US and UK discuss Ukraine’s use of British missiles with US navigation – Bloomberg
Illustrative photo (getty images)
The governments of the United States and the United Kingdom are deliberating on whether to permit Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes on Russian territory using British cruise missiles guided by US navigation data, according to Bloomberg.
According to sources, this issue was part of discussions over the past few days involving US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in London and Kyiv.
While Kyiv insists on more powerful Western weapons for targeting military sites in Russia, officials have discussed whether the White House could permit Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles for cross-border attacks, sources reported.
Storm Shadows and GPS
Storm Shadows are precision-guided air-launched missiles with a range of over 250 kilometers (155 miles). They fly at low altitudes at high speeds, employing a system that combines inertial navigation with GPS and terrain-following navigation.
The GPS navigation system, managed by the Pentagon, is also used for civilian purposes such as online routing for drivers.
In complex operations, Storm Shadow missiles often rely on US-provided data that helps them map the terrain with high precision, sources noted.
Results of Blinken and Lammy’s visit to Kyiv
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently visited Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained in detail why Ukraine needs to strike deep into Russian territory, emphasizing that Ukraine's interests are solely military targets. Many had anticipated that the visit would result in an announcement of permission for such strikes. However, Blinken stated that the matter will be discussed by US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington later this week.
Blinken announced that the US would provide financial support to Ukraine amounting to over $700 million. Lammy announced a new aid package for Ukraine valued at over $780 million.
