For US$180 million, the U.S. authorizes the sale of a logistics package for the air defense systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Defence affairs

The United States government has authorized the potential sale of a new logistics package for the air defense systems operated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This would be a new operation to be carried out through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, which will require an investment of approximately 180 million dollars. The news was already communicated by the U.S. Department of State to Congress on July 24 via the usual official, publicly accessible notice.

Delving into the specifics of this logistics package, it is intended to provide Kyiv with new equipment and services to support the training, sustainment, and refurbishment of the U.S.-origin air defense systems that form part of Ukraine’s much-needed defense network. In concrete terms, this translates into the delivery of spare parts, consumables, and associated accessories for these systems, along with training courses for local personnel and technical support services provided by U.S. engineers to ensure their continued operability.

On this matter, the official release issued by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) states: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe. The proposed sale will improve Ukraine’s ability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its capability to conduct self-defense and regional security missions with a more robust air defense capability. Ukraine will have no difficulty absorbing these items and services into its armed forces.”

Expanding further, the potential sale would involve four main contractors: Sierra Nevada Corporation, based in the state of Nevada; V2X Inc., located in the state of Virginia; and lastly, the Ukraine-based companies Radionix and Systems Electronic Export. As of now, the U.S. government does not foresee the signing of new offset agreements to carry out the operation, nor the deployment of additional representatives or contractors to Ukrainian territory.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that this is one of four recent authorizations issued by the U.S. Department of State regarding potential military sales to its Ukrainian ally, all made public between July 23 and 24. As previously reported, this includes the sale of additional MIM-23 HAWK air defense systems estimated at 172 million dollars, as well as a 150-million-dollar logistics package for the M109 self-propelled howitzers used by Ukrainian artillery units. The remaining package is intended to support the Bradley infantry fighting vehicles donated by Washington.