-20, Hornet, Puma, Scan Eagle, Penguin and Raven unmanned systems;
- Two UAS radars;
- High velocity anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);
- Air-to-ground munitions;
- More than 6,000 Zuni air rockets;
- More than 20,000 Hydra-70 aerial rockets;
- Ammunition for UAS;
Anti-armor weapons and light armaments
- More than 10,000 Javelin anti-armor systems;
- More than 120,000 other anti-armor systems and munitions;
- More than 10,000 Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
- More than 50,000 grenade launchers and small arms;
- More than 500,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades;
- Laser-guided rocket systems and munitions;
- Rocket launchers and ammunition; and
- Anti-armor mines.
Maritime capabilities
- Two Harpoon coastal defense systems and anti-ship missiles;
- More than 100 coastal and riverine patrol boats;
- Unmanned Coastal Defense Vessels; and
- Port and harbor security equipment.
Other capabilities
- M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
- C-4 explosives, demolition munitions, and demolition equipment for obstacle clearing;
- Obstacle emplacement equipment;
- Counter air defense capability;
- More than 100,000 sets of body armor and helmets;
- Tactical secure communications systems and support equipment;
- Four satellite communications (SATCOM) antennas;
- SATCOM terminals and services;
- Electronic warfare (EW) and counter-EW equipment;
- Commercial satellite imagery services;
- Night vision devices, surveillance and thermal imagery systems, optics, and rangefinders;
- Equipment to protect critical national infrastructure;
- Explosive ordnance disposal equipment and protective gear;
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment;
- Medical supplies, including first aid kits, bandages, monitors, and other equipment;
- Field equipment, cold weather gear, generators, and spare parts; and
- Support for training, maintenance, and sustainment activities.
See also: Ukraine hits S-400 systems in Kursk with ATACMS missiles: Russia confirms damage
Although the listed equipment represents exclusively the direct military aid provided by the United States, without including the contributions from other countries allied with Ukraine, it clearly illustrates the magnitude of the resources involved in a high-intensity conflict like this. The staggering amount of vehicles and ammunition deployed and eventually lost on the battlefield highlights the enormous material cost, not to mention the incalculable human cost that accompanies this type of near-total confrontation
