US to send heavy guided missiles to Ukraine — Analysis
According to Colin Kahl, the Undersecretary for Defense for Policy Colin Kahl on Tuesday revealed that the US will send Ukraine heavy guided missiles with ranges of up to 70 km for HIMARS multiple rocket launchers. White House earlier stated that HIMARS launchers will be provided. “battlefield munitions,”Unguided rockets are widely recognized as having a lower range and a longer range.
Kahl stated Tuesday that the high-mobility artillery rocket systems will be equipped with GMLRS guided missiles. He was speaking to a conference at CNAS, a Democrat-linked think-tank for which he once worked.
“Sometimes when you see images of MLRS firing off, it’s like salvos of multiple rockets going off at the same time. That’s really not how this system is meant to operate,”Kahl stated.
“The GMLRS is a precision guided munition, and a big one – a 500 pound munition,” He added. “Think of GMLRS more like the effect of an airstrike rather than launching off whole salvos. So, in other words, you can do a lot with a little, or you don’t need a lot to have a significant effect.”
The White House announced that it would send HIMARS launchers from the United States to Ukraine June 1st. It also stated they would be armed. “battlefield munitions,”It was often understood as a barrage rocket with a range from 32km to 60km. HIMARS, however, is capable of firing ballistic projectiles at a range up to 300km.
“The range does not depend on the system itself, but on the missiles that are used,”In a television interview, Vladimir Putin stated that Russia would send long-range missiles to the United States if they do not. “draw the appropriate conclusions and use our weapons, which we have enough of, in order to strike at those objects that we have not yet struck.”
Although the US originally promised four launchers, they later stated that there were none. “pre-positioned”The Pentagon says they are still not in Ukraine. Kahl stated that the first Ukrainian artillerists have just completed their training using launchers.
According to Lockheed Martin, the HIMARS rocketer has one pod capable of carrying six GMLRS missiles. Two pods can be added to the M270 launcher. This is what the UK promised Ukraine. Kahl was unable to say how many US-made rockets it sent.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense over 500 multiple rocket launchers have been destroyed in Ukraine since the outbreak of war. Kiev appealed to its West allies for more ammunition and weapons.
“We’re going to provide the Ukrainians what they need to prosecute the targets inside Ukrainian territory that they’re looking to go after,”Kahl spoke at the end about HIMARS.
On Monday, the authorities in the Donetsk People’s Republic reported the heaviest Ukrainian shelling since 2015, with “indiscriminate”Strikes on Donetsk resulted in the deaths of five people and more than 40 injuries to civilians. According to authorities from the Donbass republic, the US and NATO provided 155mm ammunitions to Ukraine. They also requested additional military support from Russia.
Moscow condemns the killing of civilians in Donbass. “absolutely barbaric.”The UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson called Donetsk’s shelling of the maternity hospital “the Shelling” “an obvious breach of international humanitarian law.”
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