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.