CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — Ohio and Indiana are among five states sending more military gear to Ukraine to support the country’s efforts to push back on the Russian invasion.
The National Guard units were notified of the request from the Biden administration to prepare and ship their M113 armored personnel carriers. The Vietnam-era vehicles are considered to be obsolete.
Technicians could be seen in video provided by the Indiana National Guard making repairs and testing their inventory of M113s prior to loading them onto flatbed trucks for transport.
“We got short notice, the team did a complete technical inspection and we’re able to get all these things ready ahead of time, in less than five days,” said Brig. Gen. Justin Mann, director of the Indiana National Guard’s joint staff. “So a monumental, herculean effort by our maintainers, doing great work and getting this equipment ready.”
In a recent news conference, President Joe Biden mentioned some of the other items the U.S. had sent as part of the $800 million support package for Ukraine.
“We've sent thousands of anti-armor, anti-missiles, helicopters, drones, grenade launchers, machine guns, rifles, radar systems,” Biden said.
The supply and resupply of weapons continue the discussion regarding U.S. troops deployed to Poland and the European theater. As of now, there are approximately 100,000 American service members in Europe made up of both permanently stationed and rotational troops.
More than 11,000 troops were activated for the overseas mission to support the European theater. The 4,700 members of the 82nd Airborne who deployed in February, specifically in support of the situation in Ukraine, have no end game just yet according to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.
“There hasn't been a decision about other re-deployments or replacements just yet,” Kirby said.
There are also continuing discussions about what the future of overall manpower might look like moving forward.
“The security environment has changed now in Europe and the Secretary does believe it would be healthy for the leadership here at the department to take a look at our European posture going forward,” Kirby said.
Kirby said the discussions are ongoing.
Here is a list of some of the military equipment provided to the country of Ukraine from the United States. This list was provided by the White House as part of the $800 million assistance package.
- 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems;
- 2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems;
- 100 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, and 400 shotguns;
- Over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds;
- 25,000 sets of body armor; and
- 25,000 helmets.
In addition to the weapons listed above, previous United States assistance committed to Ukraine includes:
- Over 600 Stinger anti-aircraft systems;
- Approximately 2,600 Javelin anti-armor systems;
- Five Mi-17 helicopters;
- Three patrol boats;
- Four counter-artillery and counter-unmanned aerial system tracking radars;
- Four counter-mortar radar systems;
- 200 grenade launchers and ammunition;
- 200 shotguns and 200 machine guns;
- Nearly 40 million rounds of small arms ammunition and over 1 million grenade, mortar, and artillery rounds;
- 70 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and other vehicles;
- Secure communications, electronic warfare detection systems, body armor, helmets, and other tactical gear;
- Military medical equipment to support treatment and combat evacuation;
- Explosive ordnance disposal and demining equipment; and
- Satellite imagery and analysis capability.
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