The Biden administration on Wednesday announced what it said was the largest military aid package for Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion six months ago. The announcement coincided with Ukrainian Independence Day, and Pentagon officials said the aid was intended to show Russian President Vladimir Putin that waiting for reduced Western support in Ukraine would not work. The US has committed more than $13.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since January 2021 to help it defend itself against Russia’s larger and better-equipped military. Previous aid packages approved by President Joe Biden have provided Ukraine with stockpiles of US weapons and equipment. The newest package would allow the US to procure weapons from arms manufacturers that would pass through Ukraine. Officers from Kazakhstan examine the Orlan-30 multifunctional drone system at the International Military Technical Forum “Army 2022”, on August 15, 2022, in Kubinka, outside Moscow. The US has announced a new military aid package to Ukraine that includes an anti-drone system. Contributor/Getty Images “This will allow Ukraine to acquire air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions, anti-drone aerial systems and radars to ensure that it continues to defend itself in the long term,” Biden said in a statement congratulating Ukraine on resisting the Russian invasion. . The new aid package includes ‘VAMPIRE Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems’ to the Ukrainians. Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, described it as “a kinetic system. It uses small missiles essentially to launch (unmanned aerial systems) out of the sky.” Unmanned aerial systems or ‘drones’ have played an important role in warfare. Ukraine and Russia actively sought drones from allied countries. Kahl provided few other details about the anti-drone system, including its manufacturer and how it fits into the broader strategy of helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia. However, L3 Harris, an American weapons manufacturer, confirmed to Breaking Defense that it was the manufacturer of VAMPIRE, “Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment.” The company told the news agency that the system includes a four-barrel rocket launcher and a suite of sensors designed for easy installation on trucks and commercial vehicles. The company said in a statement to the agency that the system means Ukraine will have “even stronger capabilities as it continues to defend its country and democracy in Europe.” The new US aid package will also include surface-to-air missile systems, including up to 245,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition and up to 65,000 rounds of 120 mm mortar ammunition. In addition, the US will supply Ukraine with 24 anti-aircraft radars, Unmanned Aerial Systems Puma and support equipment for Scan Eagle unmanned aerial systems, according to the Pentagon. Training and maintenance of the new weapon systems will also be covered. “The package of capabilities here is really aimed at getting Ukraine what it will need in the medium to long term,” Kahl said. “So it has nothing to do with the match today, tomorrow, next week.” Instead, Kahl said the aid is intended to bolster Ukraine’s defenses a year or two from now in response to Putin’s refusal to budge on his territorial ambitions for the former Soviet republic. Previous military aid packages were aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s immediate defenses, Kahl said. With the Pentagon committed to playing a long game with Russia, he said Ukraine’s military would be rooted in a smaller number of systems that are easier to maintain and maintain. Newsweek has contacted L3 Harris for comment.
