Summary
- U.S.
approved $825 million sale of 3,350 ERAM missiles to Ukraine. - ERAM
missiles are air-launched with a range up to 450 km. - Sale
primarily funded by European allies, first deliveries in six weeks. - Missiles
will enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities.
According to a statement from the US Defense Security
Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Kyiv will carry out the acquisition with assistance
from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway as well as a credit guarantee from
the US.
The DSCA gave the necessary notice to the US Congress, which
still needs to approve the deal, and the State Department authorized the
potential sale of the missiles to Ukraine.
“This proposed sale will improve Ukraine’s capability
to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct
self-defense and regional security missions,”
DSCA said.
And it
“will support the foreign policy and national
security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner
country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,”
the agency added.
Despite pressure
from the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not demonstrated
much readiness to halt the conflict, having launched a full-scale invasion of
neighboring Ukraine in 2022.
Washington pledged more than $65 billion in military aid to
Ukraine under former President Joe Biden, but his successor, Donald Trump, who
has always been opposed to help for Kyiv, has advocated for Europe to
contribute more to future military aid.
How will ERAMs change Ukraine’s ability to strike targets in
Crimea?
Extended range of up to 450 kilometers, allowing Ukrainian
aircraft to hit deep targets across the entire Crimean Peninsula from safe
stand-off distances without entering heavily defended airspace.
The missiles can target Russian supply depots, rail hubs,
command and control centers, airfields, and naval infrastructure near
Sevastopol, disrupting Russian military logistics and operations. The mass
production and affordability of ERAMs enable Ukraine to conduct large-scale,
saturation attacks that can overwhelm Russian air defenses, a significant
upgrade over previous limited long-range missile stocks.
ERAM’s precision guidance systems allow accurate strikes
against hardened targets such as bunkers, ammunition dumps, and fuel storage
with a 500-pound warhead.
