On April 24, US President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid bill worth tens of billions of dollars, including an additional $61 billion in aid to Ukraine. Immediately afterward, the Pentagon announced a $1 billion security assistance package for Kiev. Although it did not specifically mention the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), the US said the package contained “additional missiles” for the HIMARS complex.
Also on April 24, the New York Times and Reuters news agency reported that President Biden’s administration secretly transported long-range ATACMS variants to Ukraine earlier this month as part of a security assistance package worth 300 million USD was announced in March. US officials said that Kiev used ATACMS missiles to attack the Russian military airport on the Crimean peninsula last week. But it is unclear which variant of ATACMS this is.
Previously, Kiev forces claimed to have attacked two Russian airports in the eastern region of Ukraine in the fall of 2023 using ATACMS. Ukraine used the M39 version of ATACMS carrying cluster bombs with a range of 165km to attack two Russian airports. According to experts, the M39 version is effective against scattered and unprotected targets such as parked helicopters.
Western intelligence said two Ukrainian attacks destroyed more than a dozen Russian helicopters, along with an anti-aircraft missile launcher, military vehicles and ammunition depots. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also affirmed that ATACMS has “proven its capabilities”.
During this event, US lawmakers said that in the next few days Ukraine will be able to receive more ATACMS missiles. From there, Ukraine can continue to conduct raids on Russia’s high-value assets in the rear.
Sharing with Business Insider, Mr. Dan Rice, a former US Army artillery officer, said “this will cause Russia to change a lot in strategy and tactics.”
But it is unclear exactly which ATACMS variant Ukraine will receive from the US in the near future. In addition to the M39 with a range of 165km, the US also has two other versions with a range of 305km.
According to Mr. Rice, all ATACMS can be fired from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System that Ukraine is using. Additionally, different ATACMS variants can be used to attack different targets.
Specifically, with the variant carrying cluster bombs, ATACMS can attack large-scale military concentrations in the open or in trenches, and destroy fuel depots, ammunition and armored vehicles kept in the area. neighboring area.
With its single warhead variant, ATACMS is intended to attack targets such as bridges, command and control posts, supply depots, or heavily defended bunkers because they create a large explosion, rather than dispersing it. bomblets over a wide area.
“The above combination will make HIMARS launchers more dangerous, and put more pressure on Russia in all areas within 300km of the front line,” Mr. Rice said.
In fact, no matter which additional variant of ATACMS Kiev receives, it will force Moscow to change its strategy and tactics. Experts have said that Russian military leaders will have to balance protecting and relocating vulnerable assets within ATACMS range, without reducing their combat value.
According to Mr. Rice, the presence of more ATACMS in the near future may force Russia to push supply depots, command and control posts, and attack helicopters further away from the front lines. In this way, Ukraine will cause “more difficulties” for the Russian army during combat.
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Tags: Ukraine ATACMS missiles important Russian targets danger
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