On June 1, 2022, US President Joe Biden announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine. According to the US Department of Defense, the volume of the new package is $ 700 million. The total amount of US military aid officially allocated to Kiev since the beginning of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 now reaches $4.6 billion. The most significant element of the new package of military assistance to Ukraine will be the provision of ground-based missile systems M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) with high-precision GMLRS missiles, which has long been sought by the Ukrainian side.
The M142 combat vehicle of the HIMARS missile system of the US Marine Corps fires practical missiles at the Camp Lejeune training ground (North Carolina), 04.04.2022 (c) the US Department of Defense
In a statement, US President Biden said:
"The people of Ukraine continue to inspire the world with their courage and determination, fighting courageously to defend their country and their democracy from Russian aggression. The United States will support our Ukrainian partners and continue to provide Ukraine with weapons and equipment for self-defense.
Today I am announcing an important new security assistance package to provide timely and necessary assistance to the Ukrainian military. Thanks to additional funding for Ukraine, adopted with overwhelming bipartisan support in the US Congress, the United States will be able to continue to provide Ukraine with more weapons, which it uses so effectively to repel Russian attacks. This new package will equip them with new capabilities and advanced weapons, including HIMARS with tactical-range ammunition [battlefield munitions - underlined - bmpd], to protect their territory from the Russian offensive. We will continue to lead the world by providing historical assistance to Ukraine in its struggle for freedom."
According to the press releases of the US Department of Defense, the delivery of the specified new package will include:
- four combat vehicles of the HIMARS missile system with high-precision GMLRS missiles;
- five radar stations for detecting artillery positions;
- two air target detection radars;
- 50 launchers and 6000 anti-tank guided missiles of the Javelin anti-tank missile system;
- 6000 units of anti-tank weapons (probably referring to disposable M72 LAW hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers);
- 15,000 artillery rounds of 155 mm caliber;
- four Mi-17 helicopters;
- 15 "tactical vehicles" (possibly referring to JLTV armored vehicles);
- spare parts and other property.
The US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs, Colin H. Kahl, stated that "in order to ensure the fastest possible delivery of HIMARS complexes to Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense has previously transferred these complexes to Europe in anticipation of the president's decision regarding the approval of their transfer to Ukraine." According to Kal, before the transfer of the complexes, the United States will conduct training of Ukrainian personnel for them, and that it "will take about three weeks."
From the bmpd side, we point out that when announcing the decision to supply HIMARS complexes to Ukraine, American representatives place special emphasis on the fact that the complexes are transferred only with GMLRS "tactical missiles", and ATACMS operational and tactical missiles are not transferred. This is due to the concern of the American government about the possibility of using such missiles by the armed forces of Ukraine to launch strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation, which could "cause escalation." Nevertheless, it seems that this decision is temporary, and ATACMS missiles will sooner or later be transferred to Ukraine, along with additional HIMARS complexes.