Experts in the field of defense point to a possible source of new weapons for Ukraine - stocks of the US army, which are planned to be disposed of after the expiration date.
According to experts, these stocks include hundreds of ATACMS installations and M39 and M39A1 missiles manufactured by Lockheed Martin. It is recognized as an “excellent legal high-precision cluster weapon,” according to the publication, citing experts such as former commander of US Army Europe Lt. Gen. (ret.) Ben Godges and former special adviser to the commander in chief of the U.S. Army, Daniel Rice.
Experts believe that the use of this weapon for the needs of Ukraine may be economically more profitable than its planned disposal at the expense of state funds.
"These missiles could be sent to Ukraine, where they could be used very effectively against the Russian military," Rice said, adding that shelf life is not an issue as they are removed from stockpiles as they are replaced by more modern models.
"The M39 provides Ukraine with range, accuracy and lethality, which it does not have enough without this weapon," the expert emphasizes, stressing the importance of these missiles for Ukraine's military efforts.
Despite the importance of considering the shelf life of a weapon, according to General Godges, a missile can remain effective for many years after the shelf life has expired. Refusal to use ATACMS-type missiles due to the limitations of the shelf life is not considered a politically safe, but rather a political decision, notes the American military.
This view echoes that of Fabian Hinz, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who specializes in defense issues and military analysis in the Middle East. According to him, the expiration date is not always an accurate indicator of the missile's combat capability.
Last fall, Kyiv received Block I ATACMS missiles with a range of approximately 160 km. More than 1,650 such missiles have been produced over the past decade. Currently, 1,114 M39 and M39A1 warheads are stored in US warehouses, with many of them having already been used in US operations or undergoing modification.
An important aspect, according to the expert, is the state of preservation of the rocket's solid fuel engine. Therefore, the shelf life of ATACMS may be longer than specified by the manufacturer.
According to Daniel Rice, Ukraine has "tens of thousands" of obsolete missiles of various types that can be used in the HIMARS system and which the US plans to dispose of.
With the available number of M39s, Ukraine has the opportunity to attack Russian supply lines to Crimea and destroy military facilities in the occupied territories near the Sea of Azov, the military officer notes. With the use of ATACMS missiles, Ukraine can identify "priority targets" among Russian bases, infrastructure and military formations in vast territories.
However, General Godges notes that the cluster version of the missile has a limited range and is not effective for hitting Russian infrastructure, in particular, in Sevastopol.
According to him, Ukraine needs to get more ATACMS missiles, and he does not see "good reasons not to transfer these weapons to the country."
Kyiv used ATACMS missiles for the first time in southern Ukraine "during rapid strikes on Russian military bases in Berdyansk and Luhansk in mid-October 2023."
Also, M39 ATACMS missiles have carried out "many successful attacks on helicopters in Moscow", as noted by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, calling these missiles "well recommended".
