U.S. does not have enough ATACMS to give to Ukraine - Washington Post
The United States is not making a decision to transfer ATACMS missiles to Ukraine because of a lack of stocks of these missiles in American military warehouses.
This is stated by Washington Post, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to Ukrinform.
"The Pentagon is convinced that Kyiv has more pressing needs than ATACMS and is concerned that giving Ukraine these weapons in quantities sufficient to have an impact on the battlefield would significantly reduce US readiness for other possible conflicts," the article says.
It is noted that the ATACMS arsenal of the US military has not been replenished for some time, as the army expects to adopt the next generation of tactical missiles called Prism this year.
"The limited number of ATACMS is the biggest concern of the US military. Although their exact number in the U.S. arsenal is classified, Lockheed Martin has produced about 4,000 missiles, many of which have been used by the U.S. Army in combat, training or testing. At the same time, about 900 missiles have been sold to foreign allies and partners over the past decade, including 211 since the start of the war in Ukraine," WP says.
It should be added that Lockheed Martin currently produces 500 such missiles a year, but all of them are exported under previously concluded contracts.
The publication notes that Kyiv has sent a request to the United States for several hundred such missiles.
As reported, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is negotiating with the United States and other countries to transfer ATACMS and similar missiles.
Resolution H.Res. 488, calling on the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with ATACMS missiles, was introduced in the US Congress in the first half of June. The text of the document emphasizes the need to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles immediately, while maintaining the combat readiness of the United States.
Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrylov stated that the Ukrainian Defense Forces need long-range precision weapons to achieve victory over the Russian invaders.
