Will the ‘terrible’ weapon the US will send to Ukraine change the game?

The US government announced on May 31 that it would provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems. The move immediately rekindled the debate about whether this weapon could become a game changer. war in Ukraine or not.

The new weapon is the Himars multiple launch rocket system (MLRS): a mobile weapon that can simultaneously launch multiple precision-guided missiles, according to AFP. Both Ukraine and Russia have operated MLRS, but the Himars have outstanding range and accuracy.

In one posts published in the newspaper The New York Times On the evening of May 31, the President of the United States of America Joe Biden Himars will help Ukrainian forces “more accurately strike important targets on the Ukrainian battlefield,” said Himars.

However, the US plans to limit the range of the missiles it supplies to Ukraine to avoid them being used to strike targets deep inside Russia.

“We will not send to Ukraine missile systems that can strike inside Russia,” Biden said.

US servicemen stand next to a Himars M142 system in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in March 2022 afp

What kind of weapon is this?

Himars stands for “High Mobility Artillery Rocket System”, meaning “high mobility artillery rocket system”. The Himars M142 is a modernized, wheeled vehicle that is lighter and faster than the tracked M270 developed in the 1970s for US and allied forces.

A US official told reporters that the Himars systems that Washington intends to supply Ukraine will have a range of about 80 kilometers.

1. Each Himars system is equipped with a compartment for 6 227 mm guided rockets (the M270 carries two such), or a large compartment for an ATACMS tactical missile with a range of up to 300 km.

With a small operating crew, Himars systems can remove a used rocket pod and attach a new one in minutes, without the need for other means of support. These operational teams will need training.

The US military already has Himars units in Europe, and its allies NATO such as Poland and Romania have also purchased this type of weapon. It remains unclear how many Himars systems the US will send to Ukraine.

Why are they valuable?

The US Himars systems will give Ukrainian forces the ability to strike further behind Russian lines and from a distance better protected from Russia’s own long-range weapons.

Holder for 6 missiles on a Himars . system afp

The GPS-guided missiles that Himars fired had twice the range of the M777 artillery pieces that the US recently supplied to Ukrainian forces. That 80 km distance would generally keep the Himars out of the range of Russian artillery, and put the Russian batteries in danger.

Himars could also threaten Russia’s supply depots, as the West believes Russian forces are having logistical problems.

The US will not supply Ukraine with ATACMS tactical missiles, which have a range of 300 km.

Some analysts say the Himars will be a “game changer” at a time when Ukrainian forces seem to be struggling under the fire of Russian artillery. But others argue that the Himars will not be able to suddenly turn the tide in the war that has entered its fourth month.

Why is Washington limiting the range?

Since Russia sent troops to Ukraine at the end of February, the US has been very careful in supporting Kyiv to avoid making Moscow feel provoked and the war spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Himars can launch rockets with a range of 80 km afp

That caution includes the US not openly supporting Ukraine’s attack inside Russia. On a number of occasions Ukraine has been accused of using missiles, drones and helicopters to strike targets in Russian regions adjacent to Ukraine such as Kursk and Belgorod.

If the US provides ATACMS for Ukraine to use on the Himars, the weapon system will theoretically be able to hit urban centers and military bases. military major Russian forces, including the airfields where Russia launched attacks on Ukraine.

“Ukraine has assured that it will not use these systems against Russian territory,” a US official said.