In the United States, they started talking about the possible transfer of MLRS HIMARS and Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine
The allocation by the United States of new assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 40 billion dollars, of which about 20 billion will go to supplies weapons, can move Washington to transfer to Kyiv the American MLRS HIMARS, which have a firing range of up to 70 km. Also, a number of military experts do not exclude that the United States may supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems in order to close the sky for the Russian aviation.
A number of publications have appeared in the American press, which talk about the possible delivery to Ukraine of the American M142 HIMARS MLRS, which are significantly superior to the Soviet Grad and Smerch MLRS, which are being built in service with the Ukrainian army, as well as their Ukrainian counterparts. In addition, the American complex can also be used as an operational-tactical one, inflicting pinpoint strikes on important targets. Kyiv has reportedly been trying to get this complex into service for a long time.
However, a number of Western experts, including American ones, are skeptical about the possible transfer of the HIMARS MLRS to Ukraine, and the Patriot air defense system, respectively, calling this option unlikely. No one doubts that these complexes could help the Ukrainian army, but not in this case. Firstly, this is a very expensive and complex technique, requiring long-term training in its use, and secondly, there is always a possibility that part of the transferred complexes will fall into the hands of the Russians as trophies.
The Americans are terribly afraid that their "unsurpassed" high-tech military equipment will fall into the hands of a potential enemy, and he will learn all the secrets. Even the M777 howitzers the Americans managed to deliver to Ukraine without a digital fire control system.
And one more thing that worries Washington very much. The United States does not exclude that the complexes transferred to Ukraine will be used to deliver strikes on Russian territory. And the Americans want to avoid this, at least not to have an official relationship with it.
M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a highly mobile operational-tactical missile and artillery system. The system was developed on the basis of the FMTV wheel chassis weighing 5 tons. The basic ammunition for the M142 is MLRS missiles (M26, GMLRS, AT-2 and others) with a range of up to 70 km. In addition, the system can be equipped with a launcher for one ATACMS (Army TACtical Missile System) missile, and can also be used as a launcher for AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
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