HIMARS: The advanced missile system the U.S. is sending to Ukraine

The U.S.’s military aid package Ukraine includes an advanced missile systems that can reach beyond the front lines of Russia’s invasion, according to President Joe Biden on Tuesday.

Biden wrote an op-ed in the New York Times titled “What America Will and Will Not Do in Ukraine,” where he justified the upcoming $700 million military aid package to Kyiv.

“America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression,” Biden wrote.

“We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia.”

The op-ed also indicated that the White House has approved the shipment of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a mobile precision rocket launcher that can strike targets up over 300 miles away depending on the missile used, to the Ukraine conflict.

The administration had resisted Ukrainian requests for the HIMARS over concerns the longer-ranged missiles could be used against targets in Russia, which may pull the United States into the conflict.

Ukraine has struck Russian cities near the border with drones and rockets several times.

Ukrainian officials have reassured Washington that they will only be used against targets in Ukraine, reports Politico.

As a precaution, the U.S. is only sending HIMARS guided missiles with a range of 48 miles and none that can reach the maximum 300 miles.

This is still twice the range of a ground-based howitzer cannon, allowing Ukraine to strike further behind Russian lines at distances better protected from Russia’s own long-range weaponry, reports The Guardian.

The HIMARS can also be reloaded much faster than the older systems being used by Ukraine and Russia, which also need to be physically resighted with hand cranks, making them “juicy targets” between missile barrages, according to Politico.

Whether the HIMARS will make a large difference is up for debate. Some military analysts call the advanced missile system a “game changer,” while others say they would only even the playing field.