Could Kiev potentially obtain American long-range JASSM missiles in the near future?
According to various news outlets, the Biden administration is contemplating giving Ukraine JASSM long-range missiles. It seems an agreement is close, but technical issues might cause a delay in delivery for some time.
The United States is allegedly on the brink of finalizing an agreement to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles capable of reaching deep within Russian territory. However, Ukraine might need to wait several more months before receiving the missiles due to ongoing technical problems, according to three U.S. sources talking to Reuters. This news is expected to be announced later this year.
The missiles in question are Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), conventional air-to-ground cruise missiles with medium to long range. They can be launched from aircraft against ground targets. Supplying Ukraine with JASSMs could significantly boost its strategic capabilities, potentially giving it an edge over Russia.
Military experts suggest that delivering cruise missiles could force Russian troops to relocate their outposts and supply depots far inland, making it challenging for Moscow to maintain its offensive operations and possibly granting Ukraine a strategic advantage.
Resistant to GPS Disruptions
Reuters also reported that in mid-August, Politico magazine disclosed that the Biden administration is considering arming Ukrainian forces with JASSMs. The older models of these missiles, created by Lockheed Martin, have a range of 370 kilometers. The roughly 4-meter-long missiles use an inertial navigation system (INS) and GPS to locate their target, with an imaging infrared system featuring automatic target recognition that ensures high precision as it approaches the target.
The cruise missiles are also optimized to work efficiently even when GPS signals are disrupted, which could be a significant advantage for Ukraine. There's also a version with more extensive range, able to travel over 800 kilometers. However, it's likely that Washington is considering the shorter-range cruise missiles, as they will put less strain on its own stored weapons, according to Reuters.
Historical Deployment in Syria
Providing JASSM missiles to Ukraine would also put pressure on Washington to revise its restrictions on Ukraine using U.S. weapons against Russian targets, as the missiles' effectiveness would be limited if they were not authorized for such use. An informed congressional staffer spoke to Reuters about this.
Despite being less resistant to electronic warfare, the infrared seeker head of the JASSM system could help it locate its target even amidst strong interference, George William Herbert of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies informed Reuters. "A few years ago, following incidents involving chemical weapons, numerous missiles were fired at Syria, and Russia's air defense systems in the country were not able to shoot down many of them, possibly even none," Herbert said.
In an interview with ntv.de, Colonel Markus Reisner of the Austrian Armed Forces had already mentioned the JASSM system as a potential alternative to delivering Taurus missiles back in April. While the range of the JASSM variant in question is not quite the same as the maximum range of the Taurus missiles (500 kilometers), its cruise missiles can strike targets further away than the Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missiles currently provided by France and the UK.
The European Union, understanding the geopolitical implications, may express its support for the Biden administration's decision to provide Ukraine with JASSM missiles, as these weapons could potentially shift the balance of power in the ongoing conflict. Given the JASSM's ability to operate effectively even when GPS signals are disrupted, it could pose a significant challenge for Russia's defense capabilities.
