The United States is currently not supplying its allies with long-range ATACMS missiles due to needs related to the war against Iran. Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said this, ERR reports, writes UNN.
Details
Estonia ordered ammunition for HIMARS systems from Lockheed Martin with ranges of 70 and 300 km. Some of the missiles are already being assembled in the United States before being sent to Estonia; however, the 300-kilometer ATACMS will not be included in this shipment for now.
As for ATACMS ammunition, because of the war with Iran, the American administration has still not authorized its delivery to allies. Therefore, it is currently impossible to obtain them
These are the missiles that the United States supplied to Ukraine
ATACMS are American ground-launched ballistic missiles that are launched, among other systems, from HIMARS. The United States previously supplied such missiles to Ukraine for use against Russian military targets.
Estonia signed a contract to purchase HIMARS back in late 2022, and received its own launchers last spring. According to Pevkur, the shorter-range ammunition may arrive in the country as early as September.
Thus, Washington’s current restriction concerns not only the specific Estonian order, but also the availability of long-range ATACMS for American allies in general.