US officers are set to announce one other $1.3 billion arms bundle for Ukraine, together with a number of sorts of suicide drones and the newly developed VAMPIRE rocket launcher system, in response to Reuters.
The newest army help will likely be unveiled someday this week, the outlet reported on Tuesday, citing two US officers. Kiev will obtain ammunition, radar and different counter-drone programs along with the VAMPIRE – or Automobile-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Tools.
Produced by US arms contractor L3Harris, the VAMPIRE could be mounted on most automobiles with a cargo mattress, together with civilian pickup vans, or put in in a set place. The weapon consists of a concentrating on sensor and a launch pod geared up with 4 70mm laser-guided rockets, and can be utilized by a single operator towards each air and floor targets.
Whereas L3Harris says the system is “configurable with completely different sensors and weapons packages,” it stays unclear what variant will likely be offered to Kiev.
The upcoming weapons bundle may also embody two sorts of loitering munitions – drones geared up with explosives which orbit the battlefield looking for a goal – the Phoenix Ghost and the Switchblade. Each UAVs have been despatched to Ukraine up to now, with practically 600 Phoenix Ghosts equipped in a $95 million arms cargo final 12 months.
The VAMPIRE was initially introduced for Kiev final August, with L3Harris later confirming it had obtained a $40 million Pentagon contract to ship 4 programs by mid-2023 and 10 extra by the top of the 12 months. The corporate will set up the kits on automobiles which can then be despatched on to Ukraine.
The $1.3 billion in army assist will come from the Ukraine Safety Help Initiative (USAI) program, below which the White Home has bought weapons from business somewhat than draw on US stockpiles. For the reason that battle with Russia erupted final 12 months, President Joe Biden has approved $41.3 billion in direct arms transfers to Kiev, and greater than $10 billion below the USAI.
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