The long-range US rockets that Russia says it has identified on the battlefield in Ukraine could prove to be a strategic asset for kyiv in the coming months, experts say.
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Russia said on Tuesday that it had shot down a small-diameter, high-precision GLSDB rocket with a range of 150 kilometers.manufactured by the American company Boeing and the Swedish Saab.
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The Kiev government did not provide any information about the deployment of this type of rocket, which is a small-diameter, high-precision munition.
These manufactured shells can hit Russian positions, especially weapons depots, far from the front lines. “The accuracy of the GLSDBs is so high that they can hit the radius of a tire,” Saab says on his website.
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⚡️#BREAKING Russian air defense for the first time intercepted a GLSDB guided missile — Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
—War Monitor (@WarMonitors) March 28, 2023
Further away
The US multiple rocket launchers available to the Ukrainians so far only reach up to 80 kilometers behind the Russian lines.
“The Himars (rocket launchers) had already forced the Russians to reorganize their command and logistics, making them more inconspicuous near the front or forcing them to retreat beyond 80 km from the front,” he told AFP. Leo Peria-Peigneof the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).
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Now, with mobile GLSDBs mounted on trucks or “tracks”, “The Russians will have to find other solutions,” in particular doubling the distances “with an already limited fleet of vehicles.”
The Russian-controlled Black Sea coast is also becoming accessible to attack, making it difficult for Russian supplies by ship.
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The United States announced in February that it would deliver the new rockets to Ukraine, without specifying a time frame, and the kyiv government has not yet confirmed it.
On Monday, the British Ministry of Defense reported 14 attacks since February 21 around the city of Mariupol (under Russian control, southeast)more than 80 kilometers from the front.
“Russia is likely to be concerned that unexplained explosions are taking place in an area that was previously thought to be outside the range of Ukrainian strike capability,” the same source said.
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What will be the impact?
The military impact remains to be seen. Each new weapon delivered to the Ukrainians raises a host of questions about its effectiveness. Rockets are no exception, and this model was first tested in Sweden in 2015, according to Boeing’s website.
“This will be the first real and massive use of this weapon that will test its performance, especially in terms of precision,” says Léo Péria-Peigné.
This will be the first real and massive use of this weapon that will put its performance to the test, especially in terms of accuracy.
According to its manufacturers it has an attack precision of one meter. Russia’s announcement of the downing of a GLSDB rocket comes just after the confirmation of the delivery of British, American and German tanks to Ukraine, key according to the Kiev government for its objectives of military reconquest.
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“Fifty tanks, even if they are the best in the world, can hardly have a strategic effect, unlike 10,000 GLSDB, if these systems keep their promises,” said the French expert.
For his part, Ivan Klyszcz, a researcher at the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS), based in Estonia, points out that “the introduction of new systems can change the dynamics of the front.”
But for now, “the war effort is based on men and howitzers,” he says.
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The delivery of these new rockets also shows that while Westerners often hesitate before handing over new weapons, in many cases they end up taking the plunge.
According to Ivan Klyszcz, the slowness is explained by the difficulties of the allies in agreeing on a common strategy but also by the fear of attracting the ire of Russia, or even irritating Western public opinion weary of the war effort.
AFP
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