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By the numbers: Keeping track of the single largest arms transfer in US history

Reporting | Europe

Last updated on March 13, 2024, at 8:25 a.m.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has now sent nearly $45 billion worth of military aid to support Kyiv’s war effort, according to the Department of Defense. This massive arms transfer has included a wide range of weapons, from anti-armor missiles to helicopters and beyond.

With the constant flow of news about the war, it can be hard to keep track of all these weapons packages, so we at Responsible Statecraft decided to put together a timeline of every arms shipment that has been announced since the war began. And whenever a new transfer is announced, we’ll update this page to reflect it.

Before jumping into the timeline, it is important to note a couple of things. First, this list only contains publicly announced information. The Pentagon admitted on August 11 to sending at least one type of missile that had not been previously mentioned in their press releases, so there’s reason to believe that this list is not exhaustive.

Second, there are three different sources for these lethal aid packages. One, which has made up the vast majority of transfers to date, is known as a “presidential drawdown.” This means that the White House and Pentagon agree to send weapons to Ukraine from U.S. stockpiles, after which DoD can use the funds to replenish their stocks by purchasing new arms from defense contractors. Biden has used this authority an unprecedented 18 times in order to send weapons to Ukraine, with most of the funding coming from money that Congress has set aside to arm Kyiv.

The second source of weapons is the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, or USAI. This is a special fund within the Pentagon’s budget that is used to purchase new weapons from contractors rather than drawing from existing stockpiles. Transfers from these funds do not require additional approval from Congress.

The third category is foreign military financing, or FMF. This program provides grants or loans to close U.S. partners that are often earmarked for specific weapons purchases. In essence, it lowers barriers for foreign countries that want to buy arms from American defense manufacturers and gives them the money needed to finance purchases.

Without further ado, here is a timeline of every major weapons shipment or funding package announced since February 24, 2022:

March 12, 2023

The Biden administration announced a $300 million weapons package — the first in nearly three months. The transfer was funded through "contract savings from previously appropriated supplemental funding that can be applied to replace DoD stocks," according to the Pentagon. This new transfer includes:

— Ammunition for HIMARS (These mobile missile launchers can fire a wide range of munitions, including rocket artillery and short-range ballistic missiles.)

— Stinger anti-aircraft missiles

— Artillery ammunition

Dec. 27, 2023

DoD announced a new weapons package valued at $250 million via drawdown. The aid disbursement, which appears to be the final package until new funds are appropriated, includes:

— Ammunition for NASAMS air defense missiles

— Stinger anti-aircraft missiles

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Javelin anti-armor systems

— TOW missiles

Dec. 12, 2023

The Pentagon announced a weapons aid package worth $200 million via drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Javelin anti-armor systems

— Air defense missiles

— TOW missiles

Nov. 20, 2023

DoD announced an additional $100 million in weapons aid for Ukraine via drawdown, including:

— A HIMARS system with additional ammunition

— Javelin anti-armor systems

— Stinger anti-aircraft missiles

— Artillery ammunition

— TOW missiles

Nov. 3, 2023

The Pentagon announced $125 million in aid via drawdown and an additional $300 million in USAI funding, including:

— Ammunition for NASAMS (This stands for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems. The weapon launches missiles to defend against various types of aircraft, including drones.)

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— TOW missiles

— Artillery ammunition

— Laser-guided anti drone systems

Oct. 26, 2023

DoD announced an additional $150 million in military aid for Ukraine via drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for NASAMS

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Stinger anti-aircraft missiles

— Javelin anti-armor systems

— TOW missiles

Oct. 11, 2023

The Biden administration announced an additional $200 million in security assistance for Ukraine via drawdown, including:

— Air defense missiles

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Unspecified "[p]recision aerial munitions"

— TOW missiles

Sept. 21, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $325 million in weapons for Ukraine via drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Air defense systems

— TOW missiles

— Javelin anti-armor systems

Sept. 6, 2023

DoD announced $175 in additional military aid for Ukraine via drawdown, including:

— Depleted uranium tank ammunition (These controversial munitions are unusually dense, allowing them to break through thick armor, but radioactive shell remnants risk long-term harm to civilians.)

