According to aviation expert Valery Romanenko, Ukraine can receive JASSM missiles from the USA as part of the armament for F-16 fighters.
Points of attention
- JASSM missiles are high-precision and stealthy means of long-range strikes that could be transferred to Ukraine to enhance its defense capabilities.
- JASSM differs from other missiles as it is a winged cruise missile with advanced guidance systems, capable of adjusting its trajectory in real-time to overcome obstacles.
- The potential transfer of JASSM missiles from the USA to Ukraine could enable the country to target strategic objects on Russian territory, including the Crimean bridge.
- JASSM missiles have been successfully used in military operations, showcasing their effectiveness in striking enemy targets with high accuracy.
- The creation of JASSM missiles by Lockheed Martin began in 1995, with variations capable of striking targets up to 980 kilometers away, ensuring the ability to target deep within the Russian territory.
What is the key difference between JASSM missiles and what they are capable of
The analyst notes that JASSM are capable of reaching Moscow and hitting the Crimean bridge.
Their difference from long-range ATACMS missiles is that they are not ballistic missiles, but cruise missiles with a completely different design and guidance system.
Romanenko emphasized that in many respects JASSM are similar to British-made Storm Shadow missiles.
JASSM missiles are an analogue of Storm Shadow. However, the F-16 cannot carry the Storm Shadow, but it can carry two JASSM missiles. They have the same elements, the same combat unit. But the JASSM has a longer range, it reaches 370 km - this is if we are talking only about the usual JASSM, and if we are talking about those with an increased range - there is a total of 900 km, - the analyst explains.
He suggested that Ukraine can receive JASSM of conventional modification from the USA.
Romanenko explained that the US understands that the Ukrainian military wants to launch a missile attack on Moscow, or rear strategic objects on the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to him, JASSM has systems similar to Storm Shadow with minimal use of satellite navigation.
That is, if the rocket senses obstacles, it switches to terrain orientation. JASSM compares the picture on the ground with the computer and thus corrects its orbit.
JASSM must be hit at one point - that's why they have a territory correction system, and at the final stage there is a target guidance system, and because of this, they have a hit accuracy of 3-5 meters.
If we receive them with such a combat unit as TAURUS or Storm Shadow, then the Crimean bridge will already be mentioned. But if we get it with a cluster warhead, then the airfields in Crimea will be more and more cotton there, the analyst explains.
What is known about JASSM missiles
These missiles are produced by the American corporation Lockheed Martin.
The program of their creation began in 1995.
The goal was to create an inconspicuous, high-precision, long-range missile that allows you to attack without entering the enemy's air defense zone and has a significantly lower cost compared to the TSSAM.
The missile was finally accepted for military use by B-52 aircraft in October 2003.
And later it was integrated into strike aircraft such as the F-16 and F-35.
JASSM was first used during missile strikes on Syria on April 14, 2018.
Two B-1 Lancer bombers then fired 19 JASSM missiles at three Syrian government targets.
In 2019, missiles were used in a raid in Barisha to capture or kill then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
the JASSM missile can destroy targets within a radius of 370 kilometers. But there are separate modifications of the missile that can reach the target at a distance of up to 980 kilometers.
AGM-158 JASSM-ER strikes at a distance of up to 980 kilometers. In this way, it is possible to hit the deep rear of Russia.
AGM-158C LRASM can strike at a distance of up to 370 km. Its main advantage is invisibility in the radar, infrared and other areas of the surveillance spectrum.
AGM-158B-2 can hit a record distance of 1900 km. However, production of these missiles began in 2022.
