The US Defense Department has announced another round of immediate military assistance for Ukraine, which will include missiles for the recently-delivered Hawk air-defense systems and more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) ammunition.
Announced by the Pentagon on November 10, the latest round of assistance is a presidential drawdown, which allows the department to draw the equipment directly from its stocks.
The US is also helping Ukraine via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the US to procure capabilities from industry with the aim of providing capabilities to Ukraine in the mid- and long-term.
The November 10 presidential drawdown is valued at up to $400 million and represents the twenty-fifth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
In addition to missiles for Hawk air defense systems and HIMARS ammo, capabilities in this package include four Avenger air defense systems and Stinger missiles, 21,000 155mm artillery rounds and 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds, 120mm mortar rounds, another 100 Humvees, and 400 grenade launchers.
Other equipment includes small arms, optics, and more than 20,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, demolition equipment for obstacle clearing, and cold weather protective gear.
“With Russia’s unrelenting and brutal air attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure, additional air defense capabilities are critical. The Hawk missiles, which will be refurbished using Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds, will complement Spain’s recent commitment of Hawk launchers to help Ukraine meet this threat,” the Pentagon announcement said.
“The Avenger short-range air defense systems will also provide Ukraine with capability to protect Ukrainian troops and critical infrastructure against unmanned aerial systems and helicopters.
In total, the United States has committed more than $19.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration.
