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Military operation in Ukraine

Ukrainian military brass reports delivery of four US HIMARS rocket systems

The M142 HIMARS is a highly mobile multiple launch rocket system developed by the US-based defense technology corporation, Lockheed Martin

KIEV, August 1. /TASS/. Four HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) have been delivered to Ukraine from the United States, Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov announced on Monday.

"Four HIMARS launchers have arrived in Ukraine. I am very grateful to US President Joe Biden," the Ukrainian defense minister wrote on his Telegram channel.

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby announced on July 22 that Biden had instructed to provide an additional military aid package to Ukraine that would include, in particular, four HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, up to 580 Phoenix Ghost unmanned aerial vehicles and ammunition.

As Kirby said, "it [the military aid package] includes additional ammunition for those HIMARS as well as 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition to go along with the howitzers" supplied to the Kiev regime earlier and "other anti-armor systems."

As Kirby pointed out, the additional $270 million military aid package to Kiev would bring the US assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $8.2 billion.

The M142 HIMARS is a highly mobile multiple launch rocket system developed by the US-based defense technology corporation, Lockheed Martin. The launcher with six tubes of 227mm rockets or one ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) ballistic missile is mounted on a five-tonne six-wheel chassis of FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle) transporters.

The launcher fires over 20 types of munitions with a strike range of 30 km to 80 km (for rockets) and 300 km and more (for a tactical missile). The system has been accepted for service in some countries, including the United States, Singapore, the UAE, Canada, Poland, Romania and Jordan.

Washington earlier claimed that HIMARS rockets delivered to Ukraine would have a range of no more than 80 km.

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