Ukraine's lethal strike: Ballistic missiles turn off Russian defenses
The results of the use of MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles by the Ukrainians on May 23, 2024, have emerged. The Ukrainian attack resulted in the rout of Russian air defenses, including S-300 and S-400 systems, in Crimea and beyond. We present the performance of this renowned weapon from the USA.
On May 23, the Ukrainians reportedly used 15 MGM-140 ATACMS missiles to target locations, including Simferopol, Alushta, Dzhankoy, Eupatoria, and Yalta, successfully hitting their objectives. A video from a drone, showing an S-400 system deployed around the village of Mospine attempting to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles, even appeared online.
However, the attempt was unsuccessful, and an MGM-140 ATACMS missile, in the M39 or M39A1 version equipped with a cluster warhead, struck the battery. Several launchers, a 96L6E radar, and a command vehicle with its crew were destroyed.
MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles - the American weapon against S-400 Triumph systems
This is not the first instance of an S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft and anti-missile system being destroyed by MGM-140 ATACMS missiles, but it is the first one captured on video. The M39 or M39A1 missile variants were used, as in most other attacks.
The first variant has a range of 103 miles and is equipped solely with inertial guidance. The second has an increased range of 186 miles and features additional satellite navigation for greater targeting accuracy. It is worth noting that the Russians effectively jam satellite navigation, which poses a significant problem for weapons with less destructive power, such as the GLSDB or the M982 Excalibur.
Both ATACMS variants have a cluster warhead containing hundreds of M74 APAM bomblets. The M39 variant has as many as 950 bomblets, while the newer M39A1 includes 300. Space is allocated for increased rocket fuel capacity as part of the warhead.
Each M74 APAM bomblet is a 2.4-inch-diameter sphere weighing 1.3 pounds with an effective lethal radius of several yards. The interior of the tungsten casing contains a mixture of a powerful explosive and an incendiary agent. During the explosion, in addition to shrapnel piercing bulletproof vests, the incendiary mixture ignites fuel leaking from damaged aircraft.
Detonation is triggered by a simple impact fuse that activates upon hitting the ground. At the moment of impact, no soldier in the strike zone has a chance of survival unless they are hidden in a dugout or an armored vehicle.
