Reports indicate that the United States is “open” to providing Ukraine with the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) to equip its new F-16 aircraft, offering a significant boost in long-range strike capability. These reports from Washington come about six months after Ukrainian officials stated that the country would receive an unspecified type of air-launched cruise missiles with a range of up to 360 km for its F-16 aircraft.
Citing an unnamed official in the Biden administration, as well as two others “familiar with the internal discussions,” Politico reported that the U.S. government is considering whether to provide Ukraine with JASSM missiles and is open to the idea. Additionally, the same sources confirm that the Pentagon is already working on how to integrate these missiles into Ukraine’s F-16s, which are upgraded older model fighters sourced from European NATO stockpiles.
The aircraft being supplied to Ukraine are of the F-16AM/BM standard, which has undergone a Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) program. However, none of them currently use the JASSM. The only F-16 operators currently using this missile are the U.S. Air Force and Poland, both of which operate more modern versions of the aircraft. It is possible that MLU-standard aircraft could accept the software needed to use the JASSM or may already have it, but this might require activation or some related hardware adjustments, which are likely to be limited.
Although a final decision has reportedly not yet been made, the same Biden administration official states that details of the transfer—including how to address the issue of the missile’s sensitive technologies—are currently being worked out. Despite the fact that the JASSM has been in service for about 20 years and has already been integrated into some F-16s, among other combat aircraft, it remains a highly advanced weapon and has, until now, been considered unlikely to be provided to Ukraine.
Providing this weapon to Ukraine involves significant technological risk, but it seems that officials are now seriously considering whether this risk is worth taking. Beyond the possibility that the JASSM or its debris could fall into Russian hands, there’s also the issue of the missile’s relatively long range.
In its original form, the AGM-158A JASSM has a range of about 360 km and weighs 1,020 kg. The extended-range variant, AGM-158B or JASSM-ER, has a publicly stated range of at least 980 km. An even longer-range version of the JASSM is in development, though it has not yet been adopted by the U.S. military.
Equipped with a small turbojet engine, the JASSM uses an Inertial Navigation System (INS) and GPS to locate its intended target, with an infrared camera and automatic target recognition providing high-precision guidance. The missile is designed to function effectively even under significant GPS disruption, which is particularly relevant in Ukraine, where Russia employs extensive GPS jamming to hinder Ukrainian guided weapons.
If the United States were to provide JASSM to Ukraine, a major question would arise about whether its use against targets within Russian borders would be permitted. This issue is further complicated by the ongoing Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, now in its second week.
Source: TWZ
