The transfer of long-range precision missiles to Ukraine, which was expected in March, has been postponed until 2024, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
We are talking about GLSDB munitions, a joint development of Boeing and Saab. These are lightweight, inexpensive, and highly accurate rocket-propelled bombs fired from HIMARS-type systems that can hit targets at a range of up to 160 kilometers, which is much further than the GMLRS missiles currently used by the Ukrainian army.
The transfer of these munitions was seen as a compromise due to the reluctance of the Joe Biden administration to supply Ukraine with more powerful and long-range ATACMS missiles with a range of over 300 km.
According to Reuters, citing sources with knowledge of the matter, although Russia claimed in March to have shot down a GLSDB, the United States has not yet supplied Ukraine with any such "smart bomb."
Exactly a year ago, on November 29, 2022, it was reported that the United States was considering the transfer of such munitions to Ukraine, and the first large batch could be delivered as early as March of this year. Ukraine hoped that these missiles would be able to provide significant support to the spring counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops, which was expected at the time.
In February, however, it became known that the GLSDB deliveries were postponed to the second half of this year.
Now, Reuters sources familiar with the current delivery timeline say that Boeing, the main GLSDB contractor, will hand them over to the US in late December, after which the army will test them for several months before sending them to Ukraine.
A Pentagon official told Reuters that the defense department intends to provide the munitions to Ukraine in the first half of 2024 after successful testing.