U.S. plans to transfer "Harpoon" anti-ship missiles to Ukraine - Reuters
The White House is working to transfer advanced anti-ship missiles to Ukraine to overcome the Russian blockade of the Black Sea.
According to Censor.NЕТ, this is stated by Reuters with reference to its own sources.
Three U.S. officials and two congressional sources said that Washington is considering transferring two types of anti-ship missiles to Ukraine: the Harpoon, manufactured by Boeing, and the NSM (Naval Strike Missile), manufactured by Kongsberg and Raytheon Technologies.
In April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Portugal to provide the Ukrainian military with Harpoon missiles, which have a range of up to 300 km.
The agency notes that there are a number of problems that slow down the transfer of the missiles to Ukraine. The main one is that the Harpoon is a sea-based missile, and it is technically difficult to launch it from the shore. But two U.S. officials said the United States is working on potential solutions, including removing the launcher from a U.S. ship.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, there are about 20 Russian naval ships in the Black Sea operational area.
Brian Clark, a naval expert at the Hudson Institute, told Reuters that 12 to 24 Harpoon anti-ship missiles would be enough to threaten Russian ships and convince Moscow to lift its blockade.
"If Putin persists, Ukraine could take out the biggest Russian ships because they have nowhere to hide in the Black Sea," Clark said.
