Overview

• President Trump is finalizing plans to deliver standard JASSMs to Ukraine’s F-16s, marking a potential first US transfer of the cruise missile.
• The AGM-158 JASSM carries a 450 kg warhead and can strike targets up to 230 miles away while flying at low altitude to evade air defenses.
• Deployment would put about 30 Russian airbases within reach of Ukrainian strikes, potentially disrupting Moscow’s logistics and command hubs.
• Ukraine’s existing long-range options, including Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles, have limited range and dwindling stockpiles, underscoring the urgency for JASSMs.
• NATO allies endorsed an accelerated arms agreement this week to purchase and funnel US-made weapons, including cruise missiles, to reinforce Kyiv’s defenses.