U.S. allocates new $350 million military aid package to Ukraine

On Monday, March 20, the USA announced the allocation of a new military aid package to Ukraine. It includes ammunition for artillery systems and armored vehicles, mortars, as well as patrol boats.

The news was published on the official website of the U.S. State Department.

This time, the U.S. State Department ratified the 34th drawdown of US weapons and equipment from DoD inventories worth $350 million.

This assistance package includes:

• Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm artillery rounds;
• 25mm ammunition;
• High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);
• 81mm and 60mm mortar systems and mortar rounds;
• AT-4 anti-armor weapon systems;
• Grenade launchers, small arms, and associated ammunition;
• Demolition munitions and equipment for obstacle clearing;
• Mine clearing equipment;
• Heavy fuel tankers;
• Thermal imagery systems, optics, and laser rangefinders;
• Riverine patrol boats;
• Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair;
• Spare parts and other field equipment.

Patrol boats

The Militarnyi reported that the Pentagon plans to transfer 18 river-class offshore patrol boats to Ukraine as part of a new military assistance package.

The plan is to hand over two 35-foot, small-unit riverine craft; six 40-foot maritime combat craft, and ten 34-foot, Dauntless Sea Ark patrol boats.

The 35-foot boat most likely refers to the SURC (Small Unit Riverine Craft) armored boat used by the US Marine Corps to control coastal and riverine waters.

The SURC can carry 16 soldiers and reach speeds of up to 39 knots (72 km/h).

40-foot sea boats are most likely RPB (Riverine Patrol Boat) manufactured by Silver Ships Inc.

These boats are designed to carry 20 people (6 crew members and a troop of 14 soldiers). The power unit of the boat is a 440-hp Yanmar engine and waterjet.

The probable purpose of the boats transferred as part of the military aid may be to reinforce the newly launched first river flotilla of the Russian Navy on the Dnipro.