The outgoing U.S. administration announced on December 30 a $1.25 billion military aid package aimed to ensure "Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russia's aggression."
These are some of the key weapons included in the tranche.
The Billion-Dollar Weapons Package Headed For Ukraine
AT4 Anti-Tank Weapons
Ukrainian military technicians have been repurposing the projectiles from this disposable weapon for use as makeshift warheads in FPV drones.
The shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon was developed in Sweden in the 1970s and adopted by the U.S. military in the 1980s.
HAWK Surface-To-Air Missile Systems
The December 30 statement from the U.S. Department of State announced that the latest weapons package would include unspecified "air-defense munitions," while an AP report claims the HAWK system will be provided to Kyiv.
The missile system first entered service in the U.S. Army in 1959. The aged missiles have reportedly been effective against Russia’s slow-moving, Iranian-designed Shahed drones.
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
The package will include rockets for the system. There is no mention of further complete HIMARS launchers being provided to Ukraine.
Hand Grenades
Hand grenades have seen extensive use in the current conflict in Ukraine both as drone-dropped munitions and in assaults on trenches.
Stinger Missiles
Thousands of the shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles have been sent to Ukraine by the United States and other countries since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. By May that year, Washington had supplied Ukraine more than a quarter of U.S. stockpiles of the weapon.
155mm and 105mm Artillery Rounds
The calibers are NATO standards used in the hundreds of Western howitzers supplied to Ukraine. Amid a production shortage, each 155mm shell today costs around $8,400.
TOW Anti-Tank Missiles
Vehicle-mounted versions of the weapon have been documented destroying Russian armor in Ukraine.
Javelin Missiles
The weapon was initially hailed as a key weapon against Russian armor, but at a cost of more than $200,000 per missile Javelins have been superseded by vastly cheaper weaponized FPV drones. Around half of the U.S. stockpiles of around 25,000 Javelins have been sent to Ukraine since 2022.
Much of the military aid package announced on December 30 is unspecified, including "software, clothing and individual equipment, and "services, training, and transportation."