New $1.8 billion US military aid for Ukraine including Patriot missiles and smart bombs.

Several American Newspapers announced a new U.S. military aid of $1.8 billion for Ukraine including Patriot air defense missile systems and smart precision-guided bombs called Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs that can be launched from a fighter or bomber aircraft.
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The United States is to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense missile systems and JDAM smart bombs. (Picture editing Army Recognition)

Citing information from the MarketWatch website, the new military aid for Ukraine, which was expected to be announced today, will include about $1 billion in weapons from United States military stocks and another $800 million in funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds weapons, ammunition, training, and other assistance.

This information has not yet been officially released by the US Government. After the recent air strikes with missiles and drones by Russian armed forces on Ukrainian main cities and military bases, the United States would like to boost the air defense capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Every day, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky requests the United States and European leaders to provide more long-range air defense systems able to counter drones and missiles launched by the Russian forces.

The latest version of the MIM-104 Patriot is one of the most modern air defense missile systems in the world which is manufactured by the company Raytheon. The air defense missile system is in service with 16 countries including Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, Qatar, Romania, Saudia Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. On March 28, 2018, the Polish Ministry of National Defense signed a deal worth $4.75 billion for two Patriot Configuration 3+ batteries for deliveries in 2022.

The Patriot missile is designed to provide protection for critical assets and maneuver forces belonging to corps and echelons above corps (EAC) against airborne threats from very low to very high altitudes. The objective of Patriot operations at all levels is to disrupt and destroy the enemy's ability to mount effective air operations.

The Patriot PAC-3 missile is able to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles at a range of up to 30 km, while the PAC-3 MSE has a maximum firing range of 60 km.

US Patriot missile launcher unit of the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery’s U.S. Army Patriot Missile Systems. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

The Joint Direct Attack Munition or JDAM is a low-cost, autonomously controlled, adverse weather, accurate guidance kit tailored for Air Force/Navy general purpose bombs including 900 kg Mk 84 and BLU-109 bombs, 450 kg Mk 83 and BLU-110 bombs, and 225 kg Mk 82, BLU-111, and BLU-126 bombs.

A GPS-aided inertial navigation system provides primary guidance to the weapon. Augmenting the JDAM inertial navigation system with GPS signals enhances accuracy. Fitted with the JDAM kit, guidance and control designs enable accuracy of fewer than 5 meters when GPS is available and less than 30 meters when GPS is absent or jammed after release.

U.S. aircraft armament systems specialists assigned to the 127th Maintenance Group, Michigan Air National Guard, secure the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) GBU-38 in its rack at the Sawyer International Airport in the Upper Peninsula’s Gwinn, Michigan, Aug. 3, 2021. (Picture source DVIDS DoD)