One of the things the defenders of Ukraine wish for 2024 is long-range ballistic missiles. Namely, they want to get a load of ATACMS, which can be fired by HIMARS and M270 systems and have a range of 300 km. ATACMS missiles would help Ukraine stretch out Russian supply lines, and target many crucial military objects in Crimea. However, the US might destroy a load of ATACMS instead of handing them over to Ukraine.
At least it seemed so. The MGM-140 ATACMS has been in service since 1991. This means that a lot of the early missiles are 30 years old. And apparently, that is close to their shelf life limits.
ATACMS has been in service since 1991 and some of the early missiles might be coming to an end of their serviceable life. Image credit: US Army employee via Wikimedia
Ballistic missiles, rockets and many other weapons have an expiration date. Even regular pistol rounds have a manufacturer-determined shelf life. This is because these are chemical products. They have propellants and explosives that might change with age.
Of course, the case and proper storage conditions should help make sure that the shelf life is quite long. Arms production during periods of peace is quite slow. If a country can produce a lot of weapons and ammo and store it for a long time for a possible war, it can prepare itself very well.
Recently Newsweek reported that the US is getting ready to destroy a bunch of ATACMS missiles because they are simply coming to the end of their shelf life. Ukraine has been asking for these missiles for a long time, but the US hesitated to provide them in fears that it could expand the geography of the conflict. A small number of short-range ATACMS with cluster warheads has been handed over, but Ukraine needs long-range weapons.
Now Major General Pat Ryder, the Press Secretary of the Department of Defense, denied these rumours – the US is not going to destroy ATACMS in bulk. However, he could not say if these older missiles could go to Ukraine instead.
Can these old missiles be dangerous to the defenders of Ukraine? As missiles age, they can lose some of their characteristics. Such as accuracy, and stability. In theory, they can become dangerous to their operators. However, a proper inspection can confirm that missiles are still good to use.
If the US was to destroy these missiles, it would be a great shame. A proper utilization of these weapons is costly. These ATACMS could be handed to Ukraine and this kind of support would actually save money for the US, because it would not have to pay for the destruction of these missiles.
There is no news regarding 300 km ATACMS going to Ukraine. However, a lot of experts believe that it will happen this year. And Russia cannot say much, because recently it used North Korean ballistic missiles to attack Ukraine. If Russia can use North Korean ammunition. Ukraine can definitely use the American one.
Written by Povilas M.
Source: Espreso.tv