The Pentagon unveils a $100 million security assistance package for Ukraine, featuring Stinger missiles, various munitions, and a HIMARS launcher, potentially prepping for Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb utilization.
On 20 November, the Pentagon announced an additional security assistance package, valued at up to $100 million, to “meet Ukraine’s critical security and defense needs.”
On the same day, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv to meet the country’s political and military leadership.
The announced package includes Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, One High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and additional ammunition, 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems, More than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition, Demolition munitions for obstacle clearing, Cold weather gear, Spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.
“This announcement is the Biden Administration’s fifty-first tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021,” the US Department of Defense said.
One HIMARS launcher
Military experts of the Mil.in.ua portal believe that transferring only one US M142 HIMARS missile launcher may indicate that this equipment will have a unique launcher modification.
According to Mil.in.ua, it is possibly being transferred to use long-range ATACMS missiles secretly supplied to Ukraine. Also, a modified M142 HIMARS was considered for using small-sized precision-guided munitions (GLSDB), produced jointly by SAAB AB and Boeing, which have been under development since 2019.
In June, it became known that the first deliveries of GLSDB ground-based precision-guided missiles to Ukraine would be possible no earlier than autumn.
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