[dabigv13]

Maybe, finally, longer range rockets (GLSDB) going to Ukraine, eventually.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-readies...023-01-31/

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States is readying more than $2 billion worth of military aid for Ukraine that is expected to include longer-range rockets for the first time and other munitions and weapons, two U.S. officials briefed on the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
...
One of the officials said that a portion of the package, $1.725 billion, would come from a fund known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows President Joe Biden's administration to get weapons from industry rather than from existing U.S. weapons stocks.

The USAI funds would go toward the purchase of a new weapon, Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which have a range of 94 miles (150 km). The United States has rebuffed requests for the 185-mile (297-km) range ATACMS missile.

If we gave Ukraine ATACMS in appreciable numbers, an assault on Crimea could probably be successfully prosecuted, and pretty quickly. Kerch bridge would be dropped day one of an assault (and if we do ever send ATACMS I don't think it would be announced ahead of time).

GLSDBs could eventually be in range of Kerch bridge if Ukraine retakes all of their territory to the Azov coast, but would be at very limit of range, likely making it possible to intercept. And would need to use a lot to appreciably damage the bridge.

It seems to me the US is giving Ukraine the tools that could enable them to eventually win back most of their territory, but not the tools that could enable a quick rout.

[dabigv13]

Maybe, finally, longer range rockets (GLSDB) going to Ukraine, eventually.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-readies...023-01-31/

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States is readying more than $2 billion worth of military aid for Ukraine that is expected to include longer-range rockets for the first time and other munitions and weapons, two U.S. officials briefed on the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
...
One of the officials said that a portion of the package, $1.725 billion, would come from a fund known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows President Joe Biden's administration to get weapons from industry rather than from existing U.S. weapons stocks.

The USAI funds would go toward the purchase of a new weapon, Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which have a range of 94 miles (150 km). The United States has rebuffed requests for the 185-mile (297-km) range ATACMS missile.

If we gave Ukraine ATACMS in appreciable numbers, an assault on Crimea could probably be successfully prosecuted, and pretty quickly. Kerch bridge would be dropped day one of an assault (and if we do ever send ATACMS I don't think it would be announced ahead of time).

GLSDBs could eventually be in range of Kerch bridge if Ukraine retakes all of their territory to the Azov coast, but would be at very limit of range, likely making it possible to intercept. And would need to use a lot to appreciably damage the bridge.

It seems to me the US is giving Ukraine the tools that could enable them to eventually win back most of their territory, but not the tools that could enable a quick rout.