Biden Administration Mulls Transfer of JASSM Missiles to Ukraine

The Biden administration is “open” to sending long-range cruise missiles for Ukrainian F-16s to Ukraine.

POLITICO reported on this.

No final decision has been made on sending the missile, but the administration is working through the complicated details now, according to one of the Biden administration’s officials.

Those issues include reviews of the transfer of sensitive technologies, and ensuring Ukraine’s jets can launch the 2,400-pound missile that carries a 1,000-pound warhead.

The official, along with two other people familiar with internal deliberations, was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive issues. The Pentagon declined to comment on whether it had approved the transfer of the missile.

“We consider a range of options to meet Ukraine’s security assistance requirements, however we have no information to provide,” said Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen.

The debate surrounding the JASSM and the Biden administration’s willingness to explore its transfer makes the missile the latest in a long line of sophisticated weaponry once considered off-limits for transfer to Ukraine.

Some members of Congress and political opponents have accused the Biden administration of moving too slowly to give Kyiv the equipment it needs to win the war.

Yet for a war that is just 30 months old, the approvals of F-16s, Abrams tanks, cruise missiles, Patriot air defenses, and modern infantry carriers have transformed what was a Soviet-era military into one of Europe’s battlefield powerhouses.

While talks continue inside the White House and Pentagon, the administration official warned that there is plenty of work to do before any missiles actually make their way to Ukraine.

The Pentagon is already working with Ukraine on those technical issues, two of the people said.

JASSM

The AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is an air-launched cruise missile developed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

The missile is guided by GPS, and on its final trajectory, it uses an infrared camera to find and capture the target.

The JASSM missiles are in service with the United States, several other NATO countries, and America’s closest allies.

The weight of its warhead is 450 kg, the range of the basic version is 360 kilometers, and the ER version is 980 kilometers.