The Reason Turkey Has Given Ukraine Missiles With Twice the Range of HIMARS

NATO has been hesitant to provide Ukraine with very long range missile systems. Turkey, already a surprising contributor to the conflict with its effective Bayraktar drones, is showing no such compunction.

The reason appears to be that Turkey, perhaps for the first time in history, is demonstrating its strategic superiority to Russia, having already imposed on the Russians an agreement to permit grain deliveries. The new rocket system may be a means of further underscoring its power unless Russia does as it demands with regard to the future conduct of the war and eventual peace. In the mean time, Russian forces anywhere in occupied Ukraine, including all of Crimea, are now open targets. JL 

Daily Kos reports:

Turkey has provided Ukraine with ROKETSAN MCL MLRS and TRLG 230 rockets. TRLG 230 can hit targets 150km away. This is double the range of HIMARS/MLRS. This will complicate Russia’s logistical picture, forcing it to pull its main supply depots even farther from the front lines and rendering much of its rail network obsolete. Turkey already imposed the grain corridor on Russia, asserting its will in a way that let Putin know who was the boss. This just puts an exclamation mark on Russia’s submission to Turkey, with major consequences for the regional balance of power for decades to come. Ukraine has a new friend in its efforts to shape that battlefield. Turkey has provided Ukraine with ROKETSAN MCL MLRS and TRLG 230 rockets. Broadly comparable to the GMLRS, but they have laser guidance and can hit targets painted by the TB-2 (radar). TRLG 230 can actually hit targets 150km away

 

This is double the range of HIMARS/MLRS rockets, and assuming this is all accurate, will dramatically complicate Russia’s logistical picture, forcing it to pull its main supply depots even farther from the front lines and rendering much of its rail network obsolete.

There’s something to be said about Turkey providing longer-range rockets while the U.S. and the rest of NATO dither on long-range ATACMS rockets, particularly since Turkey has positioned itself as the chief negotiator between Ukraine and Russia. 

That said, Turkey already imposed the grain corridor on Russia, asserting its will in a way that let Putin know who was the boss. This just puts an exclamation mark on Russia’s submission to Turkey, with major consequences for the regional balance of power for decades to come.