US President Donald Trump discussed providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles with his staff in the White House on July 11, just days ahead of the announced $10 billion European-financed arms package that is said to include as many as 17 Patriot air defense missiles, artillery, and other missile systems. The weapons would be sold to NATO countries, which would then transfer them to Ukraine.
Although Tomahawks weren’t included, sources cited by David Ignatius of the Washington Post said Trump saw them as a way to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he does not come to the negotiating table.
The outlet’s sources say Trump’s hardening attitude towards Russia has been sparked by the “disrespect” Putin has shown to both him and the US by not only ignoring calls for a ceasefire but by stepping up aerial attacks on Ukraine’s cities while “talking peace.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky apparently first requested the supply of Tomahawks last year, according to a leaked report in the New York Times, which was rebuffed.
During a discussion with Zelensky last week, Ignatius’ source said that Trump asked him why he had not attacked Moscow, to which the Ukrainian president replied: “We can – if you give us the weapons.”
In response Trump is said to have told him: “Ukraine needs to put more pressure on Putin – not just Moscow, but St. Petersburg, too.” The White House has concluded that Putin would only negotiate “under the threat of greater force,” and sees a need to “escalate to de-escalate.”
It was apparently this exchange combined with the perceived effectiveness of the weapon against air defense assets in support of the June 22 B-2 strategic bombers attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure that led to consideration finally being given to Kyiv’s request for Tomahawks.
Although Tomahawks have not found their way to Kyiv yet, reports suggest that the latest miliary aid will include longer-range weapons such as the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and, according to the Military Watch magazine, the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) air launched cruise missiles. It is also reported that Washington has at the same time, reduced its restrictions on the use of the weapons allowing Ukraine’ armed forces to engage Russian military targets anywhere.
ATACMS missiles have a range of 300 kilometers (190 miles). The JASSM, which is currently used by a number of NATO nations’ aircraft including Polish F-16s, has a range of 370 kilometers (230 miles) or 900 kilometers (560 miles) in the extended range variant, while Tomahawk, depending on the variant used, offers ranges of 1,500 to 2,500 kilometers (930 to 1,600 miles).
The Tomahawk ground-launched Mid-Range Capability (MRC) variant is powered by a turbofan jet engine and flies around 800 kph (500 mph) at low altitudes following the ground contour at heights of around 30 to 60 meters (100-200 feet), making radar detection difficult. It is guided by a combined of GPS, inertial navigation, and terrain contour matching (TERCOM) system, which allows for precise targeting either on a pre-programmed course or by using satellite communications to switch targets mid-flight, loiter, and change course on command.