The United States appears to be preparing a new military aid package worth more than $2 billion for Ukraine. This will also be the first wave of aid that is expected to include long-range missiles, among other munitions and weapons. The news was announced in brief statements by US officials on Tuesday.
The aid is expected to be announced within this week, the officials added. It is also planned to include support equipment for Patriot air defense systems, precision guided munitions and Javelin anti-tank weapons.
One of the officials said part of the package, estimated to be worth 1.725 billion, would come from a fund known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows President Joe Biden to take arms directly from industry rather than from the US Army Reserve.
These funds are used to purchase new weapons, such as Boeing Co's GLSDB small-diameter ground bombs, which have a range of 150 kilometers. The United States is said to have rejected the Ukrainian request for ATACMS missiles with a range of 297 kilometers, so these weapons are likely to be the alternative American offer.
The longer range of the GLSDB bomb will allow Ukraine to hit targets beyond its current range, thereby supporting pressure caused by Ukrainian counterattacks. Strikes can extend well behind the Russian front lines of defense.
Reuters was the first to report Boeing's proposal to send GLSDB to Ukraine, specifically in November. At that time, it was estimated that the bomb would arrive in the country by spring.
What is GLSDB?
The GLSDB is manufactured by Sweden's SAAB AB and America's Boeing. It combines the design of the GBU-39 small diameter bomb (SDB) and the M26 rocket, both of which are currently in the US arsenal.
The GLSDB navigates via GPS, is said to be immune to electronic jamming, can be used in all weather conditions, and can hit armored vehicles, according to SAAB's website.
The GBU-39, which essentially acts as the GLSDB's warhead, has small, deployable wings that allow it to glide over 100 kilometers when deployed from an aircraft. It can hit a target with a minimum diameter of 1 meter!
