Ukrainian strikes dismantle russian S‑400 defenses in Crimea

Ukrainians continue to target valuable objectives in Crimea, such as batteries of medium-range air defense systems. They have recently claimed the destruction of four launchers belonging to the S-400 S-400 Triumph complex, deployed near Sevastopol.

Another significant target was the submarine "Rostov-on-Don," which sank after being hit. A rocket artillery unit carried out the attack in cooperation with the Ukrainian Navy. This suggests the use of M142 HIMARS launchers, loaded with MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles known for effectively targeting Russian air defense and missile systems.

The MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles were introduced into service by the United States Army in the 1990s. Depending on the version, their range is approximately 100 or 186 miles. It's worth mentioning that while these missiles are not new, the United States is already introducing their successor, the PrSM missile, into service.

Still, Ukrainians have successfully used even the older versions of these missiles. They mainly use the versions with cluster warheads designated M39 and M39A1. The M39 has a range of 100 miles, while the M39A1 extends up to 186 miles. The speed of the MGM-140 ATACMS missiles is Mach 3 (2,300 mph), and their flight characteristics have proven problematic for the Russians, whose air defenses and anti-missile systems cannot effectively counter them.

The difference between the M39 and M39A1 versions lies in the guidance method and the warhead size. The M39 uses inertial navigation and carries a load of 950 M74 APAM bomblets. By contrast, the M39A1 has a reduced bomblet load of 300, allowing for increased fuel capacity and the addition of a satellite navigation module, theoretically providing greater precision.

It's worth noting that Russians have recently learned to jam GPS signals, reducing hit precision by several meters. This affects the effectiveness of the M39A1 version only slightly because it remains reliable due to its substantial explosive power. GPS jamming issues are more noticeable with GLSDB and M982 Excalibur artillery shells.

The primary destructive element of the cluster variants of the MGM-140 ATACMS missiles is the M74 APAM bomblets. Each bomblet weighs 1.3 pounds and has a diameter of 2.4 inches. Their casing is made of tungsten, which produces fragments upon explosion that can penetrate bulletproof vests. Additionally, the bomblets contain incendiary material, causing fires upon detonation. In practice, nothing can survive within ground zero.