Reuters: The United States may send long-range JASSM missiles to Kiev in the fall
The United States is close to an agreement on the transfer of AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) air-to-surface missiles to Ukraine. This is reported by the Reuters news agency. Most likely, an F-16 fighter jet will be used as a carrier for the product. What is known about the JASSM missiles, what they are for Ukraine and what means of air defense the Russian military will be able to shoot them down - in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.En" by Mikhail Khodarenka.
According to Reuters, the delivery of products to the Ukrainian Air Force may begin in a few months, since this is the time the Pentagon will need to resolve all necessary procedural and technical issues. It is expected that the inclusion of JASSM missiles in the arms package for Kiev will be announced this fall. However, agency sources note that a final decision has not yet been made.
The agency claims that sending JASSM missiles to Ukraine could "significantly change the strategic landscape of the conflict," since "most of Russia's territory will be in their range."
Military analysts at Reuters argue that Kiev, having received the JASSM, will be able to "strike further," which "will seriously complicate Russia's ability to conduct offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a strategic advantage."
What kind of missiles?
The AGM-158 JASSM is a high-precision air-to-surface cruise missile developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation. Brief tactical and technical characteristics of the product are as follows.
The range of the AGM-158 JASSM is 370 km (in the JASSM-ER variant up to 1000 km, but there is no talk of transferring this product yet). The accuracy of the missile hit (circular probable deviation, CVO) is 2.4 m.
The weight of the warhead of the product reaches 450 kg. Penetrating warhead, serial designation - WDU-42/B. The body of the warhead is made of tungsten alloy.
The airframe of the rocket was created in order to achieve low radar visibility. The control systems include inertial navigation and an infrared homing head to search for a target in the final flight section.
AGM-158 JASSMS have been in service with the US Air Force since 2009, they have also been exported to Australia, Poland and Finland. The development of these missiles began in 1995, and production began in 1998. JASSM carriers can serve as American bombers, as well as F-15, F-16 and F/A-18 fighter-attack aircraft.
The F-16 multifunctional fighter (the transfer of which has already begun to Ukraine) can carry two such missiles (the weight of each of them is 1020 kg). A total of 1,260 AGM-158A missiles were manufactured. The cost of one product starts from $ 850 thousand. And it can reach $1.35 million.
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Alina Jus/"Newspaper.Ru"
It is quite possible that several dozen (maybe hundreds) of missiles of this type will be at the disposal of the Air Forces of Ukraine. Of course, the F-16 fighter jet will be used as the carriers of the product. The priority targets for the AGM-158A missiles are likely to be buried command posts, communication centers, ammunition depots, fuel and lubricants.
How to shoot down?
The first case of combat use of JASSM missiles was recorded on April 14, 2018. On that day, two Rockwell B-1 Lancer strategic bombers launched 19 missiles at targets in Syria. One of the main targets of this strike was the Research and Development Center located in Damascus in the Barza district. According to the American command, all the missiles reached their targets. According to some reports, two AGM-158A products deviated from the course, fell and were subsequently discovered by fighters of the Syrian army. They were then transferred to Russia for further study.
Most anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes in service with the Russian army are capable of fighting such means of enemy air attack. First of all, anti-aircraft missile and cannon complexes (ZRPC) of the Pantsir-C1, C2, SM, SM-TBM type, medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems of the new generation S-350 Vityaz (50P6A) and multifunctional highly mobile anti-aircraft missile systems of Military air defense of medium range will be focused on the destruction of the AGM-158 JASSM range "Buk-M3".
The task will also be set to defeat the carriers of AGM-158 JASSM missiles of the F-16 multifunctional fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force both in air combat (with R-37 missiles, which are carried by Su-30M (M2) and Su-35S) and on the ground (home airfields).
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok
