US pledges more rocket systems, long-range weapons to Ukraine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Jul 2022 22:15
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In a joint news conference on Ukraine, the US is focused on providing the country with more weapons and any necessary training required.

United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chief of Staff Mark Milley

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley held a news conference at the Pentagon following a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the fourth such meeting of defense leaders from around the globe since the war in Ukraine started.

The group is coordinating aid for Ukraine’s defense after the war in the country.

During the conference, the US officials discussed several issues, such as training Ukrainian pilots and the US provision of and training to use the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

The US military is considering the option of training Ukrainian pilots, but no decision has so far been made, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley's stated in a press briefing on Wednesday.

The United States has already sent 12 HIMARS to Ukraine out of 20 promised by the US and its allies, Milley added, after his Ukrainian counterpart had asked Washington the day before for more M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

Regarding the ability and knowledge of Ukrainian soldiers to use these weapons, Milley mentioned that about 200 members are being trained on how to operate the HIMARS.

"Two hundred Ukrainians are trained on HIMARS and continuing," he said.

In the same context, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin responded to a question on whether the US military is looking to provide Ukraine with longer-range munitions for the HIMARS. Austin said the range of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rounds is adequately serving Ukraine’s battleground needs.

"The range of HIMARS, our GMLRS round, is 80 kilometers, and so that’s pretty good reach. It has allowed and will continue to allow [Ukraine] to get after those longer-range targets that they’ve been unable to reach," Austin said.

To date, the US has trained hundreds of Ukrainians on how to operate weapons such as HIMARS, M777 howitzers, Phoenix Ghost drones, and other weapons supplied to the country during its war with Russia.