Washington Post: US precision targeting helps Ukraine’s rocket campaigns

Majority of strikes with advanced U.S.-provided rocket systems rely on target intelligence from the U.S. and other allies, the Washington Post reported on Feb. 9.

In the article, three senior Ukrainian officials and a senior U.S. official confirmed the disclosure about Ukrainian reliance on “coordinates provided or confirmed by the United States and its allies for the vast majority of strikes.” The reliance impacts the Ukrainian use of HIMARS and the M270 multiple-launch rocket system.

Ukrainian forces “almost never launch the advanced weapons without specific coordinates provided by U.S. military personnel,” according to a senior Ukrainian official. The senior American official said that this strategy “served to ensure accuracy and conserve limited stores of ammunition for maximum effectiveness.”

The news comes after a Feb. 3 announcement of the new security aid package from the U.S., which includes long-range Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) missiles for U.S.-provided HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and Javelin anti-tank weapons.

Why is Russia so vulnerable to HIMARS in Ukraine?

The Kyiv Independent