Pentagon: The US will invest in the production of long-range weapons in Ukraine
24 October, 2024 The Lyutyi drone before the start. Source: CNN The United States considers investments in the production of long-range weapons in Ukraine, including attack drones, to be effective.
These investments will help provide the Ukrainian Defense Forces with long-range strike capabilities against Russian territory now and in the future. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said this on Wednesday during a visit to Rome.
"Well, we're going to continue to invest in their long-range strike capability," the U.S. Secretary of Defense said. He emphasized that Ukrainians have demonstrated that they can mass-produce unmanned aerial vehicles, "which are very, very effective."
Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, Brussels, June 15, 2022, Frame from the video
"We've seen them strike targets 400 kilometers beyond the border, and even deeper, with precision," the U.S.
Secretary of Defense emphasized. In addition, according to him, the developments of Ukrainian weapons manufacturers are much cheaper than the cost of ballistic missiles. He refers to US ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 kilometers, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine also receive from the United States as part of military aid.
"So, it makes sense to invest in that capability, in their ability to continue to scale. And I think that answers, addresses, the needs that they'll have not only now but long into the future," Austin said.
Ukrainian-made Lyutyi attack drone.
2024. Photo credits: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
As previously reported, the United States is preparing a large military aid package to Ukraine, which is intended to finance the production of drones by the Ukrainian defense industry.
The plan is to allocate £800 million for this purpose.
However, which drones will be produced with these funds is not specified.
Also, KAMAN Corporation will manufacture new components for the HAWK anti-aircraft missile system, which will then be shipped to Ukraine.