TURKEY SEEKS U.S. APPROVAL TO TRANSFER 70 ATACMS, 12 M270 LAUNCHERS AND THOUSANDS OF CLUSTER MUNITIONS TO UKRAINE
Turkey has reportedly initiated the formal U.S. approval process for a major transfer of American-made weapons to Ukraine.
According to the U.S. Congressional Record, the proposed package includes 70 M39 ATACMS ballistic missiles, 12 M270 multiple-launch rocket systems, 2,524 M26 rockets equipped with DPICM cluster warheads and 47,000 M509A1 203mm DPICM artillery shells.
The weapons are not confirmed to have arrived in Ukraine. The transfer remains subject to the required U.S. congressional notification and authorization process for the re-export of American-origin systems.
The proposed package could significantly strengthen Ukraine’s long-range strike and artillery capabilities.
The M39 ATACMS has a range of roughly 165 kilometers and carries hundreds of submunitions designed to cover a wide target area. The M26 rockets and DPICM artillery shells use a similar area-effect concept, potentially giving Ukrainian forces additional capability against troop concentrations, logistics sites, vehicles and other dispersed military targets.
The proposal also highlights the growing effort among Ukraine’s partners to tap older Western and NATO stockpiles as Kyiv continues to face heavy ammunition demands.
Turkey’s involvement would be particularly significant given Ankara’s complex relationship with Moscow and its continued military and political support for Ukraine
If approved, the package would represent a substantial increase in Ukraine’s available firepower:
🔹 70 ATACMS missiles
🔹 12 M270 launchers
🔹 2,524 M26 cluster rockets
🔹 47,000 DPICM artillery shells
The key question now is whether Washington will authorize the re-export and when the weapons could actually reach Ukrainian forces.