The new US military aid package to Ukraine includes air defense radars, counterbattery radars, Mi-17 helicopters, vehicles, anti-tank guns, artillery munitions and the M142 HIMARS MLRS. The cost of the entire military aid package is $700 million.
Particular attention in this package should be given to the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), a universal highly mobile tactical missile and artillery system. The system was developed on the basis of the FMTV wheeled chassis weighing 5 tons.
President Joe Biden’s decision to supply HIMARS to Ukraine actually prompted the re-export of these systems to the North Atlantic Alliance member states. Following the United States, the United Kingdom announced the shipment of M270 MLRS multiple rocket launchers to Kiev and said it was “coordinating this decision with the Americans”.
The M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) is also a versatile launcher. It is mounted on the crawler base of the American Bradley platform. Overall, MLRS is a heavyweight version of HIMARS.
There are two types of ammunition for both MLRS and HIMARS.
The first is the MFOM (MLRS Ordnance Family), which are unguided and guided rockets (missiles). Their nomenclature is very wide, the firing range is from 40 to 80 km.
Secondly, these are AFOM (Army TACMS Ordnance Family) munitions containing various tactical ballistic missiles. The firing range of these products is between 165 and 300 km. And according to some reports, even up to 400 km. AFOM’s delivery issue is still open. There is no official data on this.
The M270 MLRS is in service in 17 countries worldwide, most of which are part of “Ukraine-related communications groups”. It is noteworthy that Poland sent a request to the United States for the purchase of a large batch of M270 MLRS. With high probability, this means that a significant part of this batch is re-exports for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Thus, the MLRS to Ukraine will be carried out through Poland according to the “Danish version”. Recall that at the second meeting of the “Contact group on Ukraine” at the Ramstein airbase, it was decided that Denmark would hand over modern RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Ukraine.
As a result, the USA, the developer and manufacturer of the RGM-84 Harpoon, cannot be officially blamed on Moscow.
Modern Russian anti-aircraft missile systems such as S-400, S-350, S-300PM2, SAM “Buk” have non-strategic missile defense potential. They are capable of destroying any American MLRS ammunition.
The subtlety lies in the fact that the anti-aircraft missiles of these systems are significantly more expensive than the M142 and M270 missiles themselves, and their mass use in this capacity is extremely costly.
Another way to deal with MLRS is to destroy them with operational-tactical aircraft. However, in this case, the aircraft must be either in the air or on duty at the airport. The time interval between the receipt of intelligence information about the location of the MLRS and the assignment of combat missions to the aircraft crew should be as short as possible. Immediately after launch, the MLRS and HIMARS leave the firing position.
In addition, to combat the M270 and M142, the Russian MLRS of the Smerch type should be included, with a range of 120 km, that is, exceeding the capabilities of the American MLRS if they use standard rockets instead of tactical missiles.
Finally, all possible measures should be taken to ensure that the M142 and M270 in principle do not fall on the contact line, that is, do not crash into communications on the territory of Ukraine – railway loading and unloading stations, bridges and tunnels. , traction substations.
Such attacks can be carried out with the help of sea and air-based cruise missiles, as well as all possible aviation weapons.
Destroying the US MLRS in Ukraine is a critical task for Russia. Only the integrated use of all combat vehicles, such as the M142 and M270, can give the desired effect for the Russian Armed Forces.
The author’s view may not coincide with the editors’ position.
Author biography:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military observer for socialbites.ca, a retired colonel.
Graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976),
Air Defense Military Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile battalion (1980–1983).
Deputy commander of an anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior officer of the Air Defense Forces Chief of Staff (1988-1992).
General Staff Main Operations Directorate Officer (1992-2000).
Graduate of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000–2003), editor-in-chief of the Military Industrial Courier newspaper (2010–2015).