Illustrative photo. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army).
On July 9, several Ukrainian news sources reported, citing the Financial Times, that the US will be supplying Ukraine with ammunition with a range of 300 kilometers for its recently acquired M142 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers.
The reports were hinting at the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) which is the only ammunition with a range of 300 kilometers that can be launched from the HIMARS.
The U.S. Army’s Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) has a far longer range and more devastating firepower than the HIMARS rounds being provided to Ukraine. (U.S. Army photo).
Although the US latest $400 million military aid package to Ukraine included four addition HIMARS launchers, the supply of ATACMS ammunition was not mention in any official statement related to the package. This raises some serious doubts about the Ukrainian reports.
Adding to the doubts, the claims can’t be found anywhere on the Financial Times official website or any of the newspaper’s social media profiles.
Ukraine’s HIMARS launchers are currently armed with M30/M31 series GMLRS precision-guided rockets, which have a range of 70 kilometers only. GMLRS rockets are guided by a GPS-aided inertial navigation system and a have a circular error probable of one meter. Each launcher can be loaded with a pod of six rockets.
Click to see full-size image.
The US has so far declined to supply Ukraine with ATACMSs over worries that Ukraine would use them to strike deep into Russia.
The false Ukrainian claims about a near supply of ATACMS ammunition for HIMARS launchers were likely based on recent statements by US Senator Lindsey Graham, in which he voiced his support for arming Ukraine with long-range missiles. Graham made the statement during a visit to Ukraine where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles like the ATACMS will likely provoke Russia, who has already warned that it will respond to any attack on its territory with Western-supplied weapons by attacking “decision-making centers”.
