In the latest US military support package for Ukraine worth 60.64 billion USD, the army ballistic missile complex (ATACMS) is considered a dangerous weapon with a long range and carrying cluster warheads. . Ukrainian officials emphasized that as soon as ATACMS are provided, they will quickly be used on the battlefield.
So is the ATACMS missile really as strong as assessed?
The weapon is compared to the Iskander complex’s counterpart
The birth of ATACMS is associated with the change in military doctrine of the US and NATO at the end of the Cold War, when the use of nuclear weapons was no longer a priority in conflict. ATACMS fulfills the role of a high-precision non-nuclear attack weapon aimed at targets with tactical and strategic value located deep behind enemy lines.
The first prototype of ATACMS was produced in 1986 and accepted into the US Army since 1988 with the code name MGM-140. This line of tactical ballistic missiles has been continuously upgraded in both range and functionality as a long-range ground attack weapon for the US and its allies until the present time.
ATACMS missiles are powerful ground attack weapons of the US Army and its allies. Photo: Topwar
The standard version of ATACMS is the MGM-140A which includes an inertial navigation system, solid fuel propulsion and aerodynamic rudder. MGM-140A carries a cluster warhead containing 950 submunitions to compensate for low accuracy. The firing range of this ATACMS version is 165km with a target error of about 15m.
A special feature of ATACMS is its semi-ballistic flight trajectory. The missile will be pushed to a high altitude according to the principles of a ballistic missile, but the phase of approaching the target is controlled gliding. Therefore, US ballistic missiles have a relatively low target access speed.
In 1998, the US introduced an upgraded version of ATACMS, MGM-140B, with an increased range of 300km. Missile accuracy is also improved thanks to the addition of the NAVSTAR satellite guidance and calibration system. ATACMS is also equipped with more types of warheads, including explosive fragmentation warheads and destroying bunkers and bunkers.
The latest generation of ATACMS, MGM-164 and ATACMS 2000 MOD, improve guidance capabilities and electronic detonators to increase high precision destruction capabilities. The production process of ATACMS missiles has lasted since 2007 with a total of about 3,700 missiles produced.
The US military first used ATACMS during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 in Iraq. And since then, this line of army ballistic missiles has been used in many different battlefields. To extend the service life of ATACMS missiles, the US Army also deployed packages to upgrade old missile versions to ATACMS 2000 standards for export to allied countries.
In November 2023, the process of developing a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) to replace ATACMS in the US Army was completed. That’s why the Pentagon is promoting the export of ATACMS abroad. This may be the reason why Ukraine was quickly supplied with this line of tactical ballistic missiles.
The US currently no longer produces ATACMS missiles, but only upgrades old missiles. Photo: DefenseTalk
Will there continue to be loss of sanctity in Ukraine?
According to Reuters news agency, Ukraine actually received the first batch of ATACMS missiles in 2023 with about 20 missile bullets in a secret US arms aid package. MGM-140A missiles were used in attacks against the Russian airport in the city of Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region in October 2023. Russian engineers discovered many sub-warheads used in ATACMS missiles at the scene of the attack.
Like many types of offensive weapons donated to Ukraine by the US and the West, the Russian Army quickly found ways to deal with ATACMS. The commander of an air defense missile unit of Russia’s Southern Tactical Operations Group in Ukraine revealed that information about Ukraine’s missiles and methods of dealing with ATACMS had been disseminated to the unit. As a result, just a week after the attack on the airport in Berdyansk, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had intercepted two ATACMS missiles used by Ukraine in an attack.
Evaluating the ATACMS missile, Russian military expert Anatoly Matviychuk analyzed that when approaching the target, the ATACMS missile glides at subsonic speed so anti-aircraft weapons can stop them.
“I wouldn’t say that ATACMS is useless. But it certainly did not bring the expected results,” said Russian military expert Anatoly Matviychuk.
Precision attack missiles (PrSM) are gradually replacing ATACMS in the US Army from the end of 2023.
Sharing the same opinion, retired Russian Army Colonel Viktor Litovkin emphasized that Russian air defense complexes, including Tor, Buk and S-400 can all shoot down ATACMS missiles. In addition to anti-aircraft weapons, electronic warfare systems can also suppress and cause US ballistic missiles to miss their targets. The US Foreign Affairs magazine admitted that the Russian Army “demonstrated its skills” when it found a way to suppress the GPS satellite navigation system of the ATACMS missile.
Associate Professor of the Department of Political Analysis and Social Psychology of Plekhanov University of Economics (Russia) Oleg Glazunov said that ATACMS will not lead to fundamental changes in the current battlefield situation, but will only have a pulling effect. long conflict.
According to Mr. Oleg Glazunov, ATACMS will be used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to attack the rear lines of the Russian Army and cause more difficulties for Russia’s air defense system. However, their number is not enough to threaten and slow down the Russian attack. In addition, ATACMS’s use of cluster warheads will cause mine contamination and civilian casualties.
TUAN SON (summary)
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