On February 3, 2023, the US Department of Defense announced the provision of a new large-scale package of US military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 2.175 billion, which included, for the first time, GLSDB long-range ground-based missile systems. The total amount of US military assistance officially allocated to Kiev since the beginning of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 now amounts to more than $ 29.3 billion, and the total amount of US military assistance to Ukraine since 2014 has exceeded $ 32 billion.
Image of the warhead (small-sized guided aircraft bomb Boeing GBU-39 SDB) of the Boeing/Saab GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) long-range ground missile system in flight (c) frame from the Saab AB videoThe new package of military assistance to Ukraine is divided into two parts.
The bulk of its $ 1.75 billion is allocated within the framework of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), that is, the military equipment provided under it will be ordered by industry, and not transferred from the presence of the US armed forces. The second part of $ 425 million is allocated by the orders of the US President within his administrative powers (Presidential Drawdown of Security Assistance - PDA) and is an operational allocation of property from the presence of the US Department of Defense. This is the 31st presidential package of military assistance to Ukraine under the PDA from August 2021.
According to the information of the US Department of Defense, within the framework of this package, Ukraine should be provided with:
- an unnamed number of Precision-guided missiles - which, as confirmed by the press secretary of the US Department of Defense, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, are missiles of the new long-range Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which should be used from combat vehicles of the M142 HIMARS missile system;
- two firing sections of the HAWK medium-range anti-aircraft missile system;
- unnamed anti-aircraft artillery installations and ammunition for them:
- equipment for the integration of Western anti-aircraft missile systems (including launchers, anti-aircraft guided missiles and radar stations) with Ukrainian air defense systems;
- equipment to maintain the existing air defense capabilities of Ukraine;
- generators for air defense systems;
- complexes for combating unmanned aerial vehicles;
- four radar stations for detecting aerial targets;
- 20 radar stations for detecting mortar positions;
- spare parts for radar stations for detecting artillery positions;
- AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma unmanned aerial systems;
- secure radio communication equipment;
- medical equipment;
- financial resources for training, maintenance and technical support.
As part of this package, the PDA should be provided to Ukraine from the presence of the US Department of Defense:
- an unnamed additional number of GMLRS precision guided missiles for HIMARS missile systems;
- 181 MRAP class wheeled armored vehicle of unspecified type;
- an unnamed number of 155 mm artillery rounds;
- an unnamed number of 120 mm mortar shells;
- 190 12.7 mm machine guns with thermal imaging sights and ammunition to combat unmanned aerial vehicles;
- 250 Javelin anti-tank missile systems;
- 2000 disposable hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers;
- Claymore directional anti-personnel mines;
- subversive property;
- cold weather uniforms, protective helmets and other field equipment.
First of all, this assistance package highlights, finally, the provision of new long-range high-precision Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) missiles to Ukraine, which has been discussed since November . The GLSDB firing range, as stated, reaches 150-160 km, which will give the armed forces of Ukraine new opportunities for long-range high-precision target destruction. At the same time, the American media report that due to the fact that the serial production of the GLSDB has yet to be organized by the Boeing Corporation, this weapon will actually arrive in Ukraine no earlier than 9 months after Boeing received the corresponding contract from the US Department of Defense - that is, apparently by the end of 2023. In addition, the combat vehicles of the M142 HIMARS missile system already transferred to Ukraine are incompatible with GLSDB missiles (apparently at the software level), and new modified HIMARS combat vehicles will be provided to Ukraine for combat use of the GLSDB in the spring of 2023.
He also draws attention to the fact that since the current announcement, the United States has stopped disclosing the number of artillery ammunition transferred to Ukraine.
A map showing the capabilities of the Ukrainian side in the range of GMLRS guided missiles (up to 90 km, light orange background) and GLSDB missiles planned for delivery (up to 150 km, orange background), in part of the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces (excluding the territory of the Russian Federation) (c) Reuters
