Key facts
- Ukraine will purchase 70 ATACMS missiles, 12 M270 MLRS, over 2,000 cluster munitions, and 47,000 howitzer rounds from Turkey.
- The defense package is valued at approximately $280 million.
- The transfer is facilitated by private companies from Turkey, Bulgaria, and the U.S.
- The U.S. Arms Export Control Act requires congressional review for transfers exceeding $14 million.
- Congress has two weeks to block the transfer; otherwise, it will be automatically authorized.
- Ukraine's ATACMS stocks are reportedly depleted, and the U.S. faces a shortage.
Ukraine is set to acquire a substantial package of U.S.-made defense equipment from Turkey, including 70 long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and associated munitions. This significant transfer, valued at approximately $280 million, was recorded in U.S. congressional minutes on August 6 and is expected to commence in late August.
The package comprises 70 M39 ATACMS missiles, 12 M270 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), over 2,000 cluster munitions, and 47,000 howitzer rounds. ATACMS are surface-to-surface ballistic missiles produced by Lockheed Martin, with the M39 variant having a range of about 165 kilometers.
The transaction will be facilitated through a consortium of private companies, including Turkey's MKE, ASFAT, and ARCA Savunma, Bulgaria's VTIC International, and U.S. firms Pansophico and Patriot Defense Group. According to the State Department, Turkey intends to reduce its inventory of older defense articles to focus on modernizing its systems, while Ukraine seeks to enhance its offensive and defensive capabilities amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
The U.S. Arms Export Control Act mandates congressional review for third-country transfers of American weapons exceeding $14 million. Congress has a two-week period to pass a resolution banning the re-export; otherwise, the transfer will be automatically authorized.
Ukraine previously received shorter-range ATACMS in the fall of 2023 and upgraded models capable of flying up to 300 kilometers in the spring of 2024. Initially, Kyiv was restricted to using these missiles only on occupied Ukrainian territory, but this restriction was lifted in November 2024 to allow strikes within Russia. Ukraine's usage of ATACMS has been limited, with stocks understood to be depleted, and the U.S. is also reportedly facing a shortage of these missiles due to its involvement in the conflict with Iran.