U.S. bolsters Ukraine with $725 million military aid package
The United States has announced another aid package valued at $725 million CAD for Ukraine. It includes, among other things, artillery and rocket ammunition, missiles for anti-aircraft systems, drones, anti-drone systems, and anti-tank weapons. Here's a detailed look at what this package contains.
The Joe Biden administration is striving to provide Ukraine with as much weaponry as possible before transitioning power to Donald Trump's new cabinet. His policy towards Ukraine remains unknown. On December 2, 2024, at 3:00 PM EST, the U.S. Department of State approved an aid package for Ukraine worth $725 million CAD. Besides anti-tank weapons like TOW missiles and FGM-148 Javelin launchers, and AT4 grenade launchers, it includes anti-aircraft and artillery ammunition.
Missiles for air defense — The only defense against Russian missile and drone attacks
Among the most important categories are missiles for air defense systems. For the NASAMS system, these are missiles from the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM family, which can also be used on F-16 aircraft. For air defense, the AIM-9 allows targeting from over 10 km to about 30-40 km, depending on the version of the missiles used.
Additionally, the U.S. will also provide FIM-92 Stinger sets, which are among the key tools for Ukrainian mobile intervention groups hunting drones and cruise missiles. Stingers allow the downing of objects nearly 5 km away and at altitudes close to 4 km.
Artillery ammunition — A key delivery for Ukraine
Besides air defense, the most crucial for Ukraine are deliveries of artillery and rocket ammunition. The first category includes 105 mm and 155 mm caliber shells. For the smaller caliber, there are classic shell variants with a range of 11 km and rocket-assisted ones with a range of 15 km. These serve as a good replacement for 122 mm solutions and can be used in ultra-light constructions like the 2-CT Hawkeye howitzer tested in Ukraine.
However, the main role is played by 155 mm caliber shells becoming the majority in Ukraine, pushing out post-Soviet solutions. Ukraine is supplied with the entire range of American production, from the simplest shells to the most advanced.
The simplest are M107 shells or M795 shells consisting of a cast steel body filled with 7 kg or 11 kg of TNT and a simple impact fuse screwed to the tip. Their maximum range for artillery with a 52-caliber barrel, such as Caesar or PzH 2000, reaches up to 30 km, while for systems with a 39-caliber barrel, like M777, it's 22 km.
Subsequent M795E1 shells are equipped with a base burner located at the shell's bottom. This generates gases that reduce the base drag of the shell, translating to a 30% increased range. The rarest unguided shell is the M549A1, equipped with a rocket booster. It allows targeting at a distance of about 50-60 km, but due to the need to pack the rocket motor with fuel into the shell, the TNT mass has dropped to 7 kg.
The U.S. also provided Ukraine with M982 Excalibur guided shells with GPS guidance, but although initially very effective, their effectiveness decreased relatively quickly once the Russians began jamming GPS on a large scale.
Ammo for M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS — Long-range weaponry
For rocket ammunition for the M142 HIMARS systems, these are rockets from the GMLRS family, and possibly, under the phrase ammo for these systems, the presence of MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles is hinted. GMLRS rockets are constructed with a range of up to about 80 km and are available in several variants.
It is most likely that the M30 version with a cluster warhead is no longer produced and has run out, and Ukraine will receive M31A1/A2 variants with a 90 kg warhead containing nearly 23 kg of TNT and the M30A1 with an Alternative Warhead. The latter is designed to explode at a height of about 9 metres and cover a significant area with a rain of 182,000 tungsten projectiles capable of penetrating bulletproof vests.
Meanwhile, MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles are 1990s weapons with a range of 166 or 299 km, depending on the version, capable of overcoming even S-400 Triumf anti-missile systems. So far, Ukraine may have had around 50 missiles, mainly M39 versions with a shorter range, guided only by inertial navigation. They carried a massive payload of 950 M74 APAM type bomblets, shaped like balls weighing 0.6 kg and 6 cm in diameter, with lethal effectiveness spanning several metres.
However, it's possible that Ukraine received or will receive M39A1 versions with a greater range, achieved by reducing the bomblet payload to 300 units while increasing accuracy with added satellite navigation. Delivery of missiles with a standard fragmentation warhead, known as "unitary," is also possible.
