The United States and its allies have attempted to assist Ukraine by upgrading its patchwork of air defenses. However, the US is secretly altering rocket launchers to keep Ukraine from firing missiles into Russia.
According to American officials, the U.S. modified the sophisticated Himars rocket launchers it gave Ukraine in secrecy so they could not be used to launch long-range missiles into Russia, a precaution the Biden administration claims is required to lower the likelihood of a wider conflict with Moscow.
Since June, the United States has given Ukrainian military 20 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers, sometimes known as Himars, and a sizable stock of satellite-guided rockets with a nearly 50-mile range. These guided multiple launch rocket systems, also known as GMLRS, have been deployed to attack Russian command posts, logistics hubs, and munitions storage facilities on Ukrainian soil.
However, the Himars launchers have a special capability designed to ...