Denmark donates Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Ukraine. NATO pressures take effect
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosted a meeting of over 40 nations on Monday to discuss military aid to Ukraine and announced that Denmark will supply Kyiv with Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
"I am particularly grateful to Denmark, which announced today that it will provide a harpoon and missile launcher to help Ukraine defend its shores," Austin said in a joint press conference with Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark. Milley.
Reuters reported last week that the United States was looking for a way to bring Harpoons and naval strike missiles into Ukraine's hands. The relocation of the Harpoons marks an escalation in NATO military aid to Ukraine, as the missiles have a range of approximately 300 km, making Russian warships blocking the Ukrainian port of Odesa potential targets and expanding the area in which Kiev can use the weapons provided by the West.
On Friday, a Ukrainian official said the United States was preparing plans to destroy the Russian Black Sea Fleet. "The United States is preparing a plan to destroy the Black Sea Fleet … The delivery of powerful anti-ship weapons is being discussed," Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko tweeted (later deleted). The Pentagon has denied Gerashchenko's characterization of the US push to put advanced anti-ship weapons into Ukraine's hands, probably for fear of provoking Moscow, but, evidently, they have left, if not encouraged, Copenhagen to send the same missiles…
Austin said about 20 countries pledged to provide new military aid to Ukraine during Monday's meeting, which was held in a new forum known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. "
We also heard some very welcome announcements this morning about increased security assistance for Ukraine. About 20 countries have announced new security assistance packages, ”he said.
Austin said Italy, Poland, Greece and Norway will send artillery and ammunition systems to Ukraine and thanked the Czech Republic for providing attack helicopters, tanks and missile systems, for which we now have indirect confirmation that we will send. the 155 mm FH 70 guns. Austin said other countries have committed to new training programs for the Ukrainian military.
The Danish Harpoon Block II missiles are old weapons, they are about fifty years old, and their range, if not extended, reaches less than 150 km, even if they have been updated over time with an advanced and updated guidance system suitable for striking even land targets, for example it could hit Snake Island. It is also a single pitcher, so the coverage it can provide is limited. It almost seems more like a sop after so many NATO promises than real help.
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new articles of Economic Scenarios.
Article Denmark gives Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Ukraine. NATO pressures take effect comes from ScenariEconomici.it .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-danimarca-regala-i-missili-antinave-harpoon-allucraina-le-pressioni-nato-hanno-effetto/ on Tue, 24 May 2022 15:06:54 +0000.