U.S. to supply Ukraine MLR systems with 70-km, not 300-km range

31.05.2022 06:20

Ukrinform

New batches of high-precision guided rockets for multiple launch systems the U.S. is going to supply to Ukraine won’t be able to strike deep into the Russian territory.

That’s according to Michael McFaul, an American foreign relations expert, who was cited by The Washington Post as saying.

A senior U.S. official said Monday that President Biden has not ruled out sending Ukraine the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, and that no final decision has been made.

“Clarifying comments from POTUS administration on MLRS are more assuring. Ukraine will get new shipments of precision-guided missiles with longer ranges than Ukrainians have now, but not rockets that can strike deep into Russia,” McFaul tweeted.

Typical rockets fired by the MLRS have a range of about 70 kilometers. The type of rockets the United States probably will not send is called the Army Tactical Missile System, which can strike much farther, up to 300 kilometers.

Even the shorter-range rockets would more than double the reach of Ukrainian firepower. Kyiv’s forces are using U.S.-delivered M777 howitzers, which have a range of about 30 km.