The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration has decided to redirect proximity fuses for the 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets promised to Ukraine as part of the Biden administration’s $3.85 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
Although those funds have been expended, the equipment they purchased, which include those fuses, will continue to be delivered until the end of 2026.
The APKWS missiles are the key component of the L3 Harris VAMPIRE counter-drone system, thirty or more of which have been provided to Ukraine as a key element of protection for its formations against Russian drones.
According to the WSJ, the Pentagon told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the fuses were needed under a “Secretary of Defense Identified Urgent Issue” requirement to allow US Air Force (USAF) Units deployed to the Middle East in preparation for a possible direct confrontation with Iran and Houthi militants in Yemen.
The USAF has adapted the APKWS rockets as a cheaper alternative to Sidewinder and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles carried by its F-16s and F-15E fighter aircraft to take on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
The decision has raised concerns among several members of Congress, who complain that the decision was taken without due consideration of the impact it would have on Ukraine’s ability to defend itself or exactly how urgent the air force requirement actually is.
“It is unthinkable to deny Ukraine a critical weapon at this critical point in the war,” a Democratic said. “The failure to explain the need for such a move suggests it could be seen as punitive.”
The decision follows increased demands by Trump and the members of his administration that Europe must share more of the burden of future military assistance to Kyiv. The WSJ says this position was exemplified by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth having ducked out of Wednesday’s Ramstein Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters.
The timing of the Pentagon’s move could not be worse. Following Ukraine’s Spiderweb attack on Russian strategic airfields on Sunday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump in a phone call Wednesday that he would respond forcefully – which will likely see another upsurge in drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s cities and military units.
Ukrainian intelligence sources have said that Russia is currently producing 300 drones a day, with air strikes on cities and infrastructure facilities in May already having been the largest since the February 2022 full-scale invasion.