US To Fund Refurbishment Of Tanks, Anti-air Missiles For Ukraine

The United States will fund the refurbishment of T-72 tanks and HAWK surface-to-air missiles as part of a roughly $400 million security assistance package for Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Friday. Air defense and armor capabilities are both high on the list of assistance desired by Ukraine, but the T-72s fall short of more modern tanks such as the German Leopard or US Abrams that have been sought by Kyiv. The "tanks are coming from the Czech Republic defense industry, and the United States is paying for 45 of those to be refurbished, and the government of the Netherlands is matching our commitment" for a total of 90 T-72s, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists. The T-72s -- a Soviet-era tank -- will be equipped with "advanced optics, communications and armor packages," with some ready by the end of December and others to be delivered in 2023, she said. Asked why more modern tanks were not being provided, Singh cited factors including ease of use and cost. "These are tanks that the Ukrainians know how to use on the battlefield," she said, adding that "introducing a new main battle tank is extremely costly, is time sensitive, and it would be a huge undertaking for the Ukrainian forces."