The House Armed Services Committees’ draft version of the next defense policy bill would direct the Pentagon to provide ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, which the Biden administration has yet to include in security assistance packages.
The provision in the HASC chairman’s mark of the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which is set to be considered next Wednesday, calls for the weapons to be provided to Kyiv using at least $80 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
“The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees, not later than December 31, 2023, on the progress of using USAI for the procurement of and availability of ATACMS to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” lawmakers wrote in the HASC chairman’s mark.
A group of lawmakers, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), recently introduced a bipartisan resolution urging the Biden administration to provide the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built ATACMS missiles to Ukraine (Defense Daily, June 9).
“By not giving Ukraine the weapons it needs to win this war, the administration is prolonging the conflict and costing countless Ukrainian lives,” McCaul said in a statement. “The success of Ukraine’s counteroffensive is directly tied to the military assistance provided by the U.S. and our allies. As such, it is extremely disappointing the administration is sitting on billions in remaining military funding with which it could immediately transfer ATACMS to Ukraine and, in turn, help their Armed Forces make a major difference on the battlefield.”
While the U.S. has been delivering GMLRS rockets for the HIMARS launchers it has provided to Ukraine, both also built by Lockheed Martin, it has yet to commit to sending longer-range ATACMS missiles.
ATACMS can reach out to 300 kilometers, more than three times the ability of GMLRS’ max range.
During a visit to the Pentagon in April, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reiterated Kyiv’s continued request for longer-range missile systems (Defense Daily, April 12).
Using USAI funds would require the Pentagon to procure the ATACMS from Lockheed Martin rather than pulling missiles from existing inventories.