The US is working on transferring more powerful ATACMS to Ukraine
The Biden Administration is working to provide Ukraine with ATACMS long-range ballistic missiles. Two high-ranking U.S. officials told NBC News about this. Previously, Ukraine had already received a small batch of MGM-140A Block 1 ATACMS cluster missiles with a range of up to 165 km.
According to newspaper's sources, it is planned to transfer new missiles with increased accuracy and range (up to 300 km) that will make it possible to strike deep into the Crimean peninsula. As the bill with funding for Ukraine is stuck in the House of Representatives, the U.S. Department of Defense told NBC News that it had limited supplies of ATACMS and was unlikely to send them to Ukraine without money to replenish U.S. stocks.
The M142 HIMARS rocket system launches an ATACMS missile. Autumn, 2023. Ukraine.
Frame from the video of the General Staff of Ukraine
If Congress had approved funding for Ukraine, the U.S. could've included long-range ATACMS in one of the first military aid packages paid for with the money, officials said. The United States also has ammunition and artillery ready to be sent to Ukraine immediately if funding was approved, they added. Officials also did not rule out that they could ask their allies to provide ATACMS to Ukraine, as well as to replenish their stockpiles of these missiles.
As previously reported, early missiles from the first batch transferred to Ukraine caused serious damage to Russian helicopters based at Berdiansk and Luhansk airfields.
ATACMS engine in Luhansk region. Source: Twitter @TheDeadDistrict
Bomblets managed to cover a large area with enemy aircraft. In October last year, the Special Operation Forces Command reported that nine helicopters of various modifications had been destroyed as a result of Operation Dragonfly.
At the same time, the United States is currently working on replacing ATACMS missiles. Last year, the U.S.
Army announced the first delivery of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) to replace the MGM-140 ATACMS.