From StormBreaker smart bombs to Switchblade suicide drones and M777 155mm Howitzers - United
States weapons continue to power the Ukrainian resistance against Russian aggression.
Now, the M142 HIMARS is set to join the list and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty right from
the front lines.
Join us in today’s video as we explore the features of this deadly weapon that’s causing
panic across Russia.
What is this new artillery like?
Why is it valuable?
How many will Ukraine get?
And how will it be deployed?
Keep watching to find out.
The United States continues to stand strong with President Zelenskyy and the brave people
of Ukraine in the face of the unprovoked aggression from Russia.
Since the inception of the war in February, the US has delivered military and humanitarian
aid to Ukraine worth over four billion dollars.
And it remains committed to continue in this stead for as long as required.
The latest American relief package came on the 31st of May when President Joe Biden announced
a $700 million aid package including Javelins, counter-artillery radar systems, command launch
units, anti-armor weapons, helicopters, tactical vehicles, and most importantly, the M142 HIMARS.
In an official statement, President Joe Biden said:
“This new package will arm [Ukrainian forces] with new capabilities and advanced weaponry,
including HIMARS with battlefield munitions, to defend their territory from Russian advances,”
“We will continue to lead the world in providing historic assistance to support Ukraine’s
fight for freedom.”
What Is The M142 HIMARS Like?
The M142 HIMARS or High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is an advanced combat-proven
rocket launcher with exceptional agility and maneuverability on the battlefield.
It was designed as an optimized version of the M270 MLRS, which has been in service with
the US and NATO forces since the 1980s.
Every unit of the M142 HIMARS is equipped with six GPS-guided rockets.
This impressive artillery measures seven meters in length, 2.4 meters in width, and three
meters in height.
Considering it only requires a crew of three men to operate, this would go down as one
of the easiest artillery to mount.
The M142 HIMARS has a range of 50 miles and 80 kilometers, twice the range of the M777
Howitzers supplied to the Ukrainian forces in May.
Why Is It Valuable?
While Ukraine has held on real good in this fight, Russia seems to be gaining ground in
the last few weeks, capturing and controlling significant parts of Donetsk and Luhansk.
In fact, Russia’s 90km long central frontline continues to advance with hopes of capturing
the entire Donbas region.
To stop this fast-moving advancement, Ukraine needs a quick-fire response that can peg the
Russian military in their current position or, better still, push them out of Ukrainian
territory completely.
Enter the M142 HIMARS.
Some military analysts believe that introducing this artillery will give Ukraine a huge boost;
others argue that the impact might not be as lethal as expected.
Undersecretary for the US Defense Dr. Colin H Kahl told reporters during a media session.
“These are precision guided systems with extended range.
And so for high value targets that allow them to keep some of the pressure off of Ukrainian
forces on the front, we think these systems will be very useful.”
Call For Caution The United States Department of Defense is
committed to providing Ukraine with weapons, but it continues to call for caution regarding
how and where these weapons will be deployed.
High-ranking US military officials fear that any attempts to strike deep into Russia with
this artillery could ignite more fury from the Russian forces and eventually lead to
chaos that cannot be controlled.
According to trusted sources, the main motive behind the military aid provided by the United
States is to help the Ukrainian forces defend their positions and also to have better bargaining
power at the negotiation table, just as President Biden mentioned in his announcement.
In another statement, Joe Biden emphasized that the United States will not send weapons
capable of striking deep into Russia to Ukraine.
It is important to note that for a long time, the United States has been reluctant to approve
heavy artillery for Ukraine because it doesn't want to be seen as one of the facilitators
of the war.
But with Russia’s sustained aggression, it would be unfair to deprive Ukrainian forces
of the necessary weapons to defend their country.
But, so far, the United States government and the Department of Defense have done well
in finding the right balance.
Weapons are getting approved at a faster rate, and in the same vein, Pentagon officials continue
to monitor and advise the Ukrainian forces on how they should be used.
But of course, that’s not convincing enough for the Russians, who believe that the United
States has an ulterior motive for supplying more sophisticated weapons to Ukraine.
Following the announcement of this latest aid, Russian officials have accused Washington
of adding fuel to the fire adding that “such supplies do not contribute to the Ukrainian
leadership's willingness to resume peace negotiations.”
How Many M142 HIMARS WIll Ukraine Get?
As mentioned earlier, this military aid package is loaded with several other weapons, including
1,000 Javelins, 50 command launch units, 15,000 155-mm Howitzers, four Mi-17 helicopters,
and hundreds of spare parts.
All of these took up a large portion of the $700 million budget, and there was only room
for four HIMARS systems.
Of course, this wouldn't be enough to see off a strong opposition like Russia, but the
United States says it will “continue to closely consult with Ukraine and surge additional
available systems and capabilities in support of its defense.”
Also, Congress has been extremely generous towards Ukraine and its fight against Russian
aggression.
Just recently, $40 billion was approved by Congress for Ukraine, with the official defense
source claiming that “$8 billion of that [fund] is for additional presidential drawdown
authority.”
With that said, the Ukrainian forces can expect more HIMARS units in the coming weeks.
How Will It Be Deployed?
The deployment of any weapon is key to its success on the battlefield, and the HIMARS
wouldn't be any different.
Already we know it will arrive in Ukraine in record time because the Department of Defense
had moved some HIMARS units to Europe in anticipation that the US government might approve them
for the Ukrainian forces.
And it turned out they were right anyway.
Training is another important aspect that shouldn't be treated with levity, and we understand
that the necessary arrangement has been put in place already.
“We think that'll take around three weeks.
Colin H. Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, said.
“They need to know not just how to use the systems, but, of course, how to maintain the
system — so, think of logistics, maintenance, things like that, it'll be a number of weeks
until that training is complete.”
With this in mind, we speculate that the four HIMARS units should be at the frontlines in
about three to four weeks.
But then again, the situation of the war is quite delicate and requires that high-tech
weapons such as the M142 HIMARS systems be moved into position very quickly.
So we wouldn't be surprised if they're deployed earlier than we expect.
We bet the Ukrainian soldiers on the front line of this war will be eager to see the
HIMARS units deployed as quickly as possible.
They'd also be hoping it's just as effective as the other American-made weapons they've
recently received.
Nonetheless, questions will continue to be asked about the timing of the approval of
this incredibly advanced artillery.
Could it have been approved earlier?
Will it be effective in repelling the Russian forces?
Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
Be sure to check out this video over here.