The ATACMS missiles will allow for interdiction of RF supplies and supply depots used in Crimea, Ukraine. Why ? Putin will NEVER give up otherwise
I have been told the following:
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NATO will invite Ukraine into a NATO-Ukraine Defense Council as a member. The Council's aim will be to accelerate Ukraine's entry into NATO (July 2023)
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While that is good news, fact is that the Russian war effort in Southern Ukraine is centered about Crimea and its bases and supply depots for the RF army. If the NATO countries still get collective heartburn over F 16s a good intermediate step will be the ATACMS weapon system
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Each missile has a 500-pound blast fragmentation warhead, according to its manufacturer.
They could be a vital weapon to disrupt Russia's logistic and transport hubs and destroy supplies to Putin's forces deep in occupied Ukraine, emboldening the ongoing counteroffensive of Zelenskyy's forces. Almost no ammunition depot, logistic center, railway, or concentration of Russian troops would be protected from the ATACMs firepower.
Indeed, annexed Crimea, which has massive importance to President Putin, a peninsula that relies on a single span, the Kerch Bridge, to connect it to Russia, would be in the range of the highly sought-after weapon system
ATACMS also has the advantage of being a ballistic rocket missile, with a supersonic speed of Mach 3.5\
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Whereas the fact is, that Putin is waiting for Trump or DeSantis to take the White House in 2024, so he can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The ATACMS systems would make military re supply of Southern Ukraine occupied territory stolen from the Ukrainians by Moscow nearly impossible. Mean while it would also deny Putin the option of having a Russian stooge like Donald Trump in the WH affecting the survival of Ukraine and would force Russian forces into an untenable position well before 2025
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The US is close to approving the supply of ATACMS to Ukraine, a report said. Here's why Kyiv need them to win the 'deep battle.'
Alia Shoaib Jul 2, 2023, 1:13 PM EDT
The US is considering providing their longest-range missiles yet to be sent to Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing American and European officials.
Kyiv has long been asking the US for the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which has a range of about 190 miles and could be used to strike Russian targets far beyond the front lines, including Crimea.
The UK has already sent Ukraine long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles with a similar range to ATACMS, which are said to be striking Russian targets with nearly pinpoint accuracy and has encouraged allies to do the same.
Last month, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused Ukraine of using the missiles to strike the Chonhar bridge, a key span connecting the Russian-held Kherson to Crimea, The Telegraph reported.
Why ATACMS could give Ukraine the fighting edge
ATACMS is ready to use by Ukraine's military. Unlike the British Storm Shadow missiles, which are dropped using vulnerable aircraft, ATACMS rockets can be fired from launchers previously supplied to Ukraine, including the US High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers or HIMARS.
The range of ATACMS missiles, between 100 and 190 miles, depending on the model, is superior to the existing HIMARS, that has been hailed by Ukraine for the damage they can wreak.
But After being pummeled last year by HIMARS, Russian forces adapted by moving their command and control nodes out of range, the UK defense minister Ben Wallace told the UK Parliament.
"ATACMS is a long-range guided missile that gives operational commanders the immediate firepower to win the deep battle," says its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.
Each missile has a 500-pound blast fragmentation warhead, according to its manufacturer.
They could be a vital weapon to disrupt Russia's logistic and transport hubs and destroy supplies to Putin's forces deep in occupied Ukraine, emboldening the ongoing counteroffensive of Zelenskyy's forces. Almost no ammunition depot, logistic center, railway, or concentration of Russian troops would be protected from the ATACMs firepower.
Indeed, annexed Crimea, which has massive importance to President Putin, a peninsula that relies on a single span, the Kerch Bridge, to connect it to Russia, would be in the range of the highly sought-after weapon system
ATACMS also has the advantage of being a ballistic rocket missile, with a supersonic speed of Mach 3.5, making it significantly more challenging to intercept.