Will the United States dispose of hundreds of ATACMS missiles/Getty Images Information has appeared in the media that the United States is allegedly disposing of hundreds of ATACMS missiles that are past their expiration date. The Pentagon subsequently responded to the publication. As Ukraine begins a new year of grueling war, speculation is emerging about upcoming deliveries of American ATACMS. Newsweek published an article on January 2 that the United States is allegedly disposing of hundreds of ATACMS missiles that could be transported to Ukraine. Daniel Rice, who was a special adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, said that hundreds of ATACMS M39 and M39A1 missiles are planned to be destroyed at “significant” expense to American taxpayers. Rice noted that these missiles are “excellent, legal, precision-guided cluster weapons.” According to him, instead of disposal, the missiles could be sent to Ukraine. He noted that they can be used “very effectively” against Russian forces. The publication reports that these are missiles that have expired. However, Zaluzhny's ex-rader claims that they work and can be sent to Ukraine. These M39 missiles give the range, accuracy and lethality that Ukraine has no contribution without this, he said. Much depends on how long ago the weapon expired. The former commander of the US Army in Europe, retired Lieutenant General Ben Godges, told Newsweek about this. He noted that the missile can be usable even years after how he floats away. According to him, not sending ATACMS based on expiration date is a political decision, not a security issue. ~Fabian Ginz, a researcher at the think tank at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, specializing in Middle East defense and military analysis, also took on the task of clarifying this issue. He agreed that the shelf life is not always an accurate indicator of whether a rocket is working. Gintz explained to the publication that the main part is keeping the solid rocket motor in good condition. According to him, everything depends on the quality of production and storage conditions of the missiles. ATACMS, which uses a single-stage solid rocket motor, requires some quality control, but the shelf life “may be higher than advertised,” Ginz said. Former Zaluzhny adviser Rice noted, that the US still operates the longer-range MGM-140 ATACMS, but there are “tens of thousands” of legacy missiles of various types that Ukraine could fire from HIMARS awaiting destruction. Rice noted that, having a sufficient number of M39s, Ukraine could prevent supplies from temporarily occupied Crimea to Russian forces in southern Ukraine. He stated that Ukrainian M39 ATACMS from the front line in the south and east of the country can reach the Sea of Azov and key installations in Russian-occupied territory . Godges added that more ATACMS would give Ukraine the tools to undermine Russian forces in every square mile of Ukraine. According to him, there are no compelling reasons not to provide weapons. According to Defense Express expert Ivan Kirichevsky, ATACMS missiles have a standard service life of only 10 years, and their production was completed back in 1997. He said that the information that the US will dispose of ATACMS “looks strange.” Kirichevsky noted that the United States has another program – to convert cluster missiles of the M39 version to the M57 with a unitary Tomahawk warhead weighing 227 kilograms. But, on the other hand, there is no smoke without fire, and perhaps this is just part of the internal discussion about the fact that the US military is actually looking for any possible reason not to give us these ATACMS. …It cannot be ruled out that they simply want to cut them into needles,” Kirichevsky said. He also expressed the opinion that the problem is that the American military “does not they want to give us ATACMS.” Kirichevsky suggested that this is due to the fact that part of the ATACMS may actually be unusable, and the US military plans to modernize the remaining missiles. US Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder on January 4 denied Newsweek's information that the United States was going to destroy the decommissioned ATACMS systems. He clearly emphasized that such reports are false. I have seen these reports in the media. We have looked at them and it is not true. “These reports are false,” Pat Ryder responded to Voice of America journalist Carly Bubb. h2> < /ul>Importance transfer of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine
Are rockets usable
These missiles are a tool to undermine the occupying forces
How they comment on this situation in Ukraine
The Pentagon's reaction to the publication
Will the US dispose of ATACMS missiles that could be transferred to Ukraine: the Pentagon denied media statements
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