To support its offensive operations against russia and defend against attacks and other threats, Ukraine is seeking additional funding from its allies to purchase weapons. Ukraine is requesting an additional $20 billion to support its armed forces in consolidating battlefield positions, which have strengthened in recent months.
This was reported by Politico, citing a representative of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. The request for additional funds is set to be presented on June 18 at the next Ramstein meeting. If approved, the funds will be used to strengthen air defense capabilities and to procure drones, ammunition, electronic warfare systems, as well as long-range weapons.
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This includes both direct purchases from Ukrainian arms manufacturers and additional contributions under the PURL program, in which allies fund weapons purchases in the United States. From Defense Express we aim to estimate how many specific types of weapons could be purchased with these funds.
As Ukraine intensifies its long-range strikes against Russia, funding for drone and missile production is expected to be directed toward operational needs. With $20 billion, the Armed Forces of Ukraine could significantly strengthen their military capabilities against russian forces. For instance, that would be enough to buy over 363,000 FP-1 long-range drones, which cost $55,000 each, or around 20,000 FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, based on publicly available estimates ranging from $500,000 to $1 million per unit.
Reports have recently suggested that Ukraine may have acquired and begun using the low-cost AGM-188A Rusty Dagger cruise missile from Zone 5 Technologies, a system developed under the ERAM program.
They are estimated to cost $200,000–$250,000 per unit, meaning that with a $20 billion budget, up to 80,000 could be purchased. When it comes to JASSM cruise missiles (about $1.7 million per unit) or JASSM-ER (starting at $4 million), that amounts to 11,000 and 5,000 missiles, respectively.
It is also important to have protection against russian missile attacks, particularly ballistic missiles, which russia is currently relying on. This primarily involves PAC-3 MSE interceptors for the Patriot air defense systems.
They cost $5 million each for the U.S., and even more for export. In total, up to 4,000 missiles are being discussed. However, it is important to consider their limited availability and the fact that the Pentagon is effectively determining their distribution on a case-by-case basis.
It is also worth noting mid-range drones, which are currently effectively disrupting russian logistics. One of the most popular models is the Hornet from Swift Beat LLC. Its price is reported to start at around $5,000, and even at $20,000, that would amount to roughly one million drones.
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