The US is preparing to send advanced, long-range rocket systems to Ukraine in a notable step up in the kind of weapons it is providing, CNN is reporting.
The news follows pleas from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for such systems, which can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles.
The Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) would dramatically increase the range of Ukraine’s armed forces.
However there are concerns in some quarters that they could be used to strike targets inside Russia and risk escalation.
The Biden administration is believed to be leaning toward sending the weapons as part of a package that could be announced as soon as next week, CNN reports.
The M270 MLRS launcher used by the US can fire up to 12 rockets in less than 60 seconds.
Accuracy is maintained in all firing modes, because the computer re-aims the launcher between rounds, the military says.
Depending on the munitions being used, MLRS can hit targets up to 186 miles away.
Read more via CNN
PHOTO – A M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System during Operation Centaur Forge at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area at Grafenwoehr, Germany. (U.S. Army photo by Markus Rauchenberger)
