Biden announces large aid package as Ukraine crisis deepens
The United States has announced another aid package worth approximately £595 million for Ukraine. This package includes artillery and rocket ammunition, missiles for anti-aircraft systems, drones, anti-drone systems, and anti-tank weapons. Here is a detailed overview of what this package contains.
The Biden administration strives to supply Ukraine with as much weaponry as possible before handing over power to Donald Trump's incoming administration. His policy towards Ukraine is still unclear. On 2 December 2024, the U.S. Department of State approved an aid package worth £595 million for Ukraine. In addition to anti-tank weapons such as TOW missiles, 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 significant items are missiles for air defence systems. The NASAMS system includes missiles from the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM family, which can also be used on F-16 aircraft. The AIM-9 allows targeting from over 10 kilometres to about 30-40 kilometres, depending on the missile version.
Additionally, the U.S. will provide FIM-92 Stinger sets, which are crucial tools for Ukrainian mobile intervention groups targeting drones and cruise missiles. Stingers can target objects nearly 5 kilometres away and at altitudes of around 4 kilometres.
Artillery ammunition — A key delivery for Ukraine
Besides air defense, artillery and rocket ammunition are crucial for Ukraine. This category includes 105 mm and 155 mm calibre shells. For smaller calibres, there are standard shell variants with a range of 11 kilometres and rocket-assisted variants reaching up to 14 kilometres. These serve as excellent replacements for 122 mm solutions and can be employed in ultra-light constructions like the 2-CT Hawkeye howitzer tested in Ukraine.
However, the main focus is on 155 mm calibre shells becoming the majority in Ukraine, replacing post-Soviet types. Ukraine is receiving a complete range of American-manufactured shells, from the basic versions to the most advanced.
The simplest are M107 shells or M795 shells, which have a cast steel body filled with 6.5 kilograms or 11 kilograms of TNT and a straightforward impact fuse. Their maximum range for artillery with a 52-calibre barrel, such as Caesar or PzH 2000, reaches up to 30 kilometres, while for systems with a 39-calibre barrel, like M777, the maximum range is 23 kilometres.
The M795E1 shells come with a base burner situated at the shell's rear, creating gases that decrease the shell’s base drag, resulting in a 30% increase in range. The rarest unguided shell is the M549A1, which features a rocket booster. This can target distances of around 50-60 kilometres, although the TNT mass is reduced to 7 kilograms due to the space occupied by the rocket motor’s fuel.
The U.S. has also provided Ukraine with M982 Excalibur guided shells equipped with GPS. However, initially high effectiveness decreased once the Russians began extensive GPS jamming.
Ammunition for M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS — Long-range weaponry
Rocket ammunition used in the M142 HIMARS systems includes rockets from the GMLRS family. The package might also include MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles. GMLRS rockets have a range of up to 80 kilometres and come in several variants.
It is likely that the M30 version with a cluster warhead is no longer produced and has depleted stocks, and Ukraine will instead receive M31A1/A2 variants with a warhead weighing roughly 90 kilograms, containing nearly 23 kilograms of TNT. The M30A1 with an Alternative Warhead is designed to detonate at about 10 metres above the ground, dispersing 182,000 tungsten projectiles over a wide area, which can penetrate bulletproof vests.
Moreover, MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles are 1990s-era weapons with a range of 165 or 300 kilometres, depending on the variant, capable of evading even S-400 Triumf anti-missile systems. To date, Ukraine may have received around 50 missiles, primarily M39 models with shorter ranges guided only by inertial navigation. These carried a payload of 950 M74 APAM-type bomblets, each weighing 0.6 kilograms and measuring 6 centimetres in diameter, with a lethal reach of several metres.
However, it’s feasible that Ukraine received or will receive M39A1 variants, which offer a greater range by reducing the bomblet count to 300 units while improving accuracy with satellite navigation. Delivery of missiles with a standard fragmentation warhead, termed "unitary," is also probable.
