Reports claiming that the United States intends to discard expired ATACMS missiles instead of sending them to Ukraine are unfounded, stated Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a briefing on 4 January.
Earlier, Newsweek said that the ATACMS expiry date “raises questions”:
“Hundreds of Lockheed Martin-made M39 and M39A1 [ATACMS] missiles that are ‘excellent legal, precision-guided cluster weapons’ are scheduled for destruction at ‘significant’ expense to American taxpayers, said Daniel Rice, a former special adviser to Ukraine’s lead commander, General Valery Zaluzhny,” Newsweek wrote.
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