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— TOW missiles

— Javelin anti-armor systems

Aug. 29, 2023

The Pentagon announced a new aid package via drawdown valued at $250 million, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— AIM-9M air defense missiles

— TOW missiles

— Javelin anti-armor systems

— Hydra 70 rockets

Aug. 14, 2023

The Biden administration announced an additional $200 million in military aid for Ukraine via drawdown, including:

— Munitions for Patriot air defense systems

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— TOW missiles

— Artillery ammunition

— Javelin anti-armor systems

July 25, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $400 million in weapons for Ukraine via drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for NASAMS

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Stinger missiles

— Artillery ammunition

— TOW missiles

— Hornet drones

— Stryker armored vehicles

July 19, 2023

The DoD announced an additional $1.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine via USAI, including:

— Four NASAMS

— Ammunition for NASAMS

— Artillery ammunition

— TOW missiles

— Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade drones

— Various support vehicles

July 7, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $800 million arms package via drawdown, “marking the 42nd drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.” It includes the transfer of controversial cluster munitions for the first time in the Ukraine war, plus:

— Ammunition for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Stinger anti-aircraft systems

— Artillery systems

— TOW missiles

— Armored vehicles

June 13, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $325 million arms package via drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for NASAMS

— Stinger anti-aircraft missiles

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Armored vehicles

— Javelin anti-armor systems

— TOW missiles

June 9, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $2.1 billion in weapons for Ukraine via USAI, including:

— Ammunition for Patriot air defense systems (This is America’s state-of-the-art missile defense system.)

— HAWK air defense missiles and systems

— Artillery ammunition

— Puma surveillance drones

May 31, 2023

The DoD announced an additional $300 million weapons package via drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for Patriot air defense systems

— AIM-7 air defense missiles

— Avenger air defense systems

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Anti-armor ammunition

— Precision aerial munitions (The Pentagon did not disclose further details for this category.)

May 21, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $375 million in weapons via drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS (This is an acronym for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. These mobile missile launchers can fire a wide range of munitions, including rocket artillery and short-range ballistic missiles.)

— Artillery ammunition

— TOW missiles

— Anti-armor systems, including Javelins


May 9, 2023

The DoD announced an additional $1.2 billion in aid to Ukraine via USAI funds, including:

— Artillery ammunition

— Air defense systems and equipment to integrate Ukraine's current air defenses with Western systems

— Ammunition for anti-drone systems


May 3, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $300 million in security aid for Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Hydra-70 aircraft rockets (These small, unguided air-to-surface rockets can be launched from helicopters or fighter jets.)

— Artillery ammunition

— TOW missiles

— Various anti-armor systems


April 19, 2023

The DoD said it would send an additional $325 million in weapons to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— TOW missiles

— Various anti-armor weapons, including anti-tank mines

— Precision aerial munitions (The Pentagon did not specify which type.)


April 4, 2023

The Pentagon announced an additional $2.6 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Approximately $500 million of that will come via presidential drawdown, while the other $2.1 billion will come from USAI funds. The drawdown includes:

— Ammunition for Patriot air defense systems

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Tank ammunition

— TOW missiles

— Grenade launchers and ammunition

The USAI package includes:

— Ammunition for NASAMS (This stands for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems. The weapon launches missiles to defend against various types of aircraft, including drones.)

— Various counter-drone systems

— Tank ammunition

— Anti-aircraft ammunition

— Mortar systems and ammunition

— Javelin systems

— Small arms and ammunition


March 20, 2023

The Defense Department announced a $350 million drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— HARM missiles (High-speed anti-radiation missiles are fired from planes to destroy enemy radar.)

— Mortar systems


March 3, 2023

The Pentagon announced $400 million in lethal aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition


February 24, 2023

The Department of Defense announced a $2 billion lethal aid package funded via USAI, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Ammunition for laser-guided rockets

— CyberLux K8 quadcopter drones

— Switchblade drones (This is form of loitering munition, a weapon that can wait in the air for extended periods of time before attacking a target.)

— Altius-600 drones (These drones, made by defense start-up Anduril, can be used for surveillance or carry a small payload for attacks.)

