US close to decision to provide Ukraine with JASSM cruise missiles - Reuters
JASSM cruise missile (photo: Getty Images)
The United States is close to an agreement to supply Ukraine with JASSM long-range cruise missiles. But Kyiv will have to wait several months for the US to resolve technical issues before any delivery, reports Reuters.
According to three agency sources, it is expected that the inclusion of JASSM missiles in the arms package for Ukraine will be announced this fall. That is, by the end of November. However, the final decision has not yet been made.
Officials have said that sending JASSM missiles to Ukraine could significantly change the strategic landscape of the conflict, as much of Russia's territory would be within range of powerful precision munitions.
Meanwhile, military analysts suggest that the use of JASSM missiles, which are stealthy and can strike farther than most missiles Ukraine currently has, could push Russian concentrations and supply depots hundreds of miles away. This, in turn, would complicate Russia's ability to conduct offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a strategic advantage.
In particular, launching them from points near Ukraine's northern border with Russia could allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to hit targets as far away as the Russian cities of Voronezh and Bryansk. In turn, in the southern direction, launching missiles near the front line could allow Ukraine to strike airfields or naval facilities in Crimea.
US is close to decision to give Ukraine JASSM cruise missiles
The agency also writes that JASSM is currently integrated only for aircraft developed in the United States. Ukraine, in turn, will use several dozen F-16s, each of which can carry two cruise missiles.
At the same time, one US official said that there have been attempts to make the missile work with non-Western fighters that Ukraine has. However, they did not specify which aircraft they were talking about. It is known that our country uses MiG-29, Su-24, and Su-27 aircraft.
On Sunday, November 17, US President Joe Biden for the first time allowed Ukraine to use US long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory. This happened two months before the end of his presidential term.
In turn, France and Britain also authorized the use of SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles. However, all of these decisions are limited to strikes against the Kursk region.
