WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) – America will announce within the coming days a brand new pledge to buy $1.3 billion in army assist to Kiev in its battle with Russia, two U.S. officers stated.
The beforehand unreported weapons package deal consists of air defenses, counter-drone methods, explosive drones and munitions, one of many US officers stated.
America is utilizing funds by way of its Ukraine Safety Help Initiative (USAI) program, which permits President Joe Biden’s administration to purchase weapons from business reasonably than dipping into arms stockpiles People.
Among the many methods and ordnance the US plans to purchase for Kiev are anti-aircraft defenses made by L3Harris Applied sciences (LHX.N) known as Automobile-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Tools or VAMPIRE, one of many accountable.
Additionally included are two various kinds of roving ammunition, the Phoenix Ghost drone made by AVEVEX, a non-public firm in California, and the Switchblade, made by AeroVironment Inc (AVAV.O).
Moreover, an individual briefed on this stated that Ukraine will get a big variety of counter-drone methods made by Australia’s DroneShield Ltd (DRO.AX) alongside radar, sensors and evaluation methods. .
The U.S. Division of Protection’s impending announcement of safety help to Ukraine comes alongside a digital assembly on Tuesday of the Ukrainian Protection Contact Group, a gathering of allies serving to Kiev because the Ukraine continues its counter-offensive towards the invading Russian forces.
The supply of weapons and methods is dependent upon their availability and the manufacturing schedule. Package deal content material and worth might also change till introduced.
The Pentagon offered greater than $10.8 billion in safety help to Ukraine beneath USAI in fiscal 12 months 2023, in seven separate tranches. The deliberate package deal could be the eighth. Within the fiscal 12 months that ended Sept. 30, 2022, Washington invested $6.3 billion in USAI funds to buy protection funds for Ukraine.
Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington Enhancing by Don Durfee and Angus MacSwan
Our requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.