The United States will fund overhauls of T-72 tanks and HAWK surface-to-air missiles as part of a roughly $400 million security assistance package to Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Air defense and armor capabilities are both high on the list of support Ukraine wants, but the T-72s fall short of more modern tanks like the German Leopard or the US Abrams, which Kyiv was looking for.
The “tanks come from the Czech Republic’s defense industry, and the United States is paying for 45 of them to be refurbished, and the Dutch government is fulfilling our pledge” for a total of 90 T-72s, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
The T-72s – a Soviet-era tank – will be fitted with “advanced optics, communications and armor packages,” some of which should be ready by the end of December and others to be delivered in 2023, she said.
When asked why more modern tanks were not being provided, Singh cited factors such as ease of use and cost.
“These are tanks that Ukrainians know how to use on the battlefield,” she said, adding that “introducing a new main battle tank is extremely costly and time-sensitive and would be a huge undertaking for the Ukrainian armed forces.”
The package also funds the refurbishment of US-stock HAWK missiles – a key asset as Ukraine seeks to counter Russian drone and missile attacks targeting its cities and energy infrastructure.
Singh declined to specify how many of the missiles were overhauled, citing safety concerns.
– drones, boats, infrastructure –
Spain has previously agreed to provide Ukraine with four of the HAWK medium-range air defense systems – part of an international effort to assemble a patchwork of different surface-to-air capabilities to help the country repel airstrikes.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed the urgency of the air defense issue Friday in Kyiv, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior officials.
“We recognize the acute need for air defense at this critical moment when Russia and Russian forces are raining missiles and Iranian drones on this country’s civilian infrastructure,” Sullivan said at a news conference.
The US aid package also includes 1,100 Phoenix Ghost drone systems, 40 armored boats and the refurbishment of 250 M1117 armored vehicles.
It falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds procurement of equipment from the defense industry rather than taking items directly from existing military inventories.
The latest aid totals more than $18.2 billion in Washington security aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in late February.
In addition to security aid, the United States is exploring options to fix infrastructure damage caused by Russian strikes that left millions without power, according to Zelensky on Thursday.
“We are trying to see what we can do in the short term to help Ukraine repair the damage done, particularly to its electrical infrastructure, the power grid itself,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Washington is working with other countries on spare parts and technical assistance, as well as providing fuel to help Ukraine next winter, Kirby added.
