Pentagon reviewing hundreds of industry proposals in effort to rapidly arm Ukraine

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has acquired greater than 300 responses to its name for weapons and business programs to quickly equip Ukraine’s navy.

The Division of Protection issued a request for info April 22 in search of enter from corporations on plenty of wanted capabilities, together with air protection, anti-armor, unmanned aerial programs and communications gear. Pentagon acquisition chief Invoice LaPlante, in his first public look since taking the position, mentioned Friday the inflow of proposals will assist mitigate provide chain points, velocity up manufacturing traces and deal with strategic targets within the area.

Friday is the cutoff for corporations to make proposals, and LaPlante mentioned the Pentagon is reviewing a whole bunch of submissions, which fall into totally different classes primarily based on urgency and the time it can take to area. These supply timelines vary from as few as 30 days to greater than six months.

The RFI additionally requested corporations to supply a most month-to-month manufacturing charge and point out what different programs could be affected by a manufacturing enhance.

Requested Friday when the division could begin awarding contracts, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby wouldn’t present additional element.

In the meantime, LaPlante mentioned DoD has obligated $181.8 million of its $300 million Ukraine Safety Help Initiative funding. That features a $17.8 million contract to AeroVironment for its Switchblade unmanned plane system, which the division plans to award Friday.

On prime of a $45 million Ukraine Safety Help Initiative obligation to coordinate weapon system transport, the division has additionally awarded: $61.4 million for communications gear; $22.6 million for the Superior Precision Kill Weapon System; $19.7 million for the Puma UAS; $7.2 million for M1151 Humvee refurbishment; $4.9 million for fight medical gear and provides; $2 million for binoculars; and $1.2 million for MREs.

LaPlante mentioned the division has plans for the remaining $118.2 million in funding, however didn’t supply particulars.

Because the Pentagon works to produce Ukraine with wanted weapon programs, it’s additionally centered on replenishing U.S. gear stockpiles. Congress authorized the $13.6 billion Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act in March, which included $3.5 billion to refresh DoD’s weapons provide.

LaPlante confirmed the division transferred the primary batch of funding, about $1.45 billion, earlier this week to the Military and Marine Corps for Stingers, Javelins and different weapons. Inside Protection first reported the switch.

The Military is “actively negotiating” contracts for the Raytheon-made Stinger missiles and expects to make an award this month. The Javelin missile contract, LaPlante mentioned, is “imminent,” including that whereas the Pentagon had beforehand been shopping for the F-model of the Lockheed Martin-made Javelin, its stockpiles will likely be replenished with the newer G-model.

LaPlante mentioned the Pentagon’s choice course of for utilizing its personal stockpiles to assist Ukrainian forces is “actually a trade-off between readiness and modernization.”

“These calculations are happening proper now the place the warfighters are trying and saying, ‘How a lot danger am I prepared to tackle my readiness?’” LaPlante mentioned. “On the similar time, we’re making an attempt to guard our modernization. Right here, the constraint is actually time and the variable that’s exhausting to determine is time. However I’ll say, there are loads of classes being discovered proper now.”