HIMARS Havoc! After US MLRS, Now Bigger, Better, British M270 Rockets Could Join The War Against Russia
Russia fired its Kalibr cruise missiles on a Ukrainian city Vinnytsia far from the conflict-ridden Eastern frontier, killing several civilians. This could be seen as a retaliation for recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian ammunition depots using HIMARS. To further change the landscape of this war, British M270 MLRS could join the fighting soon.
Former separatist troops in eastern Ukraine claimed that Russia had suffered major casualties in personnel and equipment in less than a week due to coordinated Ukrainian strikes using long-range weapons like the American HIMARS.
The Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions where the Russian troops are present have all had large explosions in the last week. The targeting has been very successful, according to satellite imagery and observation by Western analysts.
Following the same strategy as the invading Russian troops, the Ukrainians are pounding strategic assets like ammunition and fuel depots that would dent the Russian operations.
Vadim Denysenko, a senior official at the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, stated they were able to destroy approximately two dozen warehouses with weapons and stocks of fuel.
A renowned war correspondent Alexander Sladkov of state-run channel Rossia 1, informed that Ukraine successfully struck Russian command centers on July 11. It has been widely reported that the Ukrainian strike on Russian-held Nova Kakhovka in Kherson killed at least seven people. However, Ukraine maintains that the figure was 52.
Further, the Russian air defense systems like the sophisticated S-400 have proved useless against massive strikes by HIMARS missiles, EurAsian Times reported. The sought-after air defense system has not been able to intercept the HIMAR missiles.
After weeks and months of pleading for long-range missiles from NATO countries, Ukraine finally received them in the recent aid package. The HIMARS multiple launch rocket system from the US is the best in its class, but the Ukrainians have also gotten M777 howitzers from the US and Canada and Caesar long-range howitzers from France.
These long-range weapons allow the Ukrainian troops to hit targets deep into the Russian positions, causing casualties and crippling their combat capability by destroying ammunition.
In addition, to a more robust system than HIMARS, the UK has pledged to provide M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), which could be a turning point in the war in Ukraine’s favor.
British MLRS On Their Way?
On June 6, the British Defense Ministry announced that it would provide Ukraine with long-range M270 MLRS systems to defend itself against Russian aggression. The modern M270 armament system will give the Ukrainian troops a significant boost in capability because it can hit targets up to 80 kilometers away with pinpoint accuracy.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace decided in response to Ukrainian forces’ requests for more long-range, precise weapons to defend themselves against Russian heavy artillery, which has been employed to devastating effect in the eastern Donbas region for the last couple of years months.
In addition to the weapon system, the UK will also provide M31A1 munitions in large quantities. The UK and the US’s decision to give the MLRS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System were closely coordinated. However, even though Ukraine is already using the HIMARS, there’s no clarity on when the more powerful British systems would be sent.
Game-Changing British MLRS
The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a versatile weapon. Due to its mobility, it is harder to target and can be crewed by only eight soldiers.
The rockets sent to Ukraine range between 70 and 80 kilometers (about 50 miles). Additionally, they are accurate owing to their GPS guidance systems leading to fewer civilian casualties.
