The US Will Send Anti-Drone Air Defense Assistance To Ukraine Worth IDR 4.2 Trillion

JAKARTA - The United States is preparing to deliver military aid packages worth US$275 million or around Rp.4,286,535,000,000, offering a new capability to beat drones and strengthen Ukraine's air defenses, according to a document seen by Reuters on Thursday and people familiar with the package.

The package can be announced as early as Friday. Details of the included anti-drone equipment and air defenses cannot be determined.

But, the Pentagon is also expected to deploy rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket (HIMARS) launchers made by Lockheed Martin Corp, 155mm ammunition, army vehicles, and generators, according to the people and documents.

A spokesman for the National Security Council declined to comment on the aid package. The contents and size of the aid package could change until it is signed by the president.

The US$275 million budget will be borne by the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the United States to transfer equipment and military needs from existing stocks, without Congressional approval in response to a state of emergency.

The surge in Russian missile attacks in Ukraine was partly designed to exhaust Kyiv's air defense supply and achieve sky domination over the country, a senior Pentagon official said in November.

To counter the attack, the United States has sent NASAMS a state-of-the-art anti-aircraft system to Ukraine that has been running for several weeks.

Washington previously announced it would send four fighting short-range air defense systems using the Styler missile, made by Raytheon Technologies Corp and the HAWK interceptor missile.

In addition, the US Allies have also sent air defense systems.

It is known, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", the United States has sent security assistance worth about 19.1 billion US dollars to Kyiv.

Separately, US lawmakers voted on Thursday to give Ukraine at least $ 800 million additional security assistance next year.