U.S. service members stand next to an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) March 6, 2022 during Saudi Arabia’s first World Defense Show, north of the capital Riyadh.
Fayez Nureldine | AFP | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration will send its 15th security aid package to Ukraine, bringing the total of US military and humanitarian aid to more than $7 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.
A senior US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details about the additional security support, said the $400 million weapons package was coordinated with Ukrainian officials and tailored to the broader Russian attack in eastern Ukraine.
Heavy artillery platforms such as howitzers and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems or HIMARS are at the top of the Ukrainian military’s wish list.
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The official said the latest security package will include four additional HIMARS, bringing the total number of HIMARS transfers from US arsenals to Ukraine to 12.
Manufactured by defense giant Lockheed Martin, the HIMARS were designed to launch a variety of missiles from a mobile 5-ton truck. The official said US troops will continue to train Ukrainian forces on the use of the platform at a location outside the country.
The launch vehicles of the US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fire salvos during the military exercise “African Lion” in the Grier Labouihi region of southeastern Morocco, June 9, 2021.
Fadel Senna | AFP | Getty Images
“We will continue to train them because we see this as an ongoing struggle,” the official said, adding that the HIMARS training will take about a week to complete.
The official declined to elaborate on how many Ukrainian troops have completed training on the HIMARS platform so far, following pressure from reporters.
Continue reading: Here’s a look at the firepower the US has attributed to Ukraine in its fight against Russia
The person added that the latest security support will be a mix of systems already in use in combat, as well as new abilities.
The official said the latest installment of weapons will include additional ammunition for HIMARS, 155mm howitzers and ammunition for the howitzers.
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