The United States is close to an agreement to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles that could reach deep into Russia, Reuters reports, citing US officials.
But Kyiv will have to wait several months as the United States works out technical issues.
The inclusion of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) in the arms package is expected to be announced this autumn, three sources said. However, the final decision has not yet been made.
Sending JASSMs to Ukraine could significantly change the strategic landscape of the conflict, as more Russian territory would be within range of powerful, precision-guided munitions. This is an important issue for President Joe Biden's administration.
Military analysts have suggested that the use of JASSMs, which are stealthy and can strike farther than most other missiles in Ukraine's current arsenal, could push Russian footholds and supply depots back hundreds of kilometres.
This would seriously hamper Russia's ability to support its offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a strategic advantage. Launching missiles from points near Ukraine's northern border with Russia could allow them to hit military targets as far away as the Russian cities of Voronezh and Bryansk. And in the south, dropping them near the front line could allow them to strike airfields or naval facilities in Crimea. The JASSM missiles can hit targets some 300 km away on Russian territory, including at least 30 air bases, some of which Moscow has used for attacks.
However, JASSM has so far only been integrated into US-designed aircraft. Ukraine will have several dozen of these F-16s, each of which can carry two cruise missiles.
The US official said that there were efforts to make the missile compatible with non-Western fighters that Ukraine has. He did not specify which jets in Ukraine's inventory JASSM could be used with, but it is the Soviet MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-27 jets, the newspaper said.
Each JASSM has a large warhead weighing 450 kg, but unlike the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles already provided to Kyiv by the UK and France, they are not designed to penetrate defended bunkers. The latest versions cost about $1 million each.
What kind of JASSMs could Washington provide to Kyiv?
Last month, Politico reported that the Biden administration was open to providing Ukraine with JASSMs. Older models of JASSMs, made by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), have a range of approximately 370 km. The missiles, which are about 4 metres long, are designed to be difficult to detect on radar. They can also fly close to the ground and can be programmed to take evasive routes to avoid air defences.
There is also a longer-range JASSM missile that can fly over 800 km. It is not known which of these missiles Washington is considering for Kyiv, but providing shorter-range missiles would reduce the burden on its stockpile.
Providing Ukraine with JASSM will also increase pressure on Washington to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of US weapons. Otherwise, the effect of using these missiles by the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be limited.