US State Department approves $373.6 million weapons sale to Ukraine

Prefer on Google by Lucy Pakhnyuk A Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is fitted to an F-15EX fighter jet during the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, 2024, in Farnborough, England. The JDAM is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into all-weather precision-guided munitions. (Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images) The U.S. State Department has approved a potential $373.6 million sale of military equipment to Ukraine, the agency announced May 5. The proposed package includes extended range Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) systems and related equipment. Ukraine has requested 1,200 KMU-572 JDAM tail kits and 332 KMU-556 JDAM tail kits, along with fuze systems and a range of support equipment, logistics, and technical services, according to a State Department press release . The main contractor for the deal will be Boeing, the State Department said. According to Boeing, JDAM is a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing free-fall bombs into precision-guided weapons capable of operating in adverse weather conditions. The system combines an inertial navigation system with GPS guidance to enhance the accuracy of general-purpose bombs. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe ," the agency said in a statement. The sale will also "improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions with a more robust air defense capability," the statement added. The approval comes days after the Pentagon released a $400 million military aid package for Ukraine following months of delays and mounting pressure from U.S. lawmakers.