War in Ukraine. US to deliver long-range bombs for the first time

Kyiv will not receive F-16 fighter jets, but will receive remote-controlled missiles. The United States will supply GLSDBs (Small diameter land-launched bomb, Ed) with a distance of 150 kilometers, should be announced this Friday, February 3, according to Wall Street Journal . “The delivery of the GLSBDs calms the situation and puts an end to requests to the United States, particularly for F-16s.“, – analyzes Jean-Christophe Noel, Associate Researcher at IFRI’s Center for Security Studies. Indeed, Ukraine has been asking for fighter jets for several weeks now. “Nothing is ruled outanswered Emmanuel Macron. But the American president answered.Noto the journalists’ question.

“These bombs have the advantage of air campaign with no cost“, deciphers the military source. Depending on their specifications, they can achieve metric accuracy for $40,000 per munition, compared to the F-16’s $20 million. First of all, they will allow the Ukrainians to attack the Russian rear in order to disrupt logistics. “They can fall to 150 km, which corresponds to the depth of the front line in the east of Ukraine.– continues Jean-Christophe Noel. Until now, the Ukrainian army could use Himars, an artillery system that can fire, depending on the ammunition used, up to 80 kilometers.

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Another advantage is that GLSBDs can be precisely positioned and fired from these Fools or from an MLRS rocket launcher (Multiple launch missile system, Editor’s Note), that the Ukrainians already have. These bombs are a combination of two systems. GBU-39 bomb mounted on an M26 missile. Once pulled thatThe propulsion unit moves the bomb to a programmed altitude, which is then released from the missile. The wings then allow you to glide towards the targetsays Jean-Christophe Noel. A feature that makes it more difficult for Russian ground air defense to catch it. “After deploying its wings, it can hit a target pre-programmed into its memory or designated in flight. We use it to save heavy rockets“, the same military source adds Figaro.

Aiming high to disrupt Russian logistics

“The life of the Russian Navy, Air Force and ammunition transporters in Crimea will be very difficult.General Ben Hodges, the former commander of the US Army in Europe, predicted on Twitter. However, the production of these munitions by Boeing and Saab is just beginning. Therefore, they cannot be shipped for several months. But both components, the GBU-39 bomb and the M-26 missile, are in plenty in the US stockpile.

For Kiev, which fears a Russian attack in the winter after the fighting ends, these munitions could make it possible to strike the Russian rear. And this is when the logistics work just in time. If the distance of 150 kilometers does not allow to strike Sevastopol, an important Russian base in Crimea, from Kherson, it makes it possible to plan operations in Donbas and even around the Sea of ​​Azov.

Disorganization of the Russian rear is an important prerequisite for military advancement, for example, mechanized armor thanks to tanks announced by the Allies. “But For these munitions to be useful, the Westerners must also provide some information about the location of the targets to be hit: railway junctions, storage areas, possibly military installations.“The military source warns.

Ukraine has been demanding ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 kilometers for months. A request that has never been met, Westerners fear that the Ukrainians will strike directly at Russian territory, thus leading to an escalation that is difficult to control. This massive $2 billion aid is also expected to include Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Stryker personnel carriers and support equipment for Patriot air defense systems. A part of this amount should be allocated to a fund called “Ukraine Security Support Initiative(USAI), which would allow the Biden administration to buy weapons for Kiev directly from their manufacturers, rather than taking them from American stockpiles.

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