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.

The House Armed Services Committee has approved a draft version of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act via a vote of 57 in favor and 1 against, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.

The FY2025 NDAA authorizes $883.7 billion overall for defense spending, with $849.8 billion going to the Department of Defense.

Highlights of the bill include funding for the construction of a second Virginia-class submarine; the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, albeit 10 fewer than the DOD originally requested; and the acquisition of F-15EX fighters in fiscal year 2026.

The bill also contains provisions that call for the audit of an ongoing review of the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program; empower Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli to sanction contractors that perform poorly; and require DOD officials to provide lawmakers clarification on the agency’s Replicator program.

The bill will now have to be voted on by the whole House of Representatives then reconciled with the version that the Senate will produce. The Senate’s committee-level markup of the FY2025 NDAA is expected to begin in June.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected six companies to mature their design concepts for a low-weight autonomous aircraft system with vertical landing and take-off and long endurance leap-ahead capabilities.

AeroVironment, Griffon Aerospace, Karem Aircraft, Method Aeronautics, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin‘s Sikorsky subsidiary will proceed to the next development phase of the AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY, or ANCILLARY, program, DARPA said Wednesday.

“Our performers are searching for innovative ways to increase payload weight and range/endurance of small, ship-launched UAS by means of novel configurations, propulsion, and controls while also removing the need for special infrastructure,” said Steve Komadina, DARPA program manager for ANCILLARY.

During the 10-month Phase Ib, the selected teams will refine their concept designs by reducing system risks and conducting component and configuration hover testing.

DARPA will downselect teams for the detailed design, fabrication and flight testing phase.

“While we anticipate this effort is most likely to support Navy and Marine missions, we have found other services are very interested in the capabilities this technology can bring to diverse missions, including logistics, strike, and special uses by the Army, Air Force, Special Operations Command, and Coast Guard,” Komadina said.