A high-mobility artillery rocket system during a real-world fire training mission in Florida on May 10th. (Joseph P. LeVeille / US Air Force Senior Aviator)
Senior US officials on Tuesday confirmed to reporters that the United States will send high-mobility artillery rocket systems from Ukraine, known as HIMARS, as part of the 11th aid package. security of the country in Ukraine.
Officials said the HIMARS will be equipped with ammunition that will allow Ukraine to launch rockets of about 80 kilometers (49 miles).
A little context: this is much lower than the maximum range of the systems, which is about 300 kilometers (186 miles), but much larger than everything that has been sent to Ukraine so far. The M777 shells that the US sent to Ukraine last month, for example, marked a significant increase in range and power over previous systems, but even those that exceed about 25 kilometers (18 miles). scope.
More weapons: The new security assistance package, which will be officially announced on Wednesday, will also include air surveillance radars, additional anti-tank javelin weapons, anti-armor weapons, artillery rounds, helicopters, tactical vehicles and spare parts to help the Ukrainians. continue equipment maintenance, officials said.
CNN previously reported that U.S. officials have been debating for weeks whether to send advanced rocket systems to Ukraine, because they can strike far beyond any weapon they already have. The long range of weapons, technically capable of attacking Russian territory, raised concerns that Russia might view the shipments as provocative.
Officials said on Tuesday that the United States “does not encourage or allow Ukraine to attack beyond its borders” and “does not intend to prolong the war.”
They also said they had received assurances from Ukraine that they would not use the systems to launch attacks on Russia. But they stressed that as the conflict progresses, the U.S. will “continue to tailor” its assistance to Ukraine’s most urgent needs.
Officials also said the new rocket systems would help put Ukraine “in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table” with Russia, and reiterated that the US “will not pressure the Ukrainian government in public or in private to do so.” no territorial concession “.