Ukraine is on the way of receiving its first Western fighter aircraft: Denmark and the Netherlands committed to give their jets once Ukrainian pilots finish the abroad courses ready to take the game-changing equipment into the air. The foremost question is, how quickly it will happen.
Although no less important is also what kind of weapons F-16 will carry because the variety of armament provided to Ukraine by partners will determine the opportunities this multirole fighter will open before the Ukrainian Air Force.
Read more: What Kind of F-16 Ukraine Gets From the Netherlands and Denmark: Condition and Modernization
According to Forbes, the "missile that might make the most difference" is the AGM-158 JASSM air-to-ground cruise missile, and this weapon "still is on Kyiv’s wish list." Unless the United States approve the transfer of JASSMs, "Ukrainian F-16s will fly short of their full potential," the journalists wrote.
While considering alternatives to missiles launched from the ground, Defense Express already outlines some advantages and downsides of JASSM compared to ATACMS rockets for HIMARS. Here we provide some more general data.
Briefly about the missile's key specifications:
- range – 230 mi / 370 km for JASSM or 575 mi / 926 km for JASSM-ER (Extended Range) versions;
- warhead – WDU-42/B (J-1000) penetrating, blast-fragmentation; 1,000 lb / 450 kg
There were about 2,000 missiles of this type all around the world in 2016, according to open-source data: approx. 1,260 basic JASSMs and 740 Extended Range ones. The cruise missile is still in production so the rate of stock replenishment largely depends on how quickly the manufacturer will be able to keep up with the demand.
Speaking of the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin has certain progress in ramping up the production of JASSM, with a new missile production facility put into operation in June 2022, following a request from the US Air Force, based on reporting by FlightGlobal and Lockheed Martin press center. The new factory will enable to make JASSMs "more quickly and affordably," up to 10,000 units a year.
In the context of JASSM worth noting that the US is also planning to launch production of a modernized AGM-158 JASSM-XR variant which has a range of 1,900 km and a 910-kg warhead. The new type of missile has already caught the interest of Poland.
Read more: Ukraine Hopes to Get Long-range Missiles, SAM Systems from France While the Country Triple Production and Delivery Pace
