ATACMS Missile Use: Ukraine Fired Missiles into Russia

Note- this is a developing situation. Information is accurate as of the date of publication.

On November 17, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use American-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems to attack targets inside Russia.

This is a break from previous policy. The long-range missiles have previously been used in regions considered Russian territory (mainly Crimea), but not within Russia itself.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

We'll cover what these missiles do and what it might mean for the future.

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01
What is the Army Tactical Missile System?
02
Has Ukraine Fired ATACM Missiles into Russia?
03
Why Did the Biden Administration Authorize them Now?
04
Ballistic Missile Upgrades
05
What this Means for the War in Ukraine
06
Conclusion: ATACMS Could Present a Shift in the War
07
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Army Tactical Missile System?

The ATACMS (sometimes pronounced "attack-ems") is a long-range, precision-guided missile system developed by the United States Army primarily for battlefield applications

The systems are manufactured by American corporation Lockheed Martin in Camden, Arkansas.

There are four main components to know:

The warhead: the missile that holds the bombs
The bomb clusters: each missile holds hundreds of small bombs
The launch system: The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) holds six warheads
The navigation system: each missile is equipped with GPS navigation for precision targeting

Source: The War Zone

They are fired with rocket propellant and follow a high-altitude ballistic trajectory, making them hard to intercept by antiballistic defenses.

These missiles have a range of 190 miles. This puts Ukraine in striking distance of military targets inside of Russia, in a war that's already been dominated by unmanned weaponry, like drones.

Cold War Origins

ATACMS were first developed during the Cold War to counteract Soviet artillery. They were first used in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, where they were useful for precision strikes against high-value targets.

The U.S. also deployed hundreds of ATACMS during Operation Iraqi Freedom. America is said to have a stockpile of a few thousand on hand, dating back from the 1980s. Some questions of the Cold War-era models are functional enough to be used in a modern war.

US-Made Weapons and How They're Authorized

The United States has a long history of selling weapons to its allies. This enables the U.S. to exert influence on wars and domestic conflicts without directly declaring war, which would require overwhelming public opinion from American voters to support.

WATCH NOW: What an ATACM Missile Launch looks like

Back before the United States entered World War II, it followed a "cash-and-carry" policy, which allowed it to sell weapons to England and other allies fighting Japan and Germany, without officially entering the war.

Today, weapons sales go through a complex process where multiple governmental departments have to approve the sale and ensure it aligns with American interests.

Some of these processes include:

Following the laws established for selling weapons to foreign governments: the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), the Foreign Assistance Act, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
Submitting reports for Congressional oversight
Review by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, a division of the U.S. Department of State
End-Use Monitoring - the U.S. retains the right to follow up with the purchasing military and make sure the weapons are not being resold or used for other reasons

These controls and regulations are intended to make sure that U.S,-made weapons are used responsibility. It also helps to balance the risks and reduce the chances of human rights abuses being perpetrated with American-made material.

How NATO Fits In

An ongoing bone of contention since Russia's invasion has been Ukraine's status in relations to the United States. Ukraine's government has repeatedly expressed a desire to join NATO - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Founded in 1949 to resist Soviet influence, NATO is an alliance of 32 countries, notably including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and Poland. NATO is largely credited with preventing WWIII in Europe.

Source: BBC News

One of the most important principles of NATO is the principle of collective defense. This means that an attack on a member country is considered an attack of all of the members. Therefore, if a country attacks Germany, for example, Great Britain and the United States are considered justified in retaliating against the attacker.

Ukraine is not currently a member of NATO. It is an ally of the U.S., under the U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership. The U.S. first established a diplomatic relationship with Ukraine in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union. The U.S. has assisted the Ukraine in rebuilding a market economy and establishing democratic relations after the end of communism there.

Putin has repeatedly emphasized that he would resist Ukraine joining NATO. Even before the February 2022 invasion, he threatened Russian retribution if Ukraine tried to join.

Has Ukraine Fired ATACM Missiles into Russia?

Ukraine has fired ATACMs into Russia. The missiles targeted an ammunition supply location in Russia's Bryansk region. Previously, Ukraine also infiltrated the Kursk region by surprise. They successfully damaged an ammunition depot and disrupted some Russian supply lines. The detailed scope of the damage is not completely known yet.

Russia destroyed a number of the missiles in the air and retaliated with its own strikes into Ukrainian territory. Russian officials also warned Americans against supplying additional weapons.

Results of an ATACM Missile Strike

ATACM missiles are a weapon system that uses a hybrid targeting approach. The missile follows a pre-programmed path during initial acceleration before transitioning to a controlled flight mode after reaching the top of its arc.

The control of the missile is managed by aerodynamic rudders that receive continuous signals from an onboard control system, which determines the intended point of impact and adjusts the missile's alignment accordingly to ensure precision targeting.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

ATACMs can wreak substantial damage on a target:

The ATACMS deployed in Ukraine carry cluster munitions
These are very effective against airfields, ground troops, and supply depots
They can completely destroy primary targets
They tend to cause local collateral damage

As of now, ATACMs are used on military targets only, to lessen the chances of excessive civilian casualties.

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Why Did the Biden Administration Authorize them Now?

