Arms keep pouring in; Ukraine to receive $400 mln worth of aid

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The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today that a presidential drawdown of security assistance worth up to $400 million has been authorized to meet Ukraine's security needs.

Since August 2021, this is the Biden Administration's twenty-sixth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine.

Capabilities in this package include additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS); 150 heavy machine guns with thermal imagery sights to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); 200 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds; 10,000 120mm mortar rounds; high-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs); 150 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs); over 100 light tactical vehicles; over 20,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition; over 200 generators; and spare parts for 105mm Howitzers and other equipment.

The Biden administration has committed more than $19.7 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war.

The US has committed more than $21.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, including more than $19 billion since Russia launched its military operation on February 24.

According to the Defense Ministry, the new package is "to meet Ukraine's evolving battlefield requirements, the US will continue to collaborate with its allies and partners to provide key capabilities to Ukraine."

Read next: US running low on weapons, munition to give Ukraine: CNN

Yesterday, the Pentagon was reported as reconsidering its arms stockpiles. The question is - If another major war were to erupt today, would the United States have enough munition in its stockpiles to hold its ground?

Pentagon planners are being faced with this question as they continue to supply Ukraine amid its war, which could last years, while Washington says it would intervene if a war breaks out in Taiwan.

Ukraine is firing around 7,000 rounds per day, including 155 mm howitzer rounds, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, NASAMS air defense munitions, and thousands of small rounds.

Kiev's firepower is highly dependent on the US government-funded weapons being pushed to the front lines on an almost weekly basis. The Biden administration announced on Wednesday an extra round of aid, which will see 20 million more rounds of small arms ammunition making it to Ukraine.

"We've not been in a position where we've got only a few days of some critical munition left," Michael McCord, the Pentagon comptroller told reporters this month. “But we are now supporting a partner who is.”