Ukraine Will Finally be Getting the ATACMS Long-Range Missile System

Soldiers came to White Sands Missile Range on December 14th, 2021 to conduct live fire testing of old missiles to confirm the older weapons are still reliable and ready for use. The Soldiers visited the New Mexico range to conduct reliability tests of early versions of the Army Tactical Missile System. Public domain.

After months of seeking longer-range armaments, Ukraine is on the verge of finally getting its hands on the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

Discussions at the “highest levels” of the U.S. government are currently deciding whether to give the Department of Defense the green light to supply them to Ukraine.

“Highest levels” means President Biden is making the calculation that now, during Russia’s internal turmoil, is the best time to supply Ukraine with more advanced weaponry.

On June 16, the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee backed a resolution urging President Biden’s administration to supply Ukraine with ATACMS missiles — specifically allocating $80 million for the transfer. Depending on my shoddy math skills, that would net Ukraine between 50 to 100 of these long-range missiles.

Until now, the administration has been hesitant to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles out of fear of escalation, fear that Ukraine would strike targets inside Russia, and concern about diminishing the U.S. supply.

So, what exactly are the ATACMS and how will they help Ukraine win the war?

The MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is a tactical ballistic missile manufactured by the…