Drone threat: US diverted missiles bound for Ukraine to Middle East - WSJ
Photo: US redirected missile parts meant for Ukraine to the Middle East (media.defense.gov)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered that missile fuzes intended for Ukraine be redirected to American forces in the Middle East to counter drone threats, according to the Wall Street Journal.
According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth informed Congress last week about the decision.
Ukrainian forces had been using these missile fuzes to repel attacks by Russian drones. The decision to send the fuzes to Ukraine was originally made under the administration of former US President Joe Biden.
The proximity fuzes were developed for laser-guided surface-to-air missiles, which the US military adapted for launch from F-15E fighter jets.
As WSJ noted, US forces in the Middle East are preparing for a potential conflict with Iran or a possible escalation involving Houthi forces in Yemen.
The US Defense Secretary also warned that European allies would be expected to provide the bulk of future military support to Ukraine, as the western Pacific is set to become the Pentagon’s priority theater of operations.
New US missile developments
In May, the US successfully tested a new hypersonic missile that uses a cold launch method and is intended to enhance US deterrence against strategic adversaries.
In November of last year, the US conducted a test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from California, signaling readiness to deter nuclear threats.
Defense company Castelion also carried out the first tests of its new hypersonic missile, capable of flying through the upper layers of the atmosphere at speeds over five times the speed of sound.
