U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, partake in multiple events during Eagle Week on Fort Bragg, N.C., on June 14, 2022. U.S. Army / Pfc. Rognie OrtizVega
The Army Brief: More Ukraine aid; Bigger budget; Intercepting missiles; and more.
Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future.
More weapons. The U.S. is sending Ukraine more arms, including more 155mm howitzers and ammunition, Defense One reports. The new $1 billion security package also allows the U.S. to buy secure radios and other equipment directly from companies to send to Ukraine instead of pulling them from the Pentagon’s inventory.
Larger defense budget. The Senate Armed Services Committee added $45 billion to its version of the 2023 national defense budget, raising the total to $817 billion for the Pentagon, Defense One reports. Half of the increase will offset inflation, while the rest will go toward some of the unfunded priorities requests, restocking munitions that were sent to Ukraine, and fully funding the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
Two is better than one. Working together, an Army PAC-2 Patriot interceptor battery and an Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter took out a drone that simulated a cruise missile during an exercise on the Pacific island nation of Palau, Stars and Stripes reports. The air-defense system was able to use radar data from the aircraft to find and hit the target.
Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1775, militiamen lost the Battle of Bunker Hill (which was actually on Breed’s Hill), but inflicted twice their own casualties on the British. The famous line “don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes,” was allegedly said during the battle by Col. William Prescott of Massachusetts.
From Defense One
'Obsolete' NATO Force Presence in Baltics Needs Upgrade, Estonian Defense Leader Says // Jacqueline Feldscher
"It's a joke" that Russia would be deterred by a battalion, secretary says.
Russia Might Try Reckless Cyber Attacks as Ukraine War Drags On, US Warns // Patrick Tucker
Ground commanders have been unable to capitalize on at least one previous cyber strike.
What Ukraine Needs: More Arms, Sanctions, and Money, Ambassador Says // Caitlin M. Kenney
The war-ravaged economy is providing the Kyiv government far less than the $5B per month it needs, Oksana Markarova said.