US prepares US$6 in arms contracts for Ukrainian Armed Forces – Politico

The United States is finalising the preparation of one of the largest military aid packages for Ukraine to date and is preparing to sign contracts for the supply of weapons and equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine worth up to US$6 billion.

Source: Politico, citing two US officials

Details: The aid package, which may be finalised and announced as early as Friday, will be part of Ukraine's US$61 billion aid package.

Politico wrote that one of the officials and a person familiar with the plans said that it would include Patriot air defence equipment, artillery ammunition, drones, anti-drone weapons and air-to-air missiles, which will be mounted on fighter jets.

The equipment likely won't arrive in Ukraine for several years because the money is allocated under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which contracts with US defence companies to build new equipment for Ukraine rather than buying from existing US stockpiles.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to announce the new aid during a virtual meeting on Friday of the more than 50 countries that make up the Defence Contact Group for Ukraine.

Politico wrote that Moscow fires up to 10 artillery shells in response to every Ukrainian shot, and Kyiv's stockpile is dwindling.

Quote from William LaPlante, Pentagon’s acquisition chief: "The Russians are going to … three shifts a day 24/7 in their defence industry. Depending on who you believe, they’re at 6 to 7 per cent of their GDP is spent on their military; we’re at about 3.2 per cent."

More details: Last month, the Biden administration secretly sent a long-range version of the ATACMS to Ukraine for the first time in the two-year war — and Kyiv has already used the weapon several times to strike deep into Russia's rear.

Quote from Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown said in a discussion at Georgetown University: " "One of the things we’ve been able to see is that when Ukraine is supplied, they’ve been able to be effective."

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