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Stealthy JASSM weapons have range to hit targets inside

Russia

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Decision expected in autumn, U.S. officials say

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Pentagon trying to integrate JASSMs on Soviet-era

Ukrainian jets

By Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle and Gerry Doyle

WASHINGTON, Sept 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. is close to an

agreement to give Ukraine long-range cruise missiles that could

reach deep into Russia, but Kyiv would need to wait several

months as the U.S. works through technical issues ahead of any

shipment, U.S. officials said.

The inclusion of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles

(JASSM) in a weapons package is expected to be announced this

autumn, three sources said, though a final decision has not been

made. The sources declined to be named because they are not

authorized to discuss the topic.

Sending JASSMs to Ukraine could significantly alter the

strategic landscape of the conflict by putting more of Russia in

range of powerful, precision-guided munitions, an important

concern of the Biden administration, the officials said.

Military analysts have suggested the introduction of JASSMs

- which are stealthy and can strike further than most other

missiles in Ukraine's current inventory - could push Russian

staging areas and supply depots back by hundreds of miles.

This would severely complicate Russia's ability to sustain

its offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a

strategic advantage.

Launching them from points near Ukraine's northern border

with Russia could allow them to hit military installations as

far away as the Russian cities of Voronezh and Bryansk. In the

south, dropping them near the front lines could enable strikes

on airfields or naval facilities in Crimea.

The JASSM has so far only been integrated into U.S.-designed

aircraft. Ukraine will ultimately operate several dozen F-16s,

each of which can carry two of the cruise missiles.

One of the U.S. officials said there were efforts to make

the missile operable with non-Western fighter jets in Ukraine's

inventory, which has not been reported previously. Although the

official did not provide further detail on which jets in

Ukraine's inventory JASSM could be used with, they operate

Soviet-era MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-27 jets.

Politico reported last month the Biden administration was

"open" to giving Ukraine JASSMs.

Ukraine's need for more arms, and more powerful weaponry, is

growing as it continues to face intense pressure from Russian

forces along its eastern front.

Older-model JASSMs, which are made by Lockheed Martin Corp ( LMT )

, have a range of about 230 miles (370 km). The missiles,

about 14 feet (4 m) long, are designed to be somewhat stealthy,

making them difficult to spot on radar. They can also fly close

to the ground and can be programmed to take circuitous routes

that avoid air defenses.

There is also a longer-range JASSM missile that can fly more

than 500 miles. Reuters could not immediately establish which of

the two types Washington was considering, but providing the

shorter-range missiles would put less strain on its stockpiles.

Giving Ukraine JASSMs would also add pressure for Washington

to drop restrictions on how Ukraine uses U.S. weaponry because

their effects would be limited if they were not cleared for use

on targets inside Russia, said a congressional staffer who works

on the issue.

The U.S. has been reluctant to supply weapons that could

strike targets deep inside in Russia for fear it would escalate

the conflict. Kyiv's allies have been supplying weapons but with

restrictions on how and when they can be used inside Russia, out

of concern such strikes could prompt retaliation that draws NATO

countries into the war or provokes a nuclear conflict.

Each JASSM has a large, 1,000-pound warhead, but unlike the

Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles already provided to Kyiv by

Britain and France, it is not explicitly designed to penetrate

hardened bunkers. The newest versions cost about $1 million

each.

Global Positioning System (GPS) signals and an inertial

navigation system provide guidance. When it nears its target, an

infrared imaging seeker can help steer it to an impact point

with an accuracy of about 10 feet (3 m).

Although older models might be less resistant to electronic

warfare than the current iteration of JASSM, the infrared seeker

would help it find its target even amid heavy jamming, said

George William Herbert of the Middlebury Institute of

International Studies at Monterey in California.

"They're pretty stealthy, but not completely designed around

maximum stealth," Herbert said. "A few years ago, a bunch were

fired at Syria after chemical weapons incidents, and Russian air

defense systems in the country failed to shoot many down,

possibly none of them.

"I would expect that carefully planned missile flight paths

would let JASSM be effective almost anywhere in the war area."