According to Reuters on Tuesday (September 3), US officials have indicated that the United States is nearing an agreement with Ukraine to provide the country with long-range cruise missiles that can penetrate deep into Russian territory. However, Kyiv will have to wait for several months as the US needs to address technical issues before delivery.
Three anonymous sources revealed that including the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) in a comprehensive US weapons aid package to Ukraine is likely to be announced this autumn, but a final decision has not yet been made.
These officials have stated that providing JASSM to Ukraine could significantly alter the strategic landscape of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, putting more Russian territories within reach of high-powered precision guided munitions, which is a key concern for the Biden administration.
Currently, Ukraine is facing strong pressure from Russian forces on the eastern frontlines, leading to an increasing demand for more and more powerful weapons and equipment.
Military analysts believe that compared to most of the missiles currently in Ukraine’s inventory, JASSM is not only stealthier but also has a longer reach. Introducing JASSM could push back Russian military concentrations and logistical supply lines by hundreds of miles.
This would severely weaken Russia’s ability to sustain offensive operations, providing Ukraine with a strategic advantage.
JASSM can target objectives approximately 300 kilometers inside Russian territory, including at least 30 air force bases that have been used by Russia to launch attacks against Ukraine.
Launching JASSM from near the border regions in northern Ukraine could strike military facilities in Russian cities like Voronezh and Bryansk. In the south, missile deployment near the frontlines could target airports or naval facilities in Crimea.
The older variant of the JASSM, produced by Lockheed Martin Corp, has a range of around 230 miles (370 kilometers). These missiles, measuring approximately 14 feet (4 meters) long, possess stealth capabilities, making them hard to detect by radar. They can also fly close to the ground and be programmed to evade anti-aircraft systems. Another variant has a longer range exceeding 500 miles.
Reuters could not immediately confirm which of these two missile types Washington is considering, but providing the shorter-range missile would alleviate inventory pressures.
Each JASSM carries a large 1000-pound warhead, but unlike the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles provided by the UK and France to Kyiv, it is not explicitly designed to penetrate hardened shelters.
JASSM is guided by a combination of GPS signals and an inertial navigation system. As it nears the target, an infrared imager assists in guiding it to within about 10 feet (3 meters) of the intended impact point.
George William Herbert of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, noted that while older models may not have the same electronic warfare resistance as current JASSM versions, the infrared imager can still help locate targets amidst severe interference.
He mentioned that “they are quite stealthy but not entirely designed for maximum stealth. A few years ago, after the chemical weapons incident in Syria, a large number of JASSM missiles were fired at Syria, many of which the Russian air defense systems failed to intercept, maybe not even one.”
He predicted that “carefully planned missile flight paths will allow JASSM to be effective in almost any part of the conflict zone.”
The latest version of JASSM is priced at about $1 million per missile.
So far, JASSM has only been integrated onto US-designed aircraft. Ukraine is expected to ultimately use dozens of F-16s, each capable of carrying two cruise missiles.
A US official stated that they are working to ensure the missile can be used on non-Western fighter jets in Ukraine’s inventory. Although the official did not specify which fighter jets in Ukraine’s inventory could potentially use JASSM, they currently employ Soviet-era MiG-29, Su-24, and Su-27 fighter planes.
A US congressional staff member involved in related activities mentioned that providing JASSM to Ukraine would further pressure Washington to lift restrictions on how US weapons can be used in Ukraine, as the effectiveness would be limited if these weapons are not allowed to target Russian locations.
The US has been reluctant to supply weapons that can target locations within Russian territories out of concern about escalating the conflict. Ukraine’s allies have also been providing weapons, but with limitations on how and when they can be used within Russian territories, fearing such strikes may provoke retaliation, potentially dragging NATO countries into war or sparking a nuclear confrontation.
According to Politico’s report last month, the Biden administration maintains an “open” stance towards providing JASSM to Ukraine.