According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine has used long-range US ATACMS missiles for the first time. The missiles have “proved themselves,” said Zelenskyj in his daily video message on Tuesday. However, he did not say when or where the missiles were first used.
“Today a special thank you goes to the USA. Our agreements with President Biden are being implemented. ATACMS has proven to be very precise,” said Zelensky. Several US media outlets had previously reported that the USA had provided Ukraine with ATACMS missiles to defend itself against the Russian war of aggression.
Attack on airports with ATACMS
According to Ukrainian media reports, the ATACMS were used for the first time this morning in attacks on two airports operated by the Russian occupiers in eastern Ukraine. Special technology, an anti-aircraft launch pad and weapons arsenals were destroyed, the army special forces in Kiev said via Telegram. Runways were also damaged.
Shorter range than possible
Ukraine had been pushing for delivery of this type of rocket for a long time. The US government only agreed in September after much hesitation because it feared that Ukraine could also use the weapons against Russian territory.
The range of the ATACMS delivered to Ukraine is shorter than the maximum possible 300 kilometers. They are armed with cluster munitions that open in the air when fired, releasing hundreds of so-called bomblets instead of a large single warhead.
The USA kept the details a secret. The delivery took place quietly, with an official announcement not expected until after the first use on the battlefield. Numbers were not mentioned. However, US government officials indicated that there could be around two dozen missiles.
What does ATACMS stand for?
The Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS for short, was designed by the US defense company Lockheed Martin in the early 1980s and was first used by the US Army in combat against Iraq in 1991: in the military operation “Desert Storm” to liberate Kuwait.
The rocket was continually developed further. There are different versions with different ranges and warheads. According to experts, the US Army has around 4,000 ATACMS missiles in its inventory.
Surface-to-surface missiles for various targets
ATACMS are so-called artillery rockets. They are fired from HIMARS or MLRS type rocket launchers. Ukraine already has both weapon systems in use. After being launched, the rocket reaches three times the speed of sound, first rises almost 50 kilometers into the sky and then falls towards the intended target.
The ATACMS rockets can be equipped with bunker-busting warheads or with cluster munitions, the use of which is also controversial because it has a high rate of duds.
Is ATACMS a game changer?
ATACMS are expensive precision weapons that armies usually do not have in large numbers and that they use primarily against targets of great importance. For example, Ukrainian troops could bombard distant Russian command centers or military logistics centers with ATACMS missiles or hit supply lines like the Kerch Bridge from the Russian mainland to Crimea.
ATACMS can thus become an important military component for Ukraine. According to experts, long-range artillery rockets are not a so-called game changer of crucial military importance.