The picture shows the US Army tactical missile
As Kiev was retaliated by the Russian army, the Ukrainian government once again requested the United States, hoping that the United States would provide the Ukrainian army with an army tactical missile. Public information shows that this is a supersonic long-range tactical missile with a range of up to 300 kilometers and can easily carry out precise strikes on long-range targets. You must know that the Russian capital Moscow is only more than 500 kilometers away from the Russian-Ukrainian border. Ukrainian side has repeatedly expressed its demand for this missile, . Is it going to attack Russia?
Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Biden administration has given the Ukrainian army a lot of military aid, but the United States has always been unwilling to provide Ukraine with army tactical missiles. Ukrainian President Zelensky repeatedly stated that the missile is crucial to the Ukrainian army launching a larger counterattack. In order to dispel US concerns, he constantly emphasized that the Ukrainian army has no plan to attack Russian cities and civilians. In response, Pentagon stated that the current aid missiles are enough to meet the needs of the Ukrainian army, and Ukraine does not need to hold the army tactical missiles. Some analysts believe that White House is worried that Ukraine will violate its promise and use this weapon to directly attack Russia's mainland. This move will cause serious stimulation to Russia and may even lead to a significant escalation of the situation. So, how powerful is the US Army tactical missile? Can it directly attack Russian mainland? We can look at this from three aspects.
The picture shows Ukrainian President Zelensky
First of all, the US Army tactical missile is the fourth generation tactical ballistic missile and is also the only tactical ballistic missile currently equipped by the US Army. It is mainly developed based on the US military's "integrated combat in military and local areas". It is a multi-purpose ground-to-ground tactical missile that can be launched through land-based maneuvers. It is mainly used to attack enemy deep armored clusters, airports and mobile troops and other targets. The project was formally proposed in the late 1970s. After several adjustments to the plan, it was finalized in April 1988. The US military tested the first army tactical missile and then began to be installed. The missile is generally launched using a supporting multi-barrel rocket launch system, can also be thrown by bombers, and can even be directly launched from ships and submarines. Its combat applicability is extremely strong.
Secondly, in terms of combat performance, the US Army tactical missile weighs about 1670 kg, is four meters long, has a 610 mm diameter, and a maximum range of up to 300 kilometers. It effectively fills the gap in the near range of artillery on the ground and can easily strike enemy second-tier targets. The missile can carry a variety of warheads, including lethal sub-compartment bullets, ground-based bullets and high-explosion warheads, etc. With its high-precision mid- and end guidance, it can be less than 5 The missile has a ballistic height of about 50 kilometers and a maximum speed of 1.03 kilometers per second. The effect of a volley is comparable to that of 33 155mm howitzers and has excellent combat effectiveness. In addition, the missile's launch command, tracking and measurement, and reloading modules can be arranged on a launch vehicle, which is convenient for concealment and can also be adapted to multiple transport vehicles, which are extremely guaranteed in both mobility and battlefield survivability.
The picture shows the US Army tactical missile being launched
Finally, from the perspective of actual combat use, this missile encountered Gulf War when it was just installed. On January 18, 1991, the Seventh Running Regiment of the US Army used the Army tactical missile for the first time to launch the enemy. It took only 13 minutes from receiving the launch order to ignition launch, showing extraordinary combat efficiency. In the report released by the US Department of Defense, the Army tactical missiles dumbed all targeted air defense positions. In the flight corridor opened by the missile, there was no enemy radar activities, and all targets attacked lost their combat effectiveness.With the changes in the US national threat, the use of this missile is also changing. Its combat use has expanded from combat-level fire suppression to tactical level, and began to accurately strike point-like targets from a long distance. In Iraq War , the US military launched 456 missiles, effectively attacking high-value targets such as Iraqi air defense missile positions. At present, the missile has been in service in many countries such as Turkey , South Korea, etc.
The picture shows the Himas rocket launcher system
Comprehensively, the US Army's tactical missile has high accuracy, strong mobility, wide adaptability, and also has long-range strike capabilities. Its lethality cannot be underestimated. It is precisely because of this that the United States has repeatedly refused to aid Ukraine the missile. After all, the Ukrainian army already has the Himas rocket launcher aided by the United States. If a long-range tactical missile system is provided, the Ukrainian army is very likely to use it to strike Russia's mainland. At that time, the situation will only be out of control. The United States does not want to intensify the conflict at this time. Maintaining the status quo will allow the United States to seize the greatest benefits.
