Ukraine strikes Russian arsenal with lethal ATACMS missiles
After obtaining permission to use MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles to target locations in Russia, Ukrainians are swiftly taking action. The initial effects are visible, but they may not be long-lasting.
8:09 AM EST, November 20, 2024
The Ukrainians conducted an attack on the 67th GRAU arsenal located in Russia's Bryansk region. The Russians claimed they shot down five of the six missiles launched and that the losses were minimal. However, the explosions and the large fire at the storage site suggested otherwise.
Meanwhile, Reuters, citing information from a U.S. official, claims that the Russians shot down only two of the eight ballistic missiles launched. Considering previous reports, ATACMS have even engaged in battles with S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft systems, making this the most likely scenario.
The biggest challenge for the Ukrainians might be simply securing a sufficient number of missiles. According to Forbes, fewer than 50 may have reached Ukraine, mostly older versions from the 1990s. If the effectiveness of the strikes is to be maintained, Ukraine must receive several dozen more missiles in the coming months.
MGM-140 ATACMS — A weapon that's a nightmare for the Russians
In the latest attack, the Ukrainians used MGM-140 ATACMS M39 missiles, the original variant from the 1990s with a range of up to 100 miles. These are equipped only with less precise inertial navigation rather than satellite guidance. The lesser precision was intended to be offset by a large warhead containing 950 M74 APAM bomblets.
Over time, missile variants with an increased range of up to 186 miles and improved precision were developed due to the addition of satellite navigation, though this came at the expense of a smaller warhead. For comparison, the M39A1 variant already contains 300 M74 APAM bomblets. There is also a missile variant with a standard high-explosive fragmentation warhead, known as "unitary".
The M74 APAM bomblets themselves are spherical, weighing about 1 pound and with a diameter of approximately 2 inches. Their lethal effectiveness reaches several yards. Inside their tungsten casing is a mixture of explosives and incendiary substances with a simple impact fuse. This composition means that in addition to creating a shower of fragments capable of penetrating even bulletproof vests, it is also possible to start a fire in the strike zone.
The most important feature of the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles is their flight speed reaching Mach 3, about 2,300 mph, allowing them to cover hundreds of miles in minutes. This gives the enemy's air defense little time to react. Importantly, shooting down ballistic missiles requires fairly scarce medium-range anti-aircraft systems.
These are always in short supply, and decisions have to be made about which regions to protect at the expense of others. Until now, Ukraine faced such dilemmas, but now, thanks to ATACMS, so does Russia.