— Jump 20 surveillance drones


February 20

The Pentagon announced an additional $460 million in military aid to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— Ammunition for HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Javelin shoulder-launched missile systems


February 3

The Defense Department announced an additional $2.175 billion in lethal aid for Ukraine. The vast majority of this package ($1.75 billion) comes from USAI funds, while the rest ($425 million) comes from a presidential drawdown. The new weapons include:

— Conventional HIMARS ammunition

— GLSDB rockets for HIMARS (The ground-launched small diameter bomb has a range of over 90 miles, making them the longest-range weapons provided by the U.S. to Ukraine to date. The GLSDB started its first tests in 2015 and has not yet been used in combat.)

— Artillery ammunition

— Javelin missiles

— Armored vehicles

— Anti-aircraft guns

— Surveillance and air defense radar systems

— HAWK air defense systems

— Puma surveillance drones


January 19

The Biden administration announced an addition $2.5 billion in military support for Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— Eight Avenger air defense systems (These mobile systems can help protect units from various forms of air attacks.)

— 59 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (These armored vehicles, which are smaller than full tanks but otherwise similar, could be valuable in Kyiv's efforts to retake land in eastern Ukraine.)

— 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers

— Various other armored vehicles

— NASAMS ammunition

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition

— HARM missiles


January 6

DoD announced an additional $3.075 billion. Presidential drawdowns account for $2.85 billion, while the rest of the transfer comes from FMF. This package includes:

— 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles

— Various other armored vehicles

— Howitzers (This is a popular long-range artillery weapon.)

— Artillery ammunition

— HIMARS ammunition

— Air-to-surface rockets

— Aerial defense missiles


December 21

The Pentagon announced an additional $1.85 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Presidential drawdowns make up $1 billion of this weapons package, while the other $850 million comes from USAI funds. The new arms shipments include:

— One Patriot missile defense battery (This is America's state-of-the-art missile defense system.)

— HIMARS ammunition

— Air-to-surface missiles

— HARM missiles

— Artillery ammunition, including shells meant for use with Soviet-era systems

— Mortar systems and ammunition

— Various armored vehicles


December 9

DoD announced $275 million in lethal aid to Ukraine via presidential drawdown. Package includes:

— HIMARS ammunition

— 80,000 155mm artillery rounds

— Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems equipment

— Counter air defense capability

— High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) Ambulances and medical equipment

— Approximately 150 generators

— Field equipment


November 23

DoD announced an additional $400 million in lethal aid to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— NASAMS Ammunition

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition

— HARM missiles

— Various armored vehicles

— Heavy machine guns


November 10

The Pentagon announced that it will give an additional $400 million of weapons to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— Avenger air defense systems

— HAWK air defense missiles

— Artillery ammunition

— HIMARS ammunition

— Armored vehicles

— Small arms


November 4

DoD announced that it would send $400 million of weapons to Ukraine via USAI funds, including:

— HAWK air defense missiles (The USAI money will be used to refurbish missiles already in U.S. stockpiles, which will be delivered in a future presidential drawdown, according to the Pentagon.)

— T-72B tanks (These are Russian-made tanks originally developed in the Soviet era.)

— Phoenix Ghost drones (These are a type of “loitering munition,” or a weapon that can wait in the air for extended periods of time before attacking a target. This was created by the United States for use in Ukraine.)

— Armored boats


October 28

The Pentagon announced that it would send $275 million in weapons to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition

— Ammunition for remote anti-armor mine systems (RAAM) (These artillery rounds contain several anti-tank mines that are released above their target before the shell hits the ground.)

— Armored vehicles


October 14

DoD announced that it would send $725 million in weapons to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition

— RAAM ammunition

— High-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM) (These missiles are fired from planes at targets on the ground.)

— Armored vehicles


October 4

The Pentagon announced an additional $625 million in military aid to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— Four HIMARS

— Howitzers

— Artillery ammunition

— Armored vehicles


September 28

The DoD announced that it will give Ukraine an additional $1.1 billion in weapons to Ukraine via the USAI, including:

— 18 HIMARS

— Various armored vehicles

— Counter-drone systems


September 16

The Pentagon announced that it will send another $600 million of arms to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery Ammunition

— Counter-artillery radars

— Counter-drone systems


September 8

The Pentagon announced that it will send $675 million of weapons to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition

— High-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM)

— Ammunition for remote anti-armor mine systems (RAAM)

— Various armored vehicles

In a first since the war began, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $1 billion in foreign military financing for Kyiv, with another $1 billion going to other U.S. partners near Ukraine. Blinken did not clarify which weapons systems would be purchased under this authority.


