Ukraine's Air Force comments on French AASM Hammer bombs supply: Quantity as key concern
Yurii Ihnat, Spokesperson of the Air Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Photo: mill in ua)
Ukraine needs more long-range weaponry, including AASM Hammer air-to-ground bombs, which will be provided by France. This will help deliver impactful blows to the enemy, states the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yurii Ihnat.
"As for how effective they (AASM Hammer bombs) will be, we need to see them on the battlefield. Undoubtedly, if they are provided, it means they will have the range... This is long-range weaponry. I hope it will be no less effective than what Ukraine already has, including HARM missiles and GBU-62 JDAM bombs, which are currently launched from Soviet-era equipment," he says.
Ihnat doesn't specify from which aircraft the French bombs would be launched but suggested that the platform has already been identified.
"We need more means, such as SCALP missiles, Storm Shadow, HARM, JDAM. The question is in quantity... We need more in terms of quantity to deliver impactful blows, such as those we sometimes see happening in Crimea against ships, against the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet," adds the spokesperson.
Background
On January 18, the French Minister of Defense, Sébastien Lecornu, announced that Paris would provide Ukraine with guided aviation bombs A2SM (AASM Hammer). According to him, France will deliver about 50 aviation bombs monthly, starting from January 2024.
The French minister added that the aviation bombs could be launched from existing Soviet-era aircraft in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including MiG and Su.
For more information on the French AASM Hammer bombs, you can read RBC-Ukraine's material.
