As the war in Ukraine continues to rage, the United States on Monday announced a new package of $1 billion (977 million euros) in military aid and weapons, the largest arms shipment to the conflicted country to date.
Among the package will be 1,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles, mortars, artillery ammunition and, of course, US Artillery High Mobility Missile Systems (HIMARS).
These high-tech truck-mounted missile systems have drawn particular attention on social media in recent months, with many videos showing them allegedly destroying Russian ammunition depots and other targets.
What are HIMARS?
In June, the US doubled the number already on the battlefield in Ukraine, and now more are on the way as part of the latest weapons package. See the article : Former Lakers Champ Selling Rings to Fundraise for Ukraine.
The systems are mounted on trucks, which carry a container with six precision-guided missiles that can travel about 70 kilometers. HIMARS allows Ukraine to strike Russian forces and weapons from a distance, making it less risky for Ukrainian troops.
Ukraine relied heavily on weapons and equipment sent to it by allies in its defense against Russian military forces.
But allies such as the US have been careful to try to strike a balance between supplying the country with the equipment it needs while avoiding an escalation of the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders.
‘Shoot and scoot’
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin describes the M142 HIMARS as having a “shoot and shear” capability, referring to the fact that it is a highly mobile weapon system that can fire and retract at high speed, reducing its ability to be targeted by the enemy. To see also : Oleksandr Kubrakov: Ukrainian ports are ready to start exporting food | odessa-journal.com.
It is a truck-mounted multiple launch rocket system with a six-missile container.
HIMARS can be moved into position, fired, withdrawn and reloaded in minutes.
Mark Hertling, the former commander of the United States Army in Europe, tweeted in May about the HIMARS, stating that it moves quickly, delivers a “faster strike” but “less impact,” and is “easier to supply and maintain ” than previous multiple missile systems.
One US official noted that these particular advanced missile systems will give Ukrainian forces greater accuracy in targeting Russian assets inside Ukraine.
It is expected that Ukraine could use the missiles in the eastern Donbass region, where they could intercept Russian artillery and capture Russian positions in cities where fighting is intense.
Ukraine needs multiple launch missile systems, says Philip Breedlove, a retired US Air Force general who served as NATO’s top commander from 2013 to 2016.
“We need to get serious about supplying this military so it can do what the world asks of it: fight the world’s superpower alone on the battlefield,” he said.
US forces have used HIMARS in multiple conflicts since 2010, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
The latest package from the US, announced on July 1, provided Ukraine with $820 million (797 million euros) in new military aid, including new surface-to-air missile systems and anti-artillery radars in response to Russia’s heavy reliance on long-range strikes in the war.
The latest announcement on Monday brings the total amount of US military aid to Ukraine to date to $9.8 billion (€9.6 billion) since President Joe Biden took office.
