As the war in Ukraine continues to rage, the United States on Monday announced a new $1 billion (977 million) military aid and arms package, the largest arms delivery to this day in the beleaguered country.
Among the package will be 1,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles, mortars, artillery munitions and, of course, the United States’ High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
These high-tech truck-mounted rocket systems in particular have drawn attention on social media in recent months, where numerous videos show them destroying Russian munitions depots and other targets.
What are HIMARS?
In June, the United States doubled the number already on the battlefield in Ukraine and more are on the way as part of the latest weapons package. See the article : $400 Million in New US Military Aid for Ukraine – US State Department.
The systems are mounted on trucks, which carry a container with six precision-guided rockets that can travel about 70 kilometers. HIMARS allow Ukraine to hit Russian forces and weapons from further away, making it less risky for Ukrainian troops.
Ukraine has been heavily dependent on arms and equipment sent by its allies for its defense against Russian military forces.
But allies such as the United States have been careful to try to strike a balance between providing the country with the equipment it needs while avoiding the conflict escalating outside of Ukraine’s borders.
‘Shoot and scoot’
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin describes the M142 HIMARS as having the ability to “shoot and dart”, referring to the fact that it is a highly mobile weapon system that can fire and retreat at high speed, reducing thus the risk of being targeted by the enemy.
It is a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher system with a six-rocket container. To see also : The meeting of the G20 foreign ministers in Bali is not enough.
The HIMARS can move into position, fire, retreat and reload in minutes.
Mark Hertling, a former commanding general of the United States Army Europe, gave an update on the HIMARS on a Twitter thread in May, stating that it moves fast, provides a “faster strike” but a ” smaller punch”, and is “easier to resupply and maintain” than previous multiple missile systems.
A US official noted that these particular advanced rocket systems will give Ukrainian forces greater precision in targeting Russian assets inside Ukraine.
It is expected that Ukraine could use the rockets in the eastern region of Donbass, where they could both intercept Russian artillery and eliminate Russian positions in towns where the fighting is intense.
Ukraine needs multiple rocket launchers, according to Philip Breedlove, a retired US Air Force general who served as NATO’s commander-in-chief from 2013 to 2016.
“We seriously need to supply this army so that it can do what the world asks it to do: fight a global superpower alone on the battlefield,” he said.
US forces have used HIMARS in multiple conflicts since 2010, including in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
The latest US package, announced on July 1, provided Ukraine with $820 million (797 million euros) in new military aid, including new surface-to-air missile systems and counterattack radars. -artillery to meet Russia’s heavy reliance on long-range missiles. strikes during the war.
Monday’s latest announcement brings the total amount of US military aid to Ukraine to date to $9.8 billion (9.6 billion euros) since President Joe Biden took office.
