The United States has announced that it will send advanced missile systems to Ukraine, but the jury is determined to decide whether they will change the game that was expected in the Kyiv war with Russia.
The new weapon is the Himars rocket launcher, or MLRS: a mobile unit that can launch multiple guided missiles simultaneously with precision.
Joe Biden says the missiles will allow Ukraine to hit key targets on the battlefield more accurately. (AP: Evan Vucci)
Both Ukraine and Russia already operate MLRS, but the Hymars have a higher rank and accuracy.
U.S. President Joe Biden wrote in The New York Times that advanced rockets will allow Ukrainians to “more accurately attack key targets on Ukraine’s battlefield.”
However, the US plans to limit the range of missiles it offers in Ukraine to prevent them from being used to hit targets inside Russia.
“We will not send rocket systems to Ukraine that could attack Russia,” Biden said on Monday.
What system will the US offer?
The M142 Himars (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) system is a modernized, lighter and more agile version mounted on the runway of the M270 MLRS mounted on the runway developed in the 1970s for US forces. and allies.
The Himalars that Washington provides to Ukraine will have a range of about 80 kilometers, a US official told reporters.
The Himar carry a pre-loaded 227 mm guided missile capsule (the M270 carries two capsules) or a large capsule loaded with an ATACMS tactical missile.
With a small crew, the Himar can pull out a worn-out pod and load a fresh one in a matter of minutes, without other vehicles helping. Crews will need some training.
The Himar will allow Ukraine to attack further behind Russian lines, and from better protected distances from Russia’s long-range weapons. (Supplied by: US Army)
The U.S. military already has Himars units in Europe, and NATO allies Poland and Romania have also acquired the systems.
It was unclear how many of the systems the US would send to Ukraine.
Why are they valuable?
The US MLRS will give Ukrainian forces the ability to attack further behind Russian lines, and from better protected distances from Russia’s long-range weapons.
The GPS-guided missiles that the Hymars fires from its pack of six have a range of about twice the range of the M777 shells that the United States recently supplied to Ukrainian forces.
These approximately 80 kilometers generally put the Himar out of the range of Russian artillery, while endangering Russian batteries.
It could also threaten Russian supply depots, amid Western belief that Russian forces are suffering from logistical problems.
The US will not supply ATACMS in Ukraine, which has a range of 300 kilometers.
Some analysts say Himars would be a “changer” in the war at a time when Ukrainian forces appear to be fighting under Russian artillery fire.
But others say Himars will not suddenly turn around the three-month war.
“The Himar even the playing field,” a senior U.S. defense official said.
The United States is keen to take any action to support Kyiv that could cause Moscow to wage war beyond Ukraine’s borders. (Supplied by: US Army)
Why does Washington limit its scope?
Since Russia invaded on February 24, the United States has been sensitive to taking any action to support Kyiv that could cause Moscow to wage war beyond Ukraine’s borders.
This has included not openly supporting Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory.
Ukraine has repeatedly used its own rockets, drones and helicopters to hit Russian short-range targets in the neighboring provinces of Kursk and Belgorod.
If the US provided ATACMS for use in Ukraine to the Himars, they would theoretically have the capability to attack major Russian urban centers and military bases, including airfields from which attacks are launched in Ukraine.
“Ukrainians have given assurances that they will not use these systems against Russian territory,” said a US official.
AFP
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