Pentagon will buy laser-guided missiles and reconnaissance drones for Ukraine, - Washington Post
The Pentagon is expanding supplies of commercial weapons and military equipment to Ukraine. Unmanned aerial vehicles, laser-guided missiles and binoculars will be purchased for $ 136 million.
As reported by Censor.NET with reference to UNIAN.
The Washington Post reports that weapons and equipment purchased from American companies are a separate category of military aid than the number of weapons the United States has already provided to Ukraine from Pentagon supplies.
Pentagon Deputy Secretary of Procurement and Logistics Bill LaPlante said the commercial supply complements the supply of weapons the Pentagon has delivered from its existing stockpile. According to LaPlante, officials received more than 300 responses from defense contractors after requesting information on commercially available weapons that could be useful to Ukraine.
"We are in daily contact with industry as our demands develop," LaPlante said, "and [the Biden administration] will continue to use all available tools to support Ukraine's Armed Forces in the face of Russian aggression."
According to WP, the new military aid package includes 70-mm missiles worth $ 22.6 million, known as an advanced system of high-precision weapons that can be launched from helicopters, another $ 17.8 million will go to Switchblade drones, which can be armed launched into Russian armored vehicles and military formations.
According to officials, the Pentagon will also purchase hand-held unmanned aerial vehicles Puma worth $ 19.7 million.
LaPlante said the Department of Defense has $ 300 million in congressional funding that can be spent on commercially available military equipment.
According to the publication, LaPlante's statement was the first of two statements by the Pentagon, which set out additional support for Ukraine, as its forces are deployed to defend against Russia's attempt to seize more territory in the Donbas. Officials said a separate aid package - artillery shells, counter-artillery radars, electronic suppression equipment, and other equipment - worth $ 150 million - was designed for needs specific to the Donbas fighting.
Equipment purchased from US defense companies has a number of possibilities. An advanced high-precision system, for example, works by converting low-cost munitions into controllable weapons. US forces have used it to increase the firepower of various aircraft, including helicopters and fighters.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Switchblade, also called "kamikaze drones", requires little training and has already proven its effectiveness against the Russian armed forces. Puma reconnaissance drones are expected to expand Ukraine's intelligence-gathering capabilities.
