By suddenly stopping intelligence sharing, the US side has made it impossible for Ukraine to effectively operate the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) on the fronts.
According to The Washington Post, some of the Ukrainian army's HIMARS artillery batteries no longer receive specific coordinates to attack Russian targets at a distance of more than 64 km.
Ukraine currently has about 40 HIMARS systems, manufactured by the US and funded by allies. Each system consists of six 300 kg precision-guided missile launchers with a maximum range of 92 km.
How will the US suspension of military aid affect Ukraine?
“The US cut off vital intelligence at 2 p.m. Kyiv (March 5),” according to The Economist , which previously provided target coordinates for HIMARS. Ukraine also did not receive real-time information for long-range attacks using the system.
HIMARS, like other artillery systems, requires map coordinates to accurately carry out an attack. Calculated manually or with the help of GPS, the coordinates can come from any number of intelligence sources, from satellites, drones, radio intercepts, or even people using binoculars.
HIMARS battery of the Ukrainian Army
photo: ukraine army
That is why, at the time the US stopped sharing information, a Ukrainian HIMARS battery was still able to attack a concentration of Russian units around Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian stronghold in the east. The nearest Russian regiment was only a few kilometers away from Pokrovsk, which did not pose much of a problem in determining coordinates.
However, Ukraine needs map coordinates if it attacks targets at a distance of 64 km or more, information provided by US military satellites.
France announced today, March 6, that Paris will provide intelligence to Ukraine after Washington unilaterally stopped sharing, according to AFP, citing French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. It is unclear whether Ukraine has been able to operate HIMARS more effectively.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-ngung-chia-se-tinh-bao-himars-cua-ukraine-khong-the-ban-qua-64-km-185250306162728588.htm
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