US allocates almost $254 million for increasing missile production

The U.S. Defense Department has allocated $253.7 million to Williams International (Williams) through the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase missile production, part of which will form military assistance programs for Ukraine, the Pentagon reported on Dec. 23.

The announcement comes as the Biden administration attempts to increase military aid to Ukraine ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, amid concerns that a future Trump administration would halt weapons shipments before they reach Kyiv.

The additional funding will allow Williams to increase engine production capacity to meet the Defense Department's needs for ramping up the manufacturing of Harpoon, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), Tomahawk, and other precision strike weapons.

This step was taken in accordance with the National Defense Industrial Strategy until 2024, which aims to expand domestic production and ensure sustainable supply chains, the statement read.

"This effort is a key component of the DoD's strategy to accelerate the capacity and fielding of precision strike weapons to deliver cutting-edge capabilities and options to our armed forces," said Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy.

Funds for the DPA procurements are allocated under the Indo-Pacific Supplemental Security Appropriations Act of 2024 and Ukraine Supplemental Security Appropriations Act of 2024, which includes increasing the production capacity of critical materials needed to defend against aggression.

"This facilitization effort is instrumental for both the Air Force and the Navy's engine-reliant weapons and is necessary to enable the rapid replenishment of our Nation's long-range weapons of choice," the Pentagon said.

The U.S. provided more than $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine under the Biden administration.

The Biden administration is planning to announce in the coming days its final aid package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) worth around $1.2 billion, Reuters reported on Dec. 20.

How will Russia-Ukraine war end? The good, the bad, and the ugly scenarios

Editor’s note: This article is based on a publicly available research report on scenarios for the end of Russia’s war on Ukraine by KI Insights, the Kyiv Independent’s research unit. Read Francis Farrell’s full report here. After nearly three years of heavy battles and mass strikes, Russia’s

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell