With more than $29 billion in pledged military aid, the US is Ukraine’s most important ally. Now they are putting together a new package that also includes precision missiles. These extend the range of Ukrainian artillery.
The United States has promised Ukraine more billions in military aid, including precision missiles with a much longer range than before. The new armaments pact with a value of almost 2.2 billion dollars (around 2 billion euros) also includes so-called GLSDB rockets (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb) with a range of 150 kilometers, as a Pentagon spokesman said.
That is almost twice the range of missiles that Ukraine has so far. This would allow Kyiv to attack Russian targets well behind the lines of the front lines.
“The Russian army reportedly has many of its ammunition depots 90-120 km behind its own front lines,” wrote political scientist Carlo Masala on Twitter. They are thus beyond the range of those missiles that have hitherto been available from HIMARS or MARS II missile launchers. “With GLSDB, these can now be reached and destroyed again.”
The planned delivery also includes anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, armored vehicles and artillery ammunition. The weapons would help Ukraine “defend its people,” the Pentagon said.
The US is the main supplier of armaments to Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the United States has provided or pledged more than $29 billion in military aid to Ukraine, according to the Pentagon.
Washington has made various heavy weapon systems available to Kyiv, including the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher. At the end of January, after much back and forth and parallel to the German commitment to Leopard tanks, the US government also announced that it would deliver 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine. According to the government, these are not expected in Ukraine for several months.
