ATACMS for Ukraine: How powerful are the missiles and what have they hit before?
Photo: ATACMS (Lockheed Martin)
The US State Department has released documents detailing a possible transfer to Ukraine of 70 ATACMS missiles and 12 M270 MLRS launchers, as well as cluster munitions. The total value of the packages exceeds $280 million.
RBC-Ukraine looks back at when Ukraine first received ATACMS, their capabilities and how the system has been used.
Key takeaways:
- Missiles. 70 M39 ATACMS ballistic missiles with an estimated value of about $28 million.
- Launchers. 12 M270 multiple launch rocket systems, which will be transferred to Ukraine on a permanent basis.
- Suppliers. The agreement is expected to be implemented through private companies from Turkey, Bulgaria and the US.
- Range. M39 missiles can strike targets up to 165 km away and are equipped with cluster warheads.
What the State Department approved
According to the released documents, the deal involves the permanent transfer to Ukraine of 12 M270 MLRS launchers, as well as 2,524 DPICM dual-purpose unguided rockets and 47,000 M509AI DPICM 203mm howitzer shells. This part of the package is valued at approximately $255.9 million. The documents separately list 70 M39 ATACMS missiles worth about $28 million.
The supplies are expected to be arranged through several private companies: Turkey's MKE, ASFAT and ARCA Savunma, Bulgaria's VTIC International, and US-based Pansophico and Patriot Defense Group. The State Department said the transfer is consistent with US security assistance objectives, and the government is prepared to authorize the transaction after considering political, military, economic and human rights factors.
ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) is a US-made surface-to-surface ballistic missile developed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The company describes the system as a long-range precision-strike weapon capable of engaging targets beyond the range of conventional artillery and multiple launch rocket systems in all weather conditions.
Photo: ATACMS launch (Lockheed Martin)
The M39 (Block I) variant referenced in the new package has a range of up to 165 kilometers and a cluster warhead containing nearly 1,000 submunitions. The missile uses an inertial guidance system with GPS assistance. ATACMS can be launched from M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS launchers, both of which are already in service with Ukraine's Defense Forces.
How ATACMS came to Ukraine
The Defense Forces' first batch of ATACMS missiles was used on the night of October 17, 2023. At the time, Ukrainian forces struck airfields hosting Russian aircraft near the occupied cities of Berdiansk and Luhansk. These missiles had a limited range of up to 165 km and cluster warheads. The following year, the US provided Ukraine with a variant with a range of up to 300 kilometers. However, for more than a year, Ukrainian forces could use ATACMS only against targets in temporarily occupied territories.
The situation changed in the fall of 2024. After Russia decided to deploy North Korean troops in combat, the administration of Joe Biden for the first time allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike deep inside Russian territory.
The authorization initially applied only to the Kursk region. Before that, the US had restricted the use of the weapons it supplied, citing the risk of escalation. Just days after the restrictions were lifted, Ukraine's Defense Forces used ATACMS to strike a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region, marking the first confirmed use of ATACMS against a target inside Russia.
The active phase of strikes on Russian territory did not last long. By late December 2024, The New York Times reported that Ukraine had significantly reduced the pace of ATACMS strikes deep inside Russia.
The newspaper cited limited missile supplies and uncertainty over the policy of newly elected US President Donald Trump among the reasons. According to the report, when Ukraine received authorization to strike Russia in November 2024, it had about 50 ATACMS missiles remaining, and its partners had not promised additional supplies.
The stockpile was completely depleted by the end of January 2025, around the time of Trump's inauguration. The Associated Press reported this in March 2025, citing a source on Ukraine's parliamentary defense committee and a US official.
Since then, Ukraine's Defense Forces have effectively had no US-supplied ATACMS available for strikes against targets in Russia. The new package, details of which were released by the State Department, would be the first replenishment of this arsenal in a year.
The package will also expand Ukraine's fleet of M270 launchers — systems capable of firing not only ATACMS but also other types of rocket ammunition used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Earlier, we reported that the US Air Force had given Boeing the go-ahead for serial production of the new JDAM LR long-range guided bomb, capable of striking targets more than 550 kilometers away.
