U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1-3 Field Artillery, 17th Field Artillery Battalion stage their M142 HIMARS at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, on Oct. 31, 2023. (Cera L. Rodney/U.S. Army)

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon announced a new aid package for Ukraine on Monday that includes more weapons and cold weather gear as the country’s fight with Russia approaches its second winter, officials said.

The Defense Department said the new package is worth as much as $100 million and includes missiles, small-arms ammunition and 155mm artillery shells, which have been in short supply.

“This package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons and other equipment to help Ukraine defend its sovereign territory and fight for its freedom from Russia’s ongoing war of aggression,” the department said.

The new package comes from presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take the items from its shelves and send them to Ukraine on an emergency basis.

Although funding for Ukraine is drying up at the Pentagon, an accounting error earlier this year added roughly $6 billion to the available money pool.

Once the remaining funds are spent, any new money to help Ukraine would have to be authorized by Congress, which is something President Joe Biden and Democrats and many Republicans are currently working on.

“Security assistance for Ukraine is a smart investment in our national security,” the Defense Department said in a statement Monday. “It helps to prevent a larger conflict in the region and deter potential aggression elsewhere, while strengthening our defense industrial base and creating highly skilled jobs for the American people in dozens of states across the country.”

“It is critical that Congress take action to support Ukraine by passing the president’s supplemental funding request,” the department added.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has given the Eastern European country about $44.2 billion in military aid, the Pentagon said.

Monday’s package came on the same day Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to Kyiv in a show of support.

“I was honored to meet with President [Volodymyr Zelensky] in Kyiv (Monday) to reaffirm the United States’ steadfast support for Ukraine,” Austin said. “We, along with our allies and partners, will continue to support Ukraine’s urgent battlefield needs and long-term defense requirements.”

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Folorunso Abdul, a field artillery cannoneer with 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, prepares to load an M777 towed 155mm howitzer during exercise Rolling Thunder on Fort Liberty, N.C., Oct. 16, 2023. (Grace Stover/U.S. Marine Corps)

Included in Monday’s aid package to Ukraine:

• Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
• A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and ammunition.
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds.
• Tube-launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles.
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems.
• More than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
• Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing.
• Cold weather gear.
• Spare parts, maintenance and other ancillary equipment.

DOUG G. WARE

Doug G. Ware covers the Department of Defense at the Pentagon. He has many years of experience in journalism, digital media and broadcasting and holds a degree from the University of Utah. He is based in Washington, D.C.

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• One of Japan’s two new aircraft carriers will travel to the U.S. in 2024.
• The ships are Japan’s first real aircraft carriers since World War II.
• Japan was once the world leader in carriers, but swore them off after the disastrous war.

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More than 80 years after Pearl Harbor, a Japanese aircraft carrier is scheduled to make a visit to the East Coast of the United States—this time, as one of America’s strongest allies.

The visit, set for 2024, will see one of the country’s two new carriers, Kaga or Izumo, validate its compatibility with American F-35 fighter jets. They’ll become the first Japanese carriers since the end of WWII, part of a long-planned naval expansion meant to keep pace with a growing Chinese navy.

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East Coast Visit

An F-35B from Marine Corps Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) flies to the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier in the Western Atlantic, October 11, 2023.

The compatibility tests will take place with the U.S. Marine Corps on the East Coast; they’re meant to confirm that the ship can operate the F-35B, the vertical takeoff and landing version of the F-35 Lightning II. The F-35B is a one of three versions of the F-35 and was designed to operate either from ground bases with minimal runways or aircraft carrier-type ships that lack catapults for launching aircraft.

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 HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (C802)

De kruiser Hr.Ms. De Zeven Provinciën

HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën was a De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Laid down in 1939, construction was interrupted by World War II and the ship was only commissioned in 1953 with the identification number C802. She served until 1976 when she was purchased by Peru and renamed Aguirre. With the Peruvian Navy she served until 1999 and was scrapped in 2000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNLMS_De_Zeven_Provinci%C3%ABn_(C802)

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Mistral at the military port of Toulon in 2006

Mistral (L9013) is an amphibious assault ship, a type of helicopter carrier, of the French Navy. She is the fourth vessel to bear the name, and is the lead ship of the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships.

Construction and career

Mistral began sea trials in January 2005, and was commissioned in February 2006. She departed from Toulon for her first long-range journey in March, sailing through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, and the Red Sea to Djibouti and India, before returning to France. In July, to ensure the safety of European citizens in the context of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, France set up Opération Baliste. Mistral was the flagship of the fleet unit off Lebanon, escorted by the frigates Jean Bart and Jean de Vienne, and along with another amphibious assault ship, Siroco.

