The Pentagon has announced a major new US military package for Ukraine. According to the US Department of Defense, it will cover critical elements of air defense, conventional and long-range missiles. These are GLSDB missiles with a range of 150 kilometers. The value of the aid exceeds two billion dollars.
US Presidential Administration Joe Biden announced on Friday a new military aid package for Ukraine worth nearly $2.2 billion in total. For the first time, it will include “precision guided rockets”.
In addition to the rockets, the package also includes e.g. two Hawk air defense kits, anti-aircraft guns, anti-drone systems, Puma drones, equipment needed to integrate Western air defense systems and four airborne radars. USA They will also give Ukraine additional ammunition for HIMARS systems, 181 MRAP armored vehicles, additional artillery ammunition and 250 Javelin anti-tank missiles.
GLSDB missiles will go to Ukraine. what are they?
Spokesman Pentagon Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed during a press conference that Washington would provide Kiev with Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) systems. These are missiles fired from HIMARS and MLRS launchers, combining M26 rocket motors with small SDB aerial bombs and enabling precision strikes at ranges of up to 150 km. The missiles launched from HIMARS, which were previously owned by Ukraine, had a range of 70-80 km. Most of the package – USD 1.75 billion out of almost USD 2.2 billion – will be transferred under the Ukraine Assistance Security Initiative (USAI) program, i.e. the weapons will be obtained from manufacturers and not transferred from US warehouses, which usually means longer delivery times. This is the 32nd arms package for Ukraine donated by the US. The total value of the equipment promised by the US since February 2022, the beginning of the Russian invasion, is over $29.3 billion.
Main photo source: Copyright Saab AB