US to provide Ukraine with M982 Excalibur munitions as part of Biden admin's new $775M weapons package: report
US weapons package also includes Scan Eagle surveillance drones, which will amplify impact of precision guided munitions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. reportedly is set to provide Ukraine with M982 Excalibur munitions.
"These precision-guided munitions will aid Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia, which is focused on targeting ammunition depots and military installations," foreign relations expert, Samuel Ramani, tweeted. "Scan Eagle surveillance drones, which the U.S. also provides, will amplify their impact."
Ramani tweeted about the development Sunday, replying to a tweet by The Kyiv Independent.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Ukrainian outlet appeared to draw from reporting by Politico, tweeting: "A source close to the deliberations of the latest military aid package shared with Politico that the M982 Excalibur rounds, traveling up to 70km, will be sent to Ukraine ‘at some point in the future.’"
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin looks on during the 15th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA) in Brasilia, Brazil pn July 26, 2022. (Mateus Bonomi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Politico reported on Friday that the Biden administration authorized $775 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine that will include new drones, armored vehicles and artillery as the Unites States anticipates that Kyiv will see hard fighting on the ground in the coming weeks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"For the first time, the U.S. is sending 15 ScanEagle surveillance drones to help the Ukrainians spot and correct the precision artillery and rocket strikes that have taken a toll on Russian forces, stalling their progress," according to Politico. "The small drones can be moved around the battlefield relatively easily and would be invaluable in the expected push to retake the city of Kherson in the south."
Before the official Department of Defense announcement, a source told Politico that the U.S. is also planning to send "Excalibur precision-guided artillery munitions in an upcoming tranche at some point in the future."
Latvia's President Egils Levits, second left, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, right, take seat for talks during a visit in Riga, Latvia, on August 10, 2022. (GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images)
"Those weapons were not included in this round," according to the report. "The rounds would give the Ukrainians a new precision weapons with which to target dug-in Russian positions and command posts."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With the new weapons package included, the U.S. has committed approximately $10.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Biden administration, according to the Department of Defense. Since 2014, the U.S. has committed more than $12.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.
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"As President Biden has made clear, we will support Ukraine as they defend their democracy for as long as it takes," the Department of Defense said in its release. "The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities to meet Ukraine’s evolving battlefield requirements."