August 24

The Pentagon announced that it will use USAI funds to send an additional $3 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine, including:

— Six additional (NASAMS)

— VAMPIRE anti-drone systems

— Laser-guided rocket systems (This likely refers to the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, which fires highly accurate rockets with a relatively short range.)

— Puma surveillance drones

— Counter-artillery radars

— Artillery ammunition

— Mortar ammunition


August 19

The Pentagon announced that it will send an additional $775 million worth of security assistance to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition

— Javelin anti-armor systems

— ScanEagle surveillance drones

— HARM missiles

— Various armored vehicles


August 8

The Pentagon announced that it will send $1 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition

— Javelin missiles and other anti-armor weapons


August 1

The Pentagon announced an additional $550 million of security aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition


July 22

The Pentagon announced that it will send $270 million of military aid to Ukraine, with $175 million authorized via presidential drawdown and the other $95 million coming via USAI funds. This included:

— Four additional HIMARS

— HIMARS ammunition

— Four Command Post vehicles (These can be used as a tactical operations center or an armored ambulance, among other things.)

— Tank gun ammunition

— Phoenix Ghost drones


July 8

The Pentagon announced an additional $400 million of military assistance via presidential drawdown, including:

— Four additional HIMARS

— HIMARS ammunition

— Artillery ammunition


July 1

The Pentagon announced that it will send $820 million of security aid, with $50 million authorized via presidential drawdown and the remaining $770 million coming via USAI funds. This included:

— HIMARS ammunition

— Two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS)

— Artillery ammunition


June 23

The Pentagon announced an additional $450 million in military assistance via presidential drawdown, including:

— Four HIMARS

— Artillery ammunition

— Grenade launchers

— Patrol boats


June 15

The Pentagon announced an additional $1 billion in lethal aid, with $350 million authorized via presidential drawdown and $650 million coming from USAI funds. This included:

— Howitzers

— Artillery ammunition

— HIMARS ammunition

— Two Harpoon coastal defense systems (These launch missiles that fly just above the surface of the water to attack planes and ships.)


June 1

The Pentagon announced an additional $700 million in military assistance via presidential drawdown, including:

— HIMARS

— HIMARS ammunition

— Javelin missiles and other anti-armor weapons

— Artillery ammunition

— Four Mi-17 helicopters (These can be used for transport or combat.)


May 19

The Pentagon announced $100 million in lethal aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— Howitzers

On the same day, Congress passed a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine, roughly half of which was earmarked for military assistance.


May 6

The Pentagon announced $150 million in military aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— Artillery ammunition


April 21

DoD announced $800 million in further aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— Howitzers

— Artillery ammunition

— Phoenix Ghost drones


April 13

The Pentagon announced that it will send an additional $800 million in military assistance via presidential drawdown, including:

— Howitzers

— Artillery ammunition

— Switchblade drones

— Javelin missiles and other anti-armor weapons

— Armored personnel carriers

— 11 Mi-17 helicopters

— Various types of explosives


April 6

The Pentagon announced an addition $100 million in aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— Javelin anti-armor systems


April 1

DoD announced that it will send $300 million in lethal aid using USAI funds, including:

— Laser-guided rocket systems

— Switchblade drones

— Puma surveillance drones

— Anti-drone systems

— Armored vehicles


March 16

The Pentagon announced that it will send $800 million worth of military aid via presidential drawdown. The exact contents of this package are unclear, but it likely included Mi-17 helicopters, Javelin missiles, and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.


March 12

The White House announced that it will send $200 million in lethal aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— Javelin missiles

— Stinger missiles


March 10

Congress approved $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, roughly half of which was earmarked for military assistance.


February 25

The White House announced that it will send $350 million in military aid via presidential drawdown, including:

— Anti-armor weapons

— Small arms

A Ukrainian soldier poses with a Javelin missile launcher during a parade in August 2021. (shutterstock/ Lina Reshetnyk)
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