US plans new aid of military weapons to Ukraine with HIMARS rockets and NASAMS missiles.

According to information published by the International Press Agency Reuters on August 5, 2022, the United States is preparing new military aid to Ukraine for an amount of $1 billion including new munitions for M142 HIMARS MLRS (Multiple Rocket Launcher System), NASAMS surface-to-air missiles and 50 M113 tracked armored vehicles in ambulance configuration.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

U.S. Marines load a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at Pōhakuloa Training Area, Hawaii. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

This new military aid for Ukraine of ammunition and combat vehicles will come from U.S. army military stocks.

On August 1, 2022, the United States announced the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $550 million to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This military aid already included 75,000 155mm artillery ammunition and Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems HIMARS.

In total, the United States has committed approximately $8.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $10 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

Citing information from the Ukrainian government, artillery is a key element to having a tactical advantage over Russian troops. Indeed, with the HIMARS MLRS donated by the United States, the Ukrainian army can reach targets at a distance of up to 70 km and the GPS-guided missiles launched by the HIMARS have a range about double that of the M777 howitzers that the U.S. already supplied to Ukraine forces.

Those last weeks, Ukraine's armed forces used HIMARS to strike a key bridge used by Russian forces to resupply the occupied city of Kherson in southern Ukraine as well as several depots of ammunition. The U.S. has already sent 12 HIMARS MLRS to Ukraine, and on August 1, 2022, the United States announced the delivery of four additional M142 HIMARS MLRS.

Ukraine has already received from the United Kingdom and Germany M270 MLRS based on a tracked armored vehicle able to fire the same ammunition as the HIMARS including guided and unguided rockets.

For the NASAMS air defense systems, the United States has promised to deliver this type of system to Ukraine, but there is no confirmed information if the NASAMS has already been delivered to Ukraine. NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) is a medium to long-range air defense missile system designed and manufactured by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace teamed up with Raytheon from the United States. The missile of the NASAMS is able to hit targets at a range of up to 40 km and at a height of up to 14 km.