Some ATACMS missiles can hit targets up to 300 km away —which is the case with the new wave of missiles sent by the US to Ukraine. In its most powerful version, the missile can hit targets up to 300 km away. They are designed for “deep strikes into enemy forces,” according to the US Army, and can be used to attack command and control centers, air defenses and logistics sites well beyond the front line.
ATACMS can be fired from the ground, from the same Himars launchers already used by Ukraine.
The deployment of ATACMS with a range of up to 300 km was a subject of debate in the Biden administration for months —they were among the last major weapons systems Kiev wanted and the US was reluctant to give up. The medium-range ATACMS —160 km— were supplied last September and used the following month.
The new batch of ATACMS missiles were used for the first time on April 17, against a Russian airfield in Crimea, about 165 km from the Ukrainian front lines. Government officials kept the shipment secret to avoid Russian knowledge.
US President Joe Biden secretly approved the decision to send more than 100 long-range missiles in mid-February, according to The New York Times. The missiles were part of a $300 million shipment of weapons to Ukraine in March, the first new aid package for the country since funding ended at the end of December.
*With AFP, Reuters and report published on 10/22/2023
