The US administration has approved the potential sale to Ukraine of up to 3,350 modern ERAM (Extended Range Attack Munition) air-launched missiles, valued at $825 million. The decision was officially notified to Congress on Wednesday, August 28.
It is important to note that this is not yet a final deal. The notification initiates a procedure whereby lawmakers could block the sale within 30 days, although this is considered highly unlikely. European allies will provide the primary funding for the purchase.
The cost of the package will be almost entirely covered by Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway through a specially created joint procurement mechanism called Jump Start. A small portion of the funds will be provided by the United States through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund. This approach accelerates deliveries without depleting US stockpiles.
The ERAM missiles, developed by US companies Zone 5 Technologies and CoAspire, represent a new type of weapon. They are often referred to as ‘mini-cruise missiles’ due to their long-range and high-precision capabilities.
According to expert estimates, the ERAM has a range of several hundred miles. This will allow the Ukrainian Air Force, including anticipated F-16 fighter jets, to strike key targets deep in enemy territory while remaining outside the engagement zone of Russian air defense systems.
A critically important feature of these missiles is their enhanced resilience to electronic warfare (EW). The package includes 3,350 protected navigation modules, which is a direct response to Russia’s active use of GPS jamming systems.
For the West, this deal symbolizes a new model of support for Ukraine: Europe shoulders the main financial burden, while the US provides access to its advanced technologies and production capacity. This helps maintain the pace of military assistance against the backdrop of internal political debates in Washington.
The first batches of missiles are expected to arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, significantly enhancing the country’s capability to launch high-precision strikes against Russian logistics, command centers, and infrastructure facilities.