The Department of Defense will provide additional capabilities to Ukraine under a $275 million security assistance package.
Produced using Presidential Drawdown Authorities, the new aid package will support Ukraine’s response to the Russian assault near Kharkiv, the DOD said Friday.
This package will pull from DOD inventories and include ammunition from High Mobility Artillery Rocket systems, 155 millimeter and 105 millimeter artillery rounds and 60 millimeter mortar rounds. It will also contain Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems and precision aerial munitions as well as small arms, small arms ammunition and grenades.
Other capabilities set for delivery include demolitions munitions, anti-armor mines and tactical vehicles to recover equipment. The DOD will additionally provide helmets and body armor as well as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear protective equipment and spare parts.
The new assistance package marks the 58th round of equipment from DOD stock to be supplied to Ukraine since August 2021. In total, the Biden administration has sent over $51 billion to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February 2022.
According to William LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a two-time Wash100 Award recipient, the defense industrial base has also been an important contributor to U.S. support for Ukraine.
As the DOD ships out equipment from its inventories, new capabilities must be acquired to maintain military readiness. That is where industry comes in.
The “truly historic” response from the industrial base, LaPlante said, has been “a nationwide effort that spans the full spectrum of our supply chains in nearly every capability area.”
Industry’s participation in these endeavors has played a role in the DOD’s wider work to rejuvenate the U.S. defense industrial base.
Join us at the Potomac Officers Club’s first-ever GovCon International Summit on October 10th for a closer look into the role of industry in today’s complex geopolitical landscape. To learn more and register to attend the event, visit the GovCon International Summit event page on the POC website.
