Biden administration "open" to sending Ukraine long-range missiles for F-16s – Politico

The administration of US President Joe Biden is "open" to providing Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, which would give Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets more combat power.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Politico

Details: Politico notes that the information about the White House's readiness to provide Ukraine with air-to-surface missiles came against the backdrop of the Armed Forces' ground operation in Kursk Oblast of the Russian Federation, which has been going on for two weeks.

The final decision to send the missile has not yet been made, but one Biden administration official said they are currently working out the finer details.

These issues include verifying the transfer of sensitive technology and ensuring that Ukrainian aircraft can launch such a missile.

The article states that the missile in question is the JASSM, a precision-guided cruise missile designed to strike important, highly protected fixed and moving targets from ranges beyond the range of enemy air defences.

Thanks to these missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force will be able to attack Russian targets at a distance of over 320 kilometres.

While negotiations continue at the White House and the Pentagon, an administration official warned that there is still much work to be done before any missiles reach Ukraine. In particular, it is necessary to make sure that Kyiv's existing Soviet-era aircraft and recently delivered F-16s can launch such a missile.

Two sources said that the Pentagon is already working with Ukraine on these technical issues.

The US has rarely shared JASSM missiles with more than a handful of close allies.

Background:

• F-16 fighters are provided to Ukraine by Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway.
• On 4 August, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the first F-16s were already in Ukraine and showed them off at a secret airport. 
• Prior to that, Western media reported, citing sources, that six fighters arrived from the Netherlands, with several more on their way from Denmark.

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