On 16 May 2008, the Burmese United Nations (UN) ambassador accused France of deploying Mistral to the Burmese coast for military purposes. The French UN ambassador denied this, stating that she was instead carrying 1,500 tons of relief supplies.^[1]

In March 2011 Mistral was deployed to Libyan waters to help aid the joint NATO effort to repatriate tens of thousands of Egyptian refugees fleeing the violence in Libya.^[2]

In January 2013, escorted by Chevalier Paul, Mistral took part in the ill-fated operation to retrieve Denis Allex,^[3] a DGSE officer held hostage in Bulo Marer.

On 22 May 2022, Mistral, operating in the Gulf of Guinea in conjunction with the La Fayette-class frigate, Courbet, was involved in the seizure of almost two tons of drugs.

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This image of a Christmas card from a glass plate negative produced between 1904 and 1905 shows the Royal Navy’s steel steam sloop HMS ‘Torch’ and the armoured cruiser HMS ‘Euryalus’ at moorings in Farm Cove, Sydney Harbour. HMS ‘Torch’ (in the foreground) was built in 1894 and served on the Australia Station from 1897 until sold in 1913. Alongside her is the small steam work boat of M S Bird & Co. ship providores. She is delivering stores which can be seen towards the bow of the steamer. ‘Torch’ was rated at 960 tons and carried six quick firing 4 inch (100mm) guns at up to 13 knots.

HMS ‘Euryalus’ was built in 1904 and was flagship of the Australia Station between 1904 and 1905 until relieved by the larger HMS ‘Powerful.’ In this image the after funnel of ‘Euryalus’ is smoking, suggesting that she too is preparing to sail. ‘Euryalus’ served until the end of WW1 and was scrapped in 1920.

Graeme Andrews OAM, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences volunteer under the supervision of Margaret Simpson, Curator, September 2015

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 HMS Phoebe (F42) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN).

The British Leander-class frigate HMS Phoebe (F42) coming into Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia (USA), on 19 January 1990. Note the Westland Lynx helicopter aft.

Built by Alexander Stephen and Sons on the River Clyde, she was launched on 19 December 1964 and commissioned on 15 May 1966.

In the year of her commission, Phoebe assisted in the emotionally charged withdrawal from Aden in 1967. In 1969, Phoebe took part in the 20th Anniversary of NATO Fleet Review held at Spithead.

In February 1970, Phoebe undertook a 10-month overseas deployment, which included three assignments to the Beira Patrol off Mozambique in an attempt to stop the supply of oil to Rhodesia in contravention of an oil embargo.^[9] In April 1970, Phoebe left her Mozambique patrol to assist in the Indian Ocean as part of an Apollo 13 splashdown secondary task force.^[10][11][12] In 1971, Phoebe deployed to the West Indies. That same year, Phoebe was guard ship during talks between British Prime Minister Edward Heath and U.S. President Richard Nixon. She suffered minor damage when the frigate Berwick collided with her whilst attempting to leave Portsmouth Harbour during the first week in November 1971.^[13] In 1973, Phoebe took part in the Second Cod War, during the fishing disputes with Iceland.

Between 1973 and 1977 Phoebe was used for the filming of the popular Warship BBC drama, set on board the fictional HMS Hero.

In 1974, Phoebe commenced her modernisation, which including altering her weapons configuration. Her single 4.5-inch twin turret was removed in favour of the Exocet anti-ship missile system, giving her a powerful anti-surface capability. The number of SeaCat missiles she carried was increased. The modernisation was completed in 1977. She subsequently took part in the Silver Jubilee celebrations and Fleet Review, at which many warships attended from a variety of nations.^[14]

During late 1977 and early 1978, Phoebe led a task force on active service to the South Atlantic (Falklands) in company with HMS Alacrity, HMS Dreadnought and RFA’s Resurgent and Olwen calling at Funchal, Madeira before returning home.

In 1978, Phoebe patrolled in the Caribbean and subsequently joined Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT), a multi-national squadron of NATO in company with USS Pharris, the German frigate Emden, HMCS Okanagan and the Dutch frigate Tjerk Hiddes. In that year, Phoebe had the distinction of becoming the first frigate to operate the Westland Lynx attack helicopter aka ‘Phelix’, which remains in service, though obviously of a newer variant.In February 1981, Phoebe was refitted with Towed array sonar type 2031.^[12]

In September 1982, Phoebe deployed to the South Atlantic in the aftermath of the Falklands War, and performed a number of duties, though mainly patrolling in that region. In 1984, Phoebe completed her towed array sonar refit. In 1988, Phoebe again served under Standing Naval Force Atlantic and took part in the rescue effort in the tragic aftermath of the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion in the North Sea, which killed 167 people. Phoebe decommissioned in 1991 and was sold for scrap the following year. Some of her notable Commanding Officers include P E C Berger, G I Pritchard, Hugh Balfour and Jonathon Band.

References

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