Pentagon’s mistake: Military aid to Ukraine overestimated by $6 billion.
The Department of Defense Overestimated Military Aid to Ukraine by $6 Billion
The Department of Defense recently revealed that it had overestimated the value of military aid provided to Ukraine during the war by approximately $6 billion. This miscalculation has significant implications for the allocation of funds and additional aid to Ukraine.
According to deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh, the overvaluation occurred in fiscal 2023, with an overestimation of $3.6 billion, and in the previous year, with an overestimation of $2.6 billion. These newly discovered funds can now be utilized by the administration for further assistance to Ukraine.
Uncovering the Mistake
The Department of Defense identified this error in March but only disclosed it in mid-May. It was revealed that the department had unintentionally been tallying the equipment provided to Ukraine as significantly more expensive than it should have been. This miscalculation arose from using the cost of the sophisticated weapons that officials were replacing, rather than the actual value of the weapons being sent to Ukraine.
A senior defense official explained that the department had been using the cost of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to calculate aid to Ukraine, instead of the less expensive M777s that were actually provided. This example highlights the discrepancy between the cost of the weapons being replaced and the cost of the weapons being sent to Ukraine.
No Impact on Support to Ukraine
Despite these valuation errors, the Department of Defense assures that they did not limit or restrict the size of any presidential drawdown authority packages or impact the provision of support to Ukraine. Additionally, the recaptured funds can be utilized without affecting the appropriated USA AI or Ukraine PDA replenishment funding approved by Congress.
It is crucial to rectify these miscalculations to ensure accurate allocation of resources and support to Ukraine. The Department of Defense is committed to addressing this issue and ensuring transparency in future aid calculations.
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