The administration of US President Joe Biden is “open” to sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles, which will give Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets more combat power, Babel writes.
According to Politico, citing US officials, the White House’s willingness to provide Ukraine with air-to-ground missiles comes amid Ukraine’s Kursk operation, which has been going on for two weeks.
However, it is worth noting that the decision to transfer the missiles has not yet been finalized, as the Biden administration is working on complex details.
In particular, the Americans are checking the transfer of sensitive technologies and whether Ukrainian aircraft will be able to launch such a missile. The Pentagon has not officially commented on the possibility of transferring more powerful missiles to Ukraine.
The publication notes that these are JASSM missiles, which are two-ton, high-precision air-to-ground cruise missiles designed to destroy bunkers, fortifications, bridges, and air defense systems. The range of these missiles is 370 to 980 kilometers, depending on the version.
As negotiations continue in the White House and the Pentagon, a Biden administration official warned that there is still much work to be done before any missiles reach Ukraine. In particular, it is necessary to make sure that the Soviet aircraft available in Kyiv and the recently transferred Western F-16s will be able to launch such a missile.
