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| US Sends More HIMARS to Ukraine |
The package includes four units of the dual rocket launcher system, or HIMARS. In addition to HIMARS, there are many other types of weapons that the Pentagon will soon send to Ukraine. Once these four systems arrive, Ukraine will have a total of 20 HIMARS units, plus other similar systems.
Such aid packages are indeed Ukraine's main asset at this time. Since June 2022, the war between Russia and Ukraine has entered a new phase, namely long-range attacks. The artillery system became a "front group" for both sides. America saw the condition, and decided to supply Ukraine with suitable weapons. And the high mobility artillery rocket system or HIMARS is the answer.
Quoted from The DRIVE, HIMARS will help Ukraine maintain momentum in the east and south. This system helped Ukraine defeat the significant Russians in the Kherson region. HIMARS was previously described by Pentagon officials as a "top priority" request by Ukraine.
Undersecretary of defense for US policy, Colin Kahl, also gave his statement. He told reporters that HIMARS allows Ukrainian forces to strike targets with greater range and precision. In fact, it is said that the HIMARS is more capable than other artillery weapons that were sent. Retired U.S. Army General Mark Hertling says HIMARS will "change the game".
And he added that Moscow's troops are now in dire condition. "Russia was in terrible shape and lost, Ukraine adapted to the fight and won," he added.
There are also reports that the HIMARS used by Ukraine managed to destroy 100 "high value" targets. The rocket strike effectively destroyed ammunition depots, long-range artillery positions, command posts, air defense sites, and radar and communications nodes, News Week reported.
Even the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis commented on the delivery of HIMARS. He said this weapon system succeeded in suppressing the Russian troops, he pointed to the attack in Odessa.
The US has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid to defend itself against Moscow's aggression. HIMARS Ukraine reportedly destroyed Russian ammunition depots in Chornobaivka and Bilohirka in the Kherson region.
Friday July 29, 2022, HIMARS rockets delivered a precise hit on an ammunition depot near the village of Brylivka. The reason HIMARS is so effective there, is because of Ukraine's clever use of it. HIMARS rockets can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 2.4 while Grad rockets at Mach 2.1. The slight difference in speed confused the Russian defense system.
Ukraine intelligently fired both of these rockets at the same time at the same target. And the only things Russian operators can see are dots on the radar. They couldn't tell the difference between the HIMARS and Grad rockets.
And keep in mind, the chance to intercept a rocket at speeds above Mach 2 is a very difficult endeavor. And now to make matters worse, Russia must distinguish which rockets are of high value, and which are decoys.
Russia's only logical option for dealing with it was to destroy HIMARS when the Ukrainian crew abandoned its position. Or at the very least, Russia must immediately find the location of the HIMARS.
And another reason why it's so hard to intercept this Rocket from HIMARS is its attack character. He sped at a speed of over 3,000 kilometers per hour. If it hits a target 80 kilometers away, HIMARS will only need about 94 seconds before hitting the target. Then, this rocket flies at a much lower altitude than any cruise or ballistic missile. Giving Russia very little time to prepare to intercept it.