The new US weapons for Ukraine move beyond the war's immediate needs and is a big show of confidence in its ability to keep back Russia, experts say

• The US just announced $3 billion in new military supplies for Ukraine — its biggest tranche yet.
• It includes weapons Ukraine hadn't received before and some that officials say could take years to arrive.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the US's biggest-yet haul of weapons for Ukraine, saying the nearly $3 billion tranche is designed for Ukraine to "continue to defend itself over the long term."

The weapons — including air-defense systems, radars, and artillery systems — involves equipment Ukraine had not been given before. Some of them, experts told Insider, reveal the US's desire to show long-term commitment to Ukraine and its faith that it can keep fighting back against Russia.

At the start of Ukraine's invasion, allies worried Ukraine would quickly lose and have weapons end up in Russian hands.

But, as Ukraine fought back, allies increasingly gave Ukraine more advanced systems.

Earlier weapons focused on Ukraine's immediate needs: Missiles and counter-artillery equipment designed to instantly react and repel the way Russia was fighting.

Now, the new $2.98 billion haul, which includes equipment that helps Ukraine gather intelligence, is a show of confidence in Ukraine as it focuses on what could be needed in months — or maybe years — to come, experts said.

Steven Horrell, a former naval intelligence officer and current nonresident senior fellow at the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis, told Insider the haul "is an indication of continued to commitment to the idea of Ukrainian victory, not just some temporary or stopgap measure."

A vote of confidence

Marina Miron, research fellow at the King's College London Center for Military Ethics, said the arms being delivered and the long delivery times should serve as a "vote of confidence" in Ukraine's ability to use the weapons and fight back.

She said the announcement was a way for US officials to show they "believe in their capabilities."

Both Horrell and Miron said it was significant that Biden made his announcement on August 24, Ukraine's independence day.

It "signifies a continuation of support for Ukraine and its effort to sustain Russia's offensives" and was designed to lift the spirit of Ukraine's armed forces after six months of brutal war, Miron said.

Weapons will arrive over time

Biden's announcement noted the $2.98 billion will let Ukraine "acquire" weapons over time, while previous US weapons were what the country had available at the time.

US officials told the Associated Press that some of the equipment may not reach a battlefield in Ukraine for another year or two.

Horrell told Insider said this supports the idea the US is looking to support "longer-term success and longer-term arrangements" in Ukraine.

Colin Kahl, the US undersecretary of defense for policy, told a Wednesday Pentagon briefing that the new package of weapons were not intended for "today's fight," and that the relatively slow release of weapons should convince Russia not to expect US support to waiver.

"His theory of victory is that he can wait everybody out," Kahl said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He can wait the Ukrainians out because they will be exhausted and attritted. He can wait us out because we'll turn our attention elsewhere. He can wait the Europeans out because of high energy prices or whatever."

"So packages like this are extraordinarily important, indirectly challenging Putin's theory of the case, which is that we're not in it for the long haul."

Weapons

The new weapons include six surface-to-air missile systems, 24 counter-artillery radars, laser-guided rocket systems, Puma drones, and a Vampire system that can shoot drones out of the sky.

Miron said these weapons show how the US is seeing Ukraine differently from before.

She said the drones allow Ukraine to be increasingly tactical and get timely intelligence, "helping to locate potential targets" and "warn the Ukrainian troops of adversary movements."

She warned the lack of a clear timeline for when weapons will arrive means it's hard to figure out how effective they will be in the war — but they could ultimately still force Russia to change tactics.

The weapons "should serve as a deterrent for the Russians," she said, "because not only does it demonstrate the US' continued commitment, but also the fact that the Ukrainian armed forces will be better equipped than at present."