The United States will fund the refurbishment of T-72 tanks and HAWK surface-to-air missiles as part of a roughly $400 million security assistance package for Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Friday.
Air defence and armour capabilities are both high on the list of assistance desired by Ukraine, but the T-72s fall short of the most modern tanks such as German Leopards or US Abrams that have been sought by Kyiv.
“The tanks are coming from the Czech Republic defence industry, and the United States is paying for 45 of those to be refurbished, and the government of the Netherlands is matching our commitment for a total of 90 T-72s,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists.
The T-72s — a Soviet-era tank — will be equipped with “advanced optics, communications and armor packages,” with some ready by the end of December and the rest to be delivered in 2023, she said.
Also read | ‘Blood bath’ begins at Twitter as several employees across verticals laid off in India
Asked why more modern tanks were not being provided, Singh cited factors including ease of use and cost.
“These are tanks that the Ukrainians know how to use on the battlefield,” she said, adding that “introducing a new main battle tank is extremely costly, is time sensitive, and it would be a huge undertaking for the Ukrainian forces.”
The assistance package also funds the refurbishment of HAWK missiles from US inventories — an important asset as Ukraine seeks to counter Russian drone and missile strikes targeting its cities and energy infrastructure.
Singh declined to specify how many of the missiles were being refurbished, citing security concerns.
Spain previously agreed to provide four of the medium-range HAWK air defence systems to Ukraine as part of international efforts to assemble a patchwork of various surface-to-air capabilities to help the country defend against strikes.
Also WATCH | Gravitas: Joe Biden says Iran will be free
The assistance package also includes 1,100 Phoenix Ghost drones, 40 armoured boats and funding for the refurbishment of 250 M1117 armoured vehicles, among other items.
It falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds procurement of equipment from the defence industry, rather than taking items directly from existing military stocks.
The latest assistance brings Washington’s total commitment of security aid to Ukraine to more than $18.2 billion since Russia invaded in late February.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE:
