Biden on Wednesday announced the US is sending another $800 million in security aid toUkraine .- The aid includes lethal weapons like Switchblade drones.
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that the US will send its "most cutting-edge systems" to Ukraine as he announced a sweeping new military aid package.
Biden said he is authorizing $800 million worth of security assistance for Ukraine, bringing the total to $1 billion this week alone.
Included in the military package are 800 anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 anti-armor systems, 7,000 small arms like machine guns, grenade launchers, pistols, and shotguns, and 20 million rounds of ammunition.
More specifically, the administration said the package will include Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, similar shoulder-fired AT-4 weapons effective against armored vehicles, mortar rounds, body armor, and helmets.
Biden said the delivery of an unspecified make of "tactical" drones, included in the spending package, represents "our commitment to sending our most cutting-edge systems to Ukraine for defense," Biden said in a briefing at the White House.
"We're united in our abhorrence of Putin's depraved onslaught and we'll continue to have their backs as they fight for freedom, democracy, their very survival," Biden said.
He continued: "We're going to give Ukraine the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead."
The US has some of the world's most formidable drones, capable of detecting enemies across wide areas or launching targeted strikes against leaders or military targets.
The administration is giving Ukraine 100 armed Switchblade drones as part of the package Biden announced on Wednesday, Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware confirmed to Insider.
"Drones can be very helpful...for the Ukrainian people in terms of being able to know where your enemy is," Carper said. "They're hard to hit, hard to knock down by the enemy. And it gives the Ukrainians a tactical advantage."
Unlike other unmanned aerial vehicles used by the US for targeted killings, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, Switchblade drones don't fire missiles but act as a missile. Switchblades, sometimes referred to as "kamikaze drones," are precision, single-use drones that fly directly into their targets and explode.
There are two versions of the Switchblade, the 300 and the 600. The 300 is for targeting personnel and the 600 is designed to target armored vehicles like tanks. It's unclear which version of the Switchblade the US is sending. The 600 can fly for up to 50 minutes and travel up to 40 miles, the company that designs them, AeroVironment, recently told NBC News.
The White House did not offer a comment when contacted by Insider.