U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies earlier than a U.S. House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee listening to on President Biden’s proposed price range request for the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 23, 2023.
Michael A. McCoy | Reuters
The United States unveiled a $988 million support package deal of recent arms and tools to Ukraine for its ongoing struggle in opposition to Russia’s invasion on Saturday.
The package deal practically halves the accessible $2.21 billion remaining in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative because the Biden administration works to commit to purchasing weapons from business, reasonably than pulling from U.S. weapons shares.
The USAI funds will likely be put towards shopping for ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) made by Lockheed Martin in addition to drones and spare elements to keep up artillery tools, in line with the Pentagon.
Announcement of the package deal got here on Saturday because the protection business and coverage makers meet on the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California.
The Biden administration has usually used Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorizes President Joe Biden to switch extra articles and providers from U.S. shares with out congressional approval throughout an emergency.
The USAI funds are separate and can go to buy new weapons from business.
The Biden administration nonetheless has about $6 billion of congressionally granted presidential drawdown authority, together with funds licensed in 2024 and funds found by the Pentagon after overestimating the worth of arms shipped to Ukraine.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the U.S. has dedicated greater than $62 billion value of safety help to Ukraine.
