US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said Wednesday that while four HIMARs destined for Ukraine are being prepared, the training program is focused on creating one platoon at a time to operate it, a process that could slow down their delivery.
In an interview with reporters, Milley added that he would practice a far-reaching and very complex system, noting that “we have to certify the training of these people to make sure they know how to use the system properly.”
Milley confirmed that the Pentagon is coordinating closely with the Ukrainian army to prepare teams for the operation of HIMARS, a mobile rocket launcher with a range of 80 kilometers and capable of firing 227 mm guided munitions with high accuracy.
He continued, “Just putting these weapons systems into battle will not work, they must train them in order to get the most out of them.”
Ukraine has been pressing for months to obtain weapons, and the administration of President Joe Biden decided to supply Ukrainian forces with them on May 31.
But the Pentagon said at the time that it would take about three weeks to prepare teams capable of operating them, in addition to another two weeks for maintenance.
Ukraine hopes that HIMARS will be granted, which would give it an advantage on the battlefield against Russian forces.
Currently fighting on the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine relies heavily on conventional artillery, which does not have the ability to accurately direct fire.
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