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 22, 2022, the United States has provided military support to Ukraine. The U.S. has been cautious, though, offering far fewer weapons than Ukrainian President Zalenskyy has requested.

So why the sudden change in late 2024? We'll cover some key drivers behind the increased support for Ukraine.

North Korean Troops Inside Ukraine

In November 2024, North Korea increased its support to Russia in several ways:

Supplying self-propelled howitzers
Deploying around 11,000 troops to join Russian ground forces
Supplying technicians to study Western weapons
Providing short-range ballistic weapons.

Source: AP

The intervention of North Korea escalates the conflict. It also shows a closer tie between Putin and Kim Jong Un, widely considered one of the most unpredictable world leaders.

READ NOW: 2024 Update: North Korea Missile Program Developments

Joe Biden Lame Duck Session in US

The few months between a United States Presidential Election and Inauguration is sometimes called a "lame duck session." This is because the current president (Joe Biden, in this case) is still president, but everyone is looking to the president-elect (Donald Trump) for future policy.

Biden and Trump have taken widely different approaches to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden has consistently expressed support for Ukrainian defense, even while the administration has been cautious in its material support. On the other hand, Trump has repeatedly indicated that he intends to cut off support to Ukraine and negotiate an end to the war that involves Russia keeping territory it's already taken.

It's fair to assume that Biden is attempting to send as much aid to Ukraine as possible before he leaves office. This would strengthen the Kyiv position before U.S. policy changes, as it likely will when Republicans take power in January 2025.

Increased Aggression from Moscow

Fall 2024 saw an increased push from Russia. Its troops pushed into the Kharkiv region, which gets them closer to strategic locations in Ukraine .

Russia's overall strategy has shifted over the last two years. Initially, Putin intended to take Kyiv quickly, before international opinion could shift against him.

When that didn't happen, Russia committed to a long war of attrition, expending enormous amounts of Russian men and material to take Ukraine. At this point, Russia shows no signs of tiring.

Most significantly, Putin has renewed his signals to the United States that he would consider using nuclear weapons if Ukraine continues to strike inside of territorial Russia. In late November, Putin signed a new nuclear doctrine lowering the legal threshold that allows Russia to launch nuclear weapons. This signals that he wants to keep the war on Ukrainian territory.

READ NOW: How Do Nukes in Ukraine Impact the United States?

Ballistic Missile Upgrades

Though first developed in the 1980s, ATACMS have received a number of upgrades over the years that enable them to maintain their status as a modern weapon.

MGM-164B Block IIA

There are multiple variations of the ATACMS missiles. Think of them a bit like different models of a Ford Truck - the essentials are similar, but there are extra upgrades.

The advanced Block IIA version has been particularly noted for its extended range. This is the model that can reach targets up to 190 miles away.

This enhanced range is achieved by reducing the weight of its combat unit, which allows it to carry fewer but more effective warheads, such as the upgraded P3I Brilliant Anti-Tank (BAT) munitions.

Precision Strike Missile

Newer models of ATACMs hold a fewer number of missiles, but they are more technologically advanced. Precision Guided Missiles (PGMs) enable more specific targeting. This increases its operational flexibility in rapidly changing combat scenarios, where targets and deployment methods and targets may need to be shifted quickly.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

What this Means for the War in Ukraine

ATACMS are not the first long-range missiles that Ukraine has access to. The small country already holds Neptune missiles, and the British-French made Storm Shadow Missiles.

This is a new tool in their arsenal. We'll look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of the ATACMS.

Advantages of US ATACMS Missiles

Long-range capability: ATACMs have a range of around 190 miles (300 miles). This is far beyond the range of most conventional artillery and rocket systems.

Precision targeting: US-made ATACMS missiles have a sophisticated GPS system on board the missiles that enables them to hit specific military targets. As of November, Ukraine has launched an ATACMs attack into Russia for the first time.

Reduces the need for air support: Launching ballistic missiles from behind the front line helps reduce the need for aircraft sorties into enemy territory, which are costly in terms of human life and aircraft.

Disadvantages of US ATACMS Missiles

The PrSM Arrives: The U.S. Military has been developing the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) as a replacement for and upgrade to the ATACMS missiles. The first prototype tests were in 2019, and the U.S. military plans to eventually update its arsenal with PrSM.

Limited Stock: Though the United States does have a certain supply of the longer-range missiles on hand, it's not large. These weapons take time to manufacture and ship to the front lines.

Enemy Defenses Systems: ATACMS were specifically developed to avoid detection by anti-ballistic missile detection systems. The use of ATACMS could be hampered by future developments in high-tech sensory equipment.

WATCH NOW: How does ATACMS Work?

Conclusion: ATACMS Could Present a Shift in the War

While the ATACM missiles mean Ukraine could attack the Russian ability to wage war, it's probable that the advantage will be short lived. It's unclear exactly how many ATACMs the Ukrainians were given, but it's likely fewer than 50.

Once that supply is exhausted, Ukraine will need to return to its previous arsenal. It's possible that the U.S. may allow Ukraine to purchase additional units. It's also possible that a new administration may cut off all aid.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is volatile and quickly changing. Smart observers are watching the situation carefully, and preparing for anything.