The Biden administration has already sent five Mi-17 helicopters, more than 2,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 70 Humvees, along with 40 million rounds of ammunition, as well as hundreds and hundreds of small arms, to Ukrainian fighters, according to a list obtained by the DailyMail. .com.
As Ukraine desperately tries to contain the Russian invaders, it shows how much military aid has already been brought in from the Pentagon’s stockpile.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled another aid package to Ukraine including 9,000 anti-tank systems, drones and 7,000 small arms, but he is still being asked to do more, including helping Poland supply its MiG-29 fighter jets.
While other countries trumpeted their arms transfers, the Pentagon remained silent, fearful of divulging too much information about Ukraine’s capabilities.
But the list circulated in Congress details the aid the US has sent so far:
Over 600 Stinger anti-aircraft systems
The Stinger missiles prevented Russia from claiming air superiority over Ukraine. Instead, its air force fired cruise missiles into Russian airspace so as not to risk being shot down.
Senior Pentagon officials say Russia has failed to establish air supremacy over Ukraine. Part of the reason is that they launch cruise missiles in their airspace for fear of being hit by Stinger missiles.
These are surface-to-air missiles with infrared homing, which can be launched from the shoulder.
It carries an explosive warhead that can accelerate to twice the speed of sound and can hit targets nearly three miles away.
About 2600 Javelin anti-tank systems.
A Ukrainian serviceman carries a Javelin missile system to a frontline position in the northern part of the Kiev region. Javelins helped stop the advance of Russian armored vehicles on Kyiv
Mobile Ukrainian units have developed effective hit-and-run tactics against Russian tanks and armored vehicles.
This is partly due to their maneuverability and speed, and partly due to the use of Javelin missiles.
It features a fire-and-forget design that allows operators to slip for cover while the missile uses infrared technology to guide the target. It also has the ability to arrive from above, where tanks have the thinnest armor.
Five Mi-17 helicopters
Five Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters were transferred from the defunct Afghan Air Force to Ukraine, probably for use as transport.
This Russian-made helicopter has been produced since 1975.
They have been used by the Afghan air force, and five of them were withdrawn last year as part of the US troop withdrawal and flown to Ukraine, where pilots are familiar with Soviet-era aircraft.
It is used primarily as a transport, but armed versions of warships are used around the world.
Three patrol boats
Three former US Coast Guard Island-class patrol boats delivered to Ukraine
Last year, two converted US Coast Guard patrol boats were delivered to support the Ukrainian Navy.
The two Island-class boats have a top speed of nearly 30 knots, and Reuters reported that Ukrainian sailors have already been trained on the ships in the United States.
Four radars for tracking anti-artillery and unmanned aerial systems.
The anti-battery radar can detect enemy batteries up to 30 miles away depending on the weather and terrain.
small hands
Along with larger weapons, the US sent 200 grenade launchers, 200 shotguns, and 200 machine guns.
In total, nearly 40 million small arms rounds and more than a million grenades, mortars and artillery shells were delivered.
70 Hummers and other vehicles
70 Humvees have been sent to Ukraine along with dozens of other vehicles as Ukraine strikes against the defenses of its major cities.
The High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle is a highly mobile, high performance air-drop tactical vehicle family. He is better known as Humvee.
It has been in service with the US military since 1983 and, when fully loaded, has a top speed of 55 miles per hour.
At least 35 such vehicles were received last year, and in total about 70 Hummers were sent to Ukraine.
The fact sheet lists many other non-lethal items, including bulletproof vests and hard hats, secure communications equipment, medical supplies, and demining equipment.
And it also alludes to intelligence sharing by listing “satellite imagery and analysis capabilities.”
The US has already provided about $1 billion in aid, and that’s not all.
“Safety assistance deliveries are ongoing and we are working to expedite the delivery of additional equipment as quickly as possible,” reads the fact sheet.
“In the past two weeks alone, the United States has provided more than $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine. In the coming days, the administration is ready to approve additional support for Ukrainian defenders on the front lines.”
A day earlier, Biden signed a funding bill that included another $3 billion in arms and military aid for Ukraine.
And on Wednesday, he described the impact of the weapons he had already sent.
“As soon as the war began, we immediately sent 350 million additional funds to further meet their needs: hundreds of anti-aircraft systems, thousands of anti-tank guns, transport helicopters, armed patrol boats and other highly mobile vehicles, radar systems that help track incoming artillery and unmanned aerial vehicles. devices, secure communication equipment and tactical equipment, satellite imagery and analytical capabilities,” he said.
“And it clearly helped Ukraine inflict dramatic losses on Russian troops.”
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Congress with a sincere request for additional assistance, saying that his country is experiencing its own version of the events of September 11 and Pearl Harbor every day.
He also demanded that President Joe Biden become the “leader of the free world” by imposing additional sanctions on Russia and sending in fighter jets.
“I’m talking to President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, your great nation. I wish you become a world leader. To be the leader of the world is to be the leader of the world,” he said.
The supply of weapons to Ukraine has been largely a bipartisan affair as lawmakers rally around the country’s heroic struggle against Russia.
But Democrats and Republicans have from time to time urged the administration to go further and faster, introducing a no-fly zone or supplying planes.