Military Expert Named Next Target For ATACMS Missiles
- 25.04.2024, 13:43
They are 100% effective currently.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the Ukrainian forces are already using ATACMS missiles, which the United States secretly transferred to Ukraine. In addition to the attack on the airbase in Dazhnkoi, there was an air defence strike near Berdiansk.
The Charter97.org website asked the Ukrainian military and political observer of the Information Resistance group Oleksandr Kovalenko to evaluate the results of the use of this weapon:
— This weapon is quite effective. When Dzhankoi was struck, later, a video of the GRU (Ukrainian Defence Intelligence) was published, which captured the launch process itself. During the launches, it was noticeable that the Ukrainian forces used six ATACMS missiles. Again, later, satellite images of the airfield in Dzhankoi were published, six strikes were recorded at the airbase, including a destroyed depot, a division of S-400 launchers and several radars.
It turns out that all six missiles that were launched flew to the airfield and were not shot down. This demonstrates that the “World Unique” S-400 system could not intercept a seemingly non-new ballistic missile, since in this case block 1 was used, one of the first variations of the MGM-140 missile, suitable for the M142 HIMARS M270, this is just ATACMS. The effectiveness of the strike on Dzhankoi, we can say, was one hundred percent.
— Ukraine, according to American media, already has 100 such missiles with a range of 300 kilometers.
— I can neither confirm nor refute this information since I do not have data on the number of missiles available to Ukraine. But if they really are in such quantity, then in the near future we will see strikes at the facilities of the Russian occupation troops in the temporarily occupied territories.
— What are the priority goals for the use of these weapons?
— It all depends on the type of missile, the fact is that ATACMS has several modifications with different warheads: cluster type, high-explosive fragmentation, penetrating, volumetric detonation, explosion in the air before collision with the surface. Depending on which modification, they are used for such purposes.
I think that first of all, the emphasis will be placed on the destruction of the long-range anti-aircraft part of the Russians in the temporarily occupied peninsula of Crimea. It is those divisions where the S-400 and S-300 systems are in service that will be targeted.
— How many missiles does Ukraine need to totally change the situation at the front?
— It all depends on what goals the General Staff sets for itself. If, for example, the goal is to completely destroy the anti-aircraft system of the Russians in Crimea, then at least 30 missiles are needed for this. If we are talking about some additional goals, then this is another topic depending on the strike direction.