Politico: US weighs giving Ukraine JASSM missiles for F-16s

The Biden administration is open to providing Ukraine with AGM-158 JASSM missiles for its F-16s, extending their combat range over 320 km. However, a lot of work should be done before the delivery is possible.

Aug 16, 2024 - 07:31
Politico: US weighs giving Ukraine JASSM missiles for F-16s

politico us weighs giving ukraine jassm missiles f-16s agm-158 (joint air-to-surface standoff missile) low observable cruise missile developed lockheed martin flickr/robert frola 1084px-lockheed_martin_agm-158_jassm_(8351604870)

According to Politico, the White House is “open” to providing Ukraine with the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), which would give Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets greater combat range.

Ukraine received its first F-16s in early August, with up to ten aircraft delivered and more expected later. On 6 August, Ukraine launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, employing air strikes, though it remains unclear if the F-16s are involved in the operation.

A Biden administration official, speaking anonymously, told Politico that while no final decision has been made, the administration is working through complicated details. These include reviews of sensitive technology transfers and ensuring Ukraine’s jets can launch the 2,400-pound (1,000+ kg) missile carrying a 1,000-pound (450+ kg) warhead.

The potential transfer of JASSMs would give Ukraine a capability possessed by only a handful of other nations: the ability to launch a cruise missile over 320 km from a US-made fourth-generation fighter plane. However, the administration official warned that there is plenty of work to do before any missiles could be delivered to Ukraine.

Ukrainian parliamentarians and advisers to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have been pressing US officials and lawmakers for the JASSM in recent months.

Related:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. 

We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.

A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support.

Become a Patron!