The United States Department of Defense's $400 million aid package was announced on November 4. Back in June, Kyiv received 18 boats.
The aid assistance package does not specify the type of riverine boats that will be sent, but six from the previous batches were made by Metal Shark. They are in the Black Sea.
45 refurbished/upgraded T-72B tanks will be sent to aid Ukranian.
The 40 Defiant, built by Metal Shark in Franklin, Louisiana, was selected by the US Navy to replace its existing Coastal Riverine Force boats.
The vessels are powered by two Cummins QSB 6.7 diesel engines, which allow them to reach speeds of up to 40 knots. Dynamic stability can be displayed on the watercraft. The boats are equipped with a welded aluminum monohull.
The 40defiant has been designed to carry a power projection capability far beyond that of a traditional force protection boat. The vessel has a wide range of capabilities. It is possible to sustain extended firefights, allowing crews to respond with overwhelming force to asymmetric threats, while remaining secure and protected from hostile fire.
Naval News reported that in Ukrainian service they could use crew-operated weapons, which included twin M2.50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns. Each weapon could be switched to another system in a matter of seconds.
Ukrainian forces have been able to prevent Moscow's Black Sea Fleet from operating in the littoral waters due to the threat from anti-ship missiles and drones. In April, the Ukrainian military used a pair of Neptune anti-ship missiles to deliver the Black Sea Fleet flagshipRTS Moskva.
A guided-missile frigate and another ship were damaged last month when Russian ships were attacked by drones.
A Ukranian Gyruza-M patrol boat was damaged by a Russian drone last Friday. Initially, the exact location of the incident wasn't made clear, but it was believed to have taken place in the Dnieper River.
The Black Sea Fleet is vastly superior to Russia's, but the Kremlin is not able to reinforce it because it cannot operate on Russia's rivers.
Russia's ability to see vessels in the Mediterranean from the Black Sea has been hampered by Turkey's decision to close the Dardanelles and Bosphorus to warships.
In the early 17th century, the Zaporizhian Sich Cossacks frequently raided Ottoman settlements on the Black Sea coast. It's possible that Russian interests are under attack.
Peter Suciu is a writer based in Michigan. Over the course of two decades in journalism, he has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites. He writes about military hardware and firearms. Peter is a contributor to Forbes. You can follow him on the social networking site.
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