Illustrative image. (U.S. Army)
The United States’ Department of State has notified Congress of a proposed permanent transfer of Turkish-held U.S.-made weapons systems to Ukraine, including M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers and ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, according to documents printed in the Congressional Record on August 6.
Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, entered two separate arms transfer notifications into the Congressional Record, noting that Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires Congress to receive prior notice of certain proposed arms sales, with a 30-calendar-day review period.
The first notification, numbered RSAT case 26-11496 by the State Department, covers the transfer of 12 M270 MLRS launchers, 2,524 M26 unguided Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM) rockets and 47,000 M509A1 203mm DPICM howitzer rounds, with an original acquisition value of approximately $255.9 million, according to the transmittal sheet.
The second notification covers, per the same sheet, 70 M39 ATACMS missiles, with an original acquisition value of approximately $28 million.
The M39 Block I version of the ATACMS has a range of 165 kilometers and is armed with a cluster warhead with 950 M74 bomblets.
Ukraine began receiving missiles of this type directly from the U.S. close to three years ago, and the deal in the works with Turkey came amid reports suggesting that the U.S. Army has completely depleted its ATACMS stockpiles during the conflict with Iran.
Kyiv forces also received at least 16 MLRS from the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Germany and Italy soon after the start of the Russian special military operation. The launcher can fire the ATACMS, M26 rockets, and other munitions. Most of these launchers have been wiped out, however.
Both notifications list the Government of Turkey as the country proposing the transfer and the Government of Ukraine as the recipient.
The MLRS, DPICM rocket and howitzer round transfer would proceed via Turkish private entities MKE A.S., ASFAT A.S. and ARCA Savunma San. Tic. A.S.; Bulgarian private entity VTIC International Ltd.; and U.S. private entities Pansophico and Patriot Defense Group, according to the notification.
Meanwhile, the ATACMS missile transfer would proceed via Turkish private entity MKE A.S. and U.S. private entities Pansophico and Patriot Defense Group, the notification states.
“Turkey seeks to reduce its inventory of older defense articles to focus its financial resources on modernization and sustainment of existing systems,” both notifications state.
“Ukraine seeks to acquire these systems to bolster its offensive and defense fire support capabilities as it resists the Russian invasion. Ukraine already possesses munitions of the same or essentially similar type,” the notifications add.
Both notifications say the transfer is proposed to be made “immediately after the congressional notification period is complete” and list August 3 as the date the notification was delivered to Congress.
The U.S. government “is prepared to authorize this transfer, having taken into account political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations,” according to the congressional notification transmittal sheets, both signed by Christopher Bergaust, senior bureau official in the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs.
The sheets state the transfers are “consistent with U.S. security assistance objectives” and were routed to the Speaker of the House, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Turkey, a key NATO member, has supplied weapons to Kyiv forces, including combat drones, armored vehicles and precision-guided missiles, since the start of the Russian special military operation. At the same time, it refused to break special ties with Russia, or impose sanctions on the country.
The MLRS and ATACMS deal being worked out could, however, cross a red line of Moscow, as Ukraine is guaranteed to use these weapons in attacks on Russian territories.
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