Joe Biden, the president of the United States, to use weapons supplied by Washington to attack targets in Russiaafter months of pressure from Volodimir Zelensky. The decision of the outgoing president could mean the initial use of long-range missiles in the Kursk regionwhere Ukrainian troops have launched an incursion into Russian territory and Vladimir Putin.
Biden’s decision could pave the way for other allies, such as the United Kingdom or France, follow suit with long-range Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles supplied to Ukraine.
Apart from the permission, at these times the doubt arises how many missiles can be sent to kyiv, and the price of each projectile.
The MGM-140 system, the North American one, is conceptually analogous to the Russian Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile, but with a range of up to 300 kilometers and which can be launched from the HIMARS and M270 MLRS platforms, already operational in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
One of the reasons the US has considered supplying ATACMS now – after holding them in Ukraine for at least a year – is could be Ukraine’s loss of long-range strike capability because they either ran out of Storm Shadow projectiles or their launch platforms, the SU-24s.
An ATACMS missile, with a price of 1.5 million dollarsis considerably cheaper than a Storm Shadow missile, which costs approximately 3.2 million a piece. These are data from the Ukrainian newspaper
Additionally, the ATACMS launch platform is much cheaper than the launch platform, the Storm Shadow’s Su-24M jet. HIMARS can launch an ATACMS from virtually anywhere. The Su-24M operates from an air base that can be easily located and attacked with more certainty than a mobile HIMARS. The M270 HIMARS launched by ATACMS feature a single launch tube, but look no different from the 6-tube M142 HIMARS launchers already supplied to Ukraine.
An ATACMS launch container has a lid with six circles like the lid of a standard MLRS rocket, but contains only one missile. Subterfuge makes make it more difficult for enemy intelligence to identify you as a high-value target.
ATACMS has a 230 kilo warheadwhich is much smaller and less destructive than the warhead of 450 kilos of the Storm Shadow (total weight is 1,300 kilos). The ATACMS’s 300 kilometer range is much shorter than the Storm Shadow’s 550 kilometer range..
ATACMS uses GPS-assisted inertial navigation guidance to attack its targets. They do not have any search engine that accurately indicates their objective. The Storm Shadow has an optical seeker to locate the terminal that can see and recognize its target. As such, a Storm Shadow missile is more precise.
The ATACMS ballistic trajectory is predictable. Therefore, an ATACMS is much easier to intercept than a Storm Shadow. Russia has been quite successful in intercepting HIMARS rockets. It is likely to be much more successful in intercepting ATACMS.
Despite the disadvantages listed in the above comparison, the supply of ATACMS to Ukraine It will be a great challenge for Russian forces because ATACMS launchers are very difficult to detect and destroy.
What they can do
Only four M270 HIMARS with ATACMS They could cover the entire 1,000 kilometer battle front. Broader coverage will take priority over deeper coverage.
Leveraging US and NATO space and air intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, Ukrainian forces could detect any buildup of Russian soldiers or equipment along the entire battlefront and destroy them quickly with ATACMS launches.
Placing artillery or MLRS weapons within range necessary to attack the buildup takes much longer. Russia’s ability to mount a counteroffensive against Ukraine could well be completely compromised.
Russia’s air defense systems would be forced to retreat to stay out of range of the ATACMS to a point where they would likely It will not be possible for Russia to exercise air dominance along the battle front.
The setback will allow Ukrainian fighters and attack helicopters operate closer to the battlefront y provide close air support to Ukrainian troopssomething they can’t do now.
Russian armed helicopter operations along the battlefront, which until now have been instrumental in thwart the Ukrainian counteroffensivewould lose effectiveness because they would have to operate under the threat of missile attacks from Ukrainian fighters. Russia’s air dominance could disappear completely when Ukraine operationally deploys its F-16s.
Russia will then be forced to move its supply depots and field headquarters further behind the battlefront to keep them out of reach of ATACMS. In turn, Russian supply lines they will become more vulnerable to attacks by Ukrainian cannon and rocket artillery, attack helicopters, and marauding kamikaze drones.
Of course, much will depend on the number of M270 and ATACMS launchers supplied to Ukraine. The numbers the United States has at its disposal are likely to be limited.. Furthermore, Russian forces have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to adapt to any new injection of American technology without losing track of their ability to organize defensively.
In the case of the British missile, powered by a turbojet engine, it measures just over five meters long and has a wingspan of three meters. After launch, the weapon, equipped with its own navigation system, descends to a low altitude to avoid detection before locking onto its target using an infrared seeker. On final approach, the missile climbs to a higher altitude to maximize its chances of hitting the target. Upon impact, penetrates the target before a delayed fuze detonates the main warhead.
Shadow Defense Secretary James Cartlidge has said that He hoped that the United Kingdom would follow the example of the United States and grant permission to use Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets in Russia, given Putin’s continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
