Ukraine A New HIMARS and “Phoenix Ghost Drones.”

The Defense Department announced a new package of security assistance for Ukraine. It will include additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, ammunition, and an extensive number of Phoenix Ghost unmanned aerial system.
A rocket releases smoke trails across the sky.
The latest package contains around $175 million of equipment withdrawn from existing U.S. military stocks through the presidential drawdown authority. It also includes $95 million in equipment from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, or USAI fund, according to a senior defense official during an overview at the Pentagon.

The latest presidential drawdown authority package contains four additional HIMARS system that give Ukraine 16 total; four command posts vehicles; further anti-armor spare parts for weapons and other gear; along with 36,000 rounds 105mm ammunition.

“This is ammunition that will actually be used to help a donation the United Kingdom is making of Howitzers, and this is something that we often do where we match countries that maybe have one element of a capability to another donor nation to create an entire capability for Ukrainians,” the senior defense official said. “It’s something that EUCOM has been helping facilitate through their cell in Stuttgart, Germany.”

In an aircraft, pallets are tied with webbing.
The $95 million USAI expenditure includes a commitment by the Defense Department to send additional 580 Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aircraft systems to Ukraine. Under USAI these systems, they will be purchased from the manufacturers so they can then be delivered to the Ukrainian military.

The senior defense official stated that the Ukrainians were making excellent use of the Phoenix Ghost system. This action lets us to go out and purchase additional capability from the industry. This is the area where USAI differs from drawdown- it is actually a procurement process. And with the Phoenix Ghost system, what we’ll be able make sure is that we will have steady delivery of this capability starting in August, to ensure that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have a continual supply of this capability.”

While Russian advances in Ukraine are slow — and costly — there’s also evidence that Russian morale is waning, said a senior military official.

Two service members operate a large weapons system.
According to the military official, “We continue seeing increased indicators of discipline problems and morale issues in the Russian army.” “The Ukrainian will continue to be extremely powerful. What we’re seeing is that will kind of … push the Russians around fairly well.”

The official claimed that there are numerous reports about Russian morale. He said that there are numerous reports of soldiers from all levels refusing to fight or deserting their posts.

“We continue to see this in reflections and conversations with Ukrainians which confirm this,” the military official stated.