Weapons Ukraine could request from US: From THAAD to F-18
Ukraine could ask the USA for THAAD air defense systems (wikipedia.org)
Ukraine could ask the US for new weapons, including some rather expensive ones. The list published by Reuters journalists includes, in particular, aircraft, drones, and the latest THAAD air defense system.
Sources used: Reuters, DEFENSE EXPRESS, personal comments of experts, General Atomics website.
What preceded it
Reuters reported that representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine at a closed defense conference in Washington handed the US a new list of weapons for the Ukrainian army.
The list includes weapons that Ukraine already has or will soon receive. In particular, Abrams tanks, 155-mm artillery systems, F-16 fighters, ATACMS missiles, etc. But the list also included weapons that the Defense Forces of Ukraine do not yet have.
New and very expensive THAAD
According to Reuters, Ukraine could ask the US for the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile defense system, the manufacturer of which is Lockheed Martin.
THAAD is a powerful echelon of anti-missile defense, which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at a range of up to 200 km and altitudes of up to 100-150 km.
Officially, the transfer of this anti-missile defense system has already been raised at a high level, but experts consider it unlikely.
Aviation and missile weapons expert Valerii Romanenko in a commentary for RBC-Ukraine previously explained that THAAD is the newest weapon, but very expensive, even for Europe. Moreover, the complex is tied to the American satellite system. THAAD is in service with the United States, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
F-18 Hornet fighters
The F/A-18 Hornet is an American carrier-based fighter-bomber developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) in the 1970s. This is the main combat aircraft of the USA, it is also in service in the countries of Europe and Asia.
In a basic comparison, the F-16 and F-18 are similar. Therefore, both experts and Western media often assumed that Ukraine could also consider the F-18 to update its aircraft fleet.
MQ-9B Sky Guardian drone
This is a reconnaissance drone with a wingspan of 20 meters, developed by General Atomics. The drone can reach a speed of up to 480 kilometers per hour. The maximum duration of the flight is up to 24 hours.
The MQ-9 also has a strike version, it can be armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Mark 82 guided bombs.
The US often uses this drone for reconnaissance. In particular, in the Black Sea.
Apache and Black Hawk helicopters
Apache is an American attack helicopter, very common in the USA. It is known from open sources that the Pentagon has up to 740 such helicopters of various versions.
Black Hawk is already in service with Ukraine. This helicopter is used by fighters of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense.
C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Super Hercules aircraft
These are transport planes designed to transport military personnel and military resources. They are also used for strategic transfer of cargo, landing of airborne troops, and medical evacuation.
The C-17 Globemaster is a strategic military transport aircraft for the United States. Both aircraft are in service not only in the USA, but also in Australia, Canada, UAE, Qatar, India, and the UK.
