The first long-range version Army Tactical Missile System was used by the Ukrainians to attack a Russian airbase in Dzhankoy, occupied Crimea, and a Russian staging zone in Berdyansk, occupied Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainians had previously used a version of ATACMS that was obsolete and had a range of 100 miles. The missiles that were fired on Wednesday night had a range between 165 and 185 miles. This puts all of Occupied Ukraine in range.
According to reports, the attack on Dzhankoy destroyed four S-400 launchers, three Radars, an airspace surveillance unit Nebo-M, and a command station. The strike has not had any impact on the Berdyansk area assembly.
According to an article in the New York Times (lolol), Biden decided to send longer-range missiles into Ukraine in February.
The senior U.S. officials said that President Biden, in a significant policy shift, secretly approved the decision mid-February to send over 100 missiles with a longer range, and also more cluster munition. The weapons were part of $300 million in arms shipped to Ukraine in March, the first new aid package since late December when funding for the country ran out.
The shipment was kept secret by the administration officials to prevent Russians from being tipped off. In the past, when the United States provided long-range weaponry to Ukraine, the Ukrainians inflicted serious damage on Russian forces. The Russians will then withdraw their forces and weapons depots from the range of the weapon until Ukraine can use a new system that has a longer reach. The longer-range ATACMS was one of the last major weapon systems that Kyiv desired and that the United States was reluctant to give.
The official stated that Mr. Biden, and his top advisers, dropped their hesitation to donate the missiles with longer ranges. This was due to several factors. The Army chose to keep more missiles than sell them to other nations, alleviating Pentagon fears about shortages. The increasing number of missiles fired by Russia and the increased attacks on critical infrastructure bolstered Ukraine’s request for weapons to counter these threats.
.@JakeSullivan46: “In February the president directed his team to provide Ukraine with a significant number of ATACMS missiles for use inside Ukraine’s sovereign territory. That shipment started moving in March…those missiles have arrived in Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/7KUVzfZEMj
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 24, 2024
Jake Sullivan, along with his gang of smugglers who are mismanaging U.S. security policy, has fought to deny Ukraine the weapons it needs to get Russia on the negotiating table…or to the deck of the USS Missouri.
Summary:
The M39A1 (long range) and M39 (mid-range), were produced between 1986 and 2003. These weapons are not part of any U.S. operation plan. Current expectations are that weapons sent to Ukraine from “expired stock” will be used. There are less than 1100 missiles available.
We still don’t know how many ATACMS Ukraine is set to receive, only that they will receive them, but here to repost @ColbyBadhwar graph displaying the amount of expired ATACMS. Would be criminal if we didn’t pass them off to Ukraine especially with PrSM being received. pic.twitter.com/jJ13YAAO9k
— Dillon Payton (@dillonrpayton) April 23, 2024
DPICM, or dual-purpose improved conventional munition, is used in both weapons. They are highly effective at most targets.
Contrary to some claims, missiles that have been known to be transferred to Ukraine would not be suitable for an assault on the Kerch Strait Bridge. Rumors claim that the latest version, with a single warhead, is included in the transfer package. The Kerch Strait Bridge is completed if this is the case.
🚨🇺🇲🇺🇦 BREAKING: CNN reports the Biden Admin has informed Congress that they will provide “long-range” ATACMS to Ukraine. This would likely include the M39A1, M48, & M57. Doubtful that the newest M57E1s would be sent.https://t.co/KOOHuV3t2Q pic.twitter.com/zA988cPna8
— Colby Badhwar 🇨🇦🇬🇧 (@ColbyBadhwar) April 23, 2024
Some people are upset about the warheads because their bomblets have a failure rate that is higher than the DoD’s desired dud rate (sometimes the jokes just write themselves). The M39 warhead contains about 950 21-ounce bomblets while the M39A1 has around 300. This Congressional Research Service report provides background information on the controversy surrounding cluster munitions.
Although the New York Times, Politico, and U.S. The New York Times reported that the United States secretly shipped new long-range missiles to Ukraine. However, the only thing “secret” about the transfer was the fact that it wasn’t announced publicly. The first batch of missiles was shipped last year after the Congressional notification requirements had been met. However, the Congressional leadership knew about the pending action.
Biden administration officials did not make public the fact that either type was headed for Ukraine.
The new Ukraine assistance package requires that ATACMS be sent to Ukraine.
A very important requirement, buried in the Ukraine aid bill, is Section 505.
It forces Biden to do what he has so far refused to do: provide long-range ATACMS to Ukraine.
But it also gives him a waiver.
In the coming days we need to watch closely how the Admin responds. pic.twitter.com/VUo4VwH2Z5
— Marshall S. Billingslea (@M_S_Billingslea) April 20, 2024
Existing funds made it possible to transfer weapons in March.
The ATACMS line produces around 500 missiles yearly, about 200 of which are sold overseas. Precision Strike Missiles will replace the entire ATACMS Program within two years.
All of the Occupied Ukrainians are within striking distance of Ukrainian missiles.
ATACMS will be able to cover all occupied territories of Ukraine. Expect big fireworks in the weeks to come! pic.twitter.com/e6tN39o8CN
— Roman Sheremeta 🇺🇦 (@rshereme) April 24, 2024
Russian mil bloggers claim that Ukraine uses decoy drones as well as Western intelligence platforms to map Russian coverage.
The panic is real! Rybar reports extensive use by Ukraine of DECOYS, that with help of western surveillance, are mapping out location of every single AD system in Crimea in preparation for multiple attacks on multiple targets (including Kerch Bridge) by Storm Shadow and ATACMS 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ueb4Xiwhh0
— ITDUDE Fella 🇮🇱🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@The_Real_ITDUDE) April 24, 2024
Conclusion:
ATACMS does not end the war but it deprives Russian fixed-wing and rotary-wing planes of any base within 160 miles from the frontline.
The Kerch Strait Bridge and all railway bridges in Occupied Ukraine will be destroyed if the unitary warhead ATACMS is released.
The transfer of ATACMS from the United States to Ukraine is a devastating defeat for Jake Sullivan’s Ukraine policy, which he has been promoting for the past two years. The policy of giving Putin “off-ramps” and a strategy of timidity seems to have been replaced with the policy of France, Poland, and most of Europe, which is to bring this war to a satisfactory end.
