The Biden administration is considering sending long-range cruise missiles for Ukraine’s new F-16 fighter jets so they can hit targets more than 200 miles away, Politico reported.
The outlet cited a US official and two people familiar with the discussions who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity.
Ukraine received its first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies late last month, after a long wait.
While the F-16 Fighting Falcon is a powerful fourth-generation aircraft intended to boost Ukraine’s air capability, its effectiveness depends in part on the weaponry it is equipped with.
The jets delivered so far don’t have long-range capabilities, but the US appears to be working to address that.
The delivery of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, could significantly extend the range of Ukraine’s F-16s to 370 kilometers, or about 230 miles.
However, before they could be sent, the Pentagon and the White House would have to overcome several hurdles.
These include reviewing the transfer of sensitive technologies and ensuring Ukraine’s fighter jets can fire the 2,400-pound missile with a 1,000-pound warhead, per Politico.
Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the US sent Ukraine air-to-air missiles alongside the F-16s, including the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, known as the AMRAAM, and the AIM-9X missile.
It is unclear which variants were sent, but the newest model of the AIM-120D is reported to have a range of over 100 miles. The AIM-9X’s range is classified.
US generals, Ukrainian officials, and experts have cautioned that the decades-old F-16 won’t necessarily be a game changer for Ukraine as it faces a difficult operating environment of Russian warplanes and air-defense systems.
But a video of a Ukrainian F-16 shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month hinted at how Ukraine could use them.
Armed with air-to-air missiles, it suggested that Ukraine may initially use its F-16s to combat Russian jets rather than as close-air support or for the suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses.
It’s unclear whether Ukraine will use the F-16s on targets inside Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been gaining ground since its surprise attack on August 6.
US officials told Reuters on Thursday that the US considered Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk a protective move meant to defend itself, thus making the use of US equipment appropriate.
However, should Ukraine start seizing villages and other non-military objectives using US weaponry and vehicles, it may raise concerns about whether it is acting within the limits the US established, an unnamed US official told the news agency.
Meanwhile, an unnamed source close to Zelenskyy’s administration told the Kyiv Independent this week that US-Ukraine talks on the long-range missiles were “in the advanced stages,” with a fall date being considered.
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