US State Department approves potential sale of air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine

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By Mike Stone and Ryan Patrick Jones

(Reuters) -The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of air-launched cruise missiles and related equipment to Ukraine for an estimated $825 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The potential sale of 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles includes GPS guidance kits and electronic warfare defenses for the weapons, which have a range of “several hundred” miles according to one of the manufacturers.

Kyiv came under massive attack from Russia on Thursday, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier this month Kyiv has secured $1.5 billion from European allies to purchase U.S. weapons as part of a mechanism that he said “truly strengthens our defense.”

The potential sale is being funded under the Jump Start program by Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, with additional funding via the U.S. Foreign Military Financing program, a person familiar with the deal said.

The package also includes support equipment, mission planning software, spares, and technical support, the Pentagon said.

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Thursday, adding, “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”

Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.

The Pentagon said Zone 5 Technologies and CoAspire were the prime contractors for the weapons.

(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington, Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto and Bhargav Acharya in TorontoEditing by Rod Nickel)