US more likely to ship Ukraine the AGM-154 glide weapon for its F-16s as a part of a brand new $375M assist package deal: report

• The US is more likely to ship Ukraine AGM-154 glide munitions, Politico reported.

• The AGM-154 could be a lift to Ukraine’s strike capabilites.

• It will come as a part of a $375 million army assist package deal.

The US will seemingly ship Ukraine an unspecified variety of AGM-154 glide munitions as a part of a brand new $375 million assist package deal, Politico reported, citing two US officers and an individual conversant in the matter.

Whereas the contents of the package deal are nonetheless topic to vary, the individuals mentioned, it is going to seemingly additionally embody air protection missiles, rockets, and artillery weaponry.

The package deal is predicted to be introduced on Monday, per Politico.

The AGM-154, also called the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), is a “precision strike weapon” manufactured by the Raytheon Firm.

It’s a 1,000-pound class air-to-surface missile that may hit targets as much as round 70 miles away, offering Ukraine with a major enhance to its strike arsenal.

Whereas the JSOW doesn’t have the long-range strike functionality of air-launched missiles just like the UK’s Storm Shadow or the US’s coveted AGM-158 Joint Air-to-surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM), it is going to nonetheless allow Ukraine to focus on Russian forces and air defenses from safer distances. The Storm Shadow has a variety of about 250 km (155 miles), whereas the JASSM can hit targets round 230 miles away.

The JSOW is operated by each the US Air Drive and Navy and is available in quite a lot of variants.

The usual model, referred to as the AGM-154A, is usually used in opposition to “mounted and relocatable tender targets equivalent to parked and revetted plane, vehicles, armored personnel carriers and surface-to-air missile websites,” in keeping with the Navy.

Information of the approaching assist package deal comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned he was “actively making ready for negotiations within the US,” which he mentioned would come with a gathering with President Joe Biden and sure with election candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

“Ukraine will at all times be grateful to america for supporting our independence—for all the help offered to assist us face up to this battle,” Zelenskyy added on X.

Enterprise Insider contacted the US Division of Protection for remark.

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