The Pentagon plans to send hundreds of armored personnel vehicles to Ukraine to help fight the Russian invasion, which newer models will then replace.
The Army and Army National Guard are set to send about 200 M113 carriers, which have been in use since the Vietnam War, to aid Ukraine. That will also allow the Pentagon to replace these vehicles with newer models after a sped-up production cycle.
"This acceleration in production does not change the AMPV's Army acquisition objective of 2,897 as we are buying vehicles sooner than we would have under the original fielding plan," Army spokesperson Ashley John told Bloomberg in a statement. "Additional vehicle procurement for replacement of vehicles provided to Ukraine is anticipated in subsequent years once a higher production rate is achieved."
BAE Systems, the leading contractor for the new AMPVs, said in a statement that "we stand ready to deliver," and noted that "the AMPV delivers increased survivability, mobility and power."
The Biden administration announced $2.8 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and other U.S. allies in Eastern Europe on Thursday, including about $675 million in ammunition, armored vehicles, and anti-armor munitions.
"There is a bigger issue now that will be important for the next three to five years, which is the defense of NATO and NATO countries from a Russia that is not backing down," Seth Jones, director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Politico.
"This is the administration recognizing that this is a bigger problem than just Ukraine, and that there are huge challenges right now in other countries in NATO, their capability to defend themselves," he continued.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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