20-9-2023 (WASHINGTON) President Joe Biden is set to unveil a $325 million military aid package for Ukraine on Thursday, coinciding with the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington, according to a US official who requested anonymity.
The aid package is expected to include the second installment of cluster munitions used by a 155mm Howitzer cannon. While additional weaponry for Ukraine will be announced during Biden’s meeting with Zelenskyy, the package will not include ATACMS missiles, which had been under discussion.
Ukraine previously received an initial batch of M864 155mm artillery rounds in July 2023. These unguided artillery shells, fired from NATO-standard 155 cannons, have a maximum range of 29km and can carry up to 72 dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) M42 and M46 bomblets. The provision of 155mm artillery rounds with cluster munitions has helped reduce the demand for standard “unitary” 155mm shells, which are also part of this shipment.
Additionally, the United States intends to send more Avenger short-range air defense systems equipped with Stinger missiles, manufactured by RTX, formerly known as Raytheon.
The planned aid package for Ukraine will also include TOW and AT4 anti-tank weapons, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Javelin anti-tank missiles produced by a joint venture between Lockheed and RTX Corp, and other equipment. However, the package’s details are still being finalized and could change.
This aid package is made possible through Presidential Drawdown Authority, allowing President Biden to transfer articles and services from US stocks without the need for congressional approval during emergencies. The materials will be sourced from US excess inventory.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US has provided over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill before holding talks with President Biden at the White House later in the day.
