Summary and Top 3 Points You Need to Know: The Biden administration is considering sending Ukraine the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) to enhance the capabilities of its F-16 Fighting Falcons.

-These advanced air-launched cruise missiles could provide Ukraine with a significant long-range strike capability, though challenges remain regarding the integration of JASSMs with the F-16s being supplied.

-The move represents a potential shift in U.S. policy, as JASSMs would be one of the most modern weapons platforms provided to Kyiv.

JASSM: Ukraine Could Get Stealth Cruise Missiles

The Biden administration may agree to send Kyiv the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), which could greatly increase the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force's small yet still significant number of F-16 Fighting Falcons. Politico first reported that while "no final decision has been made on sending the missile," administration officials are considering how it could be handled.

Several issues would still need to be resolved, including "the transfer of sensitive technologies," and perhaps more importantly whether the F-16s that were donated by NATO members Belgium and the Netherlands "can launch the 2,400-pound missile that carries a 1,000 pound warhead."

The Pentagon has so far been silent on the issue, but Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen told Politico, "We consider a range of options to meet Ukraine's security assistance requirements."

Latest Change of Course

The JASSM is just the latest weapon platform or ordnance that was once considered completely off the table for Kyiv, as the White House sought to avoid escalation. However, Kyiv's ability to fend off the Russians for more than two-and-a-half years has been to the willingness from the West to expand the types of weapons it would provide.

That has included Western-made main battle tanks including the German Leopard 2, British Challenger 2, and American M1 Abrams. Other weapons have included the HIMARS rocket launchers and the Patriot air-defense systems. Such weapons "have transformed what was a Soviet-era military into one of Europe?s battlefield powerhouses," Politico added.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden approved the NATO allies to transfer their retired F-16s to Ukraine, but the jets alone might not be enough to significantly turn the tide in Kyiv's favor. Russian fighters and more importantly its advanced air defenses could make it difficult for the Fighting Falcons to strike enemy positions.

That is where the JASSM could be a game changer.

"The air-launched missiles would give the Ukrainian air force a capability only a handful of other nations have: launching a cruise missile over 200 miles from a U.S.-made fourth-generation fighter plane," Politico explained.

The issue is still whether the F-16s in service with Ukraine can operate with the ordnance.

"The jets being supplied to Ukraine are to the F-16AM/BM standard, which has undergone the Mid-Life Update (MLU) program, although none of these currently employ JASSM. The only F-16 operators that today use the missile are the U.S. Air Force and Poland, operating more modern versions of the aircraft," TheWarZone also reported.

While the Fighting Falcons that have been sent to Ukraine can likely accept software required to operate the JASSM, it may require some "reactivation" or other "tweaks."

The AGM-158 JASSM

Developed by Lockheed Martin, the standoff air-launched cruise missile only entered service with the United States Air Force in 2009, and if supplied to Ukraine would be among the most "modern" platforms to be provided to Kyiv.

Ukraine is sill limited from employing U.S.-supplied weapons inside of Russia, but Kyiv has pleaded for Washington to relax the rules, as Moscow regularly launches glide bombs at Ukrainian targets including its cities from within Russian territory.

As further reported by TheWarzone, the JASSM is equipped with an inertial navigation system (INS) that helps it reach its target, while it was "designed to operate in heavily degraded GPS environments, which would be particularly relevant in Ukraine, where Russia employs intense GPS jamming."

It is possible Washington may like to see how the JASSM performs against a near-peer adversary as its combat use to date has been limited to striking ISIS and other less capable targets in the Middle East. According to Lockheed Martin, 19 JASSMs were "successfully employed in the battlespace during the Syrian Civil War" in 2018.

Current plans call for the JASSM extended range (ER) variant to be fielded on the U.S. Air Force's B-2 Spirit fleet. That version has a range of about 600 miles (966 km) more than double that of the baseline version. However, the Air Force may like to see how the JASSM actually performs in combat in Ukraine before fully committing to the platform.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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