American anti-ship missiles could avert global food shortage
May 21, 2022 16:54:49 GMT -5
Post by Pink Rose on May 21, 2022 16:54:49 GMT -5
American anti-ship missiles could help avert global food shortage by breaking Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain
Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports means vital grain exports all-but stopped
UN warns tens of millions face famine if the trade cannot be restarted soon
America is working on a plan to send long-range anti-ship missiles to Ukraine
It is hoped missiles will force Russian ships to move away, breaking the blockade
By REUTERS and CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:27 EDT, 19 May 2022 | UPDATED: 10:31 EDT, 20 May 2022
America is working on a plan to send long-range anti-ship missiles to Ukraine to break a blockade of the country's ports and fend off an impending food crisis.
The White House wants to send Harpoon and Naval Strike Missiles - some of which can range up to 345 miles - to Kyiv so they can be deployed on the Black Sea.
The hope is the missiles would present enough of a threat to Russia's warships that they would pull back from Ukraine's ports, allowing vital grain shipments to resume.
Antonia Guterres, the UN secretary general, warned this week that tens of millions of people are facing food shortages and famine if the grain remains blocked.
America could send long-range anti-ship missiles such as the Harpoon or Naval Strike Missile (pictured) to Ukraine to break a Russia blockade of its ports
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America could send long-range anti-ship missiles such as the Harpoon or Naval Strike Missile (pictured) to Ukraine to break a Russia blockade of its ports
Washington hopes to get the missiles into Ukraine either by donating them directly or by agreeing to resupply European allies who give up their own stocks.
Norway's parliament has already signalled its support for the move. The country has stockpiles of warheads that could be deployed on Naval Strike Missiles.
The NSMs are seen as the weapon-of-choice for Ukraine because they are easier to use and have longer rage than Harpoons.
Configured to their maximum range, they could strike Russian ships even if they withdrew to within 30 miles of the Turkish coast.
That could allow Ukrainian ships to begin transporting grain through the Bosphorus Strait and into the Mediterranean, where it can be distributed globally.
Even at shorter ranges, the missiles would allow shipping to resume to NATO-member Romania, which could help get it to market.
But there is opposition to the plan within Washington from those who worry about escalating the fighting if one of the missiles is actually used to sink a Russian ship.
Ukraine has already sunk one of Russia's warships - the Moskva (pictured) - using home-made missiles, but is not thought to have enough to threaten the rest of the fleet
The UK has sent Brimstone anti-ship missiles to Ukraine (pictured) but these only have a range of up to 40 miles, which is not far enough to break the blockade
Others are concerned about difficulties operating or maintaining the missiles, and the possibility that one could fall into Russian hands.
Ukraine has already managed to sink one Russian vessel - Black Sea flagship Moskva - using two of its home-made anti-ship missiles, which prompted Moscow to move its remaining vessels further from shore.
Those missiles - dubbed Neptune - have a range of 170 miles, but Ukraine is not thought to possess enough of them to threaten the bulk of Russia's fleet, which numbers around 20 warships plus submarines.
The UK has also sent Brimstone anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, but they only have a range of up to 40 miles.
Ukraine, dubbed the 'breadbasket of Europe', produces huge amounts of food each year - a fifth of the world's barley and rapeseed, a tenth of global wheat supplies and up to half the world's sunflower seeds.
Millions of tons of grain is currently sitting in silos in the country's ports waiting for export, with millions more to be added once this season's harvest arrives.
But it cannot leave port because Russian warships are parked just off-shore, waiting to shoot any vessels that leave.
Shipping accounted for 80 per cent of Ukraine's exports before the war, and its road and rail networks are not developed enough to pick up the slack.
Full story at the link
Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports means vital grain exports all-but stopped
UN warns tens of millions face famine if the trade cannot be restarted soon
America is working on a plan to send long-range anti-ship missiles to Ukraine
It is hoped missiles will force Russian ships to move away, breaking the blockade
By REUTERS and CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:27 EDT, 19 May 2022 | UPDATED: 10:31 EDT, 20 May 2022
America is working on a plan to send long-range anti-ship missiles to Ukraine to break a blockade of the country's ports and fend off an impending food crisis.
The White House wants to send Harpoon and Naval Strike Missiles - some of which can range up to 345 miles - to Kyiv so they can be deployed on the Black Sea.
The hope is the missiles would present enough of a threat to Russia's warships that they would pull back from Ukraine's ports, allowing vital grain shipments to resume.
Antonia Guterres, the UN secretary general, warned this week that tens of millions of people are facing food shortages and famine if the grain remains blocked.
America could send long-range anti-ship missiles such as the Harpoon or Naval Strike Missile (pictured) to Ukraine to break a Russia blockade of its ports
+4
View gallery
America could send long-range anti-ship missiles such as the Harpoon or Naval Strike Missile (pictured) to Ukraine to break a Russia blockade of its ports
Washington hopes to get the missiles into Ukraine either by donating them directly or by agreeing to resupply European allies who give up their own stocks.
Norway's parliament has already signalled its support for the move. The country has stockpiles of warheads that could be deployed on Naval Strike Missiles.
The NSMs are seen as the weapon-of-choice for Ukraine because they are easier to use and have longer rage than Harpoons.
Configured to their maximum range, they could strike Russian ships even if they withdrew to within 30 miles of the Turkish coast.
That could allow Ukrainian ships to begin transporting grain through the Bosphorus Strait and into the Mediterranean, where it can be distributed globally.
Even at shorter ranges, the missiles would allow shipping to resume to NATO-member Romania, which could help get it to market.
But there is opposition to the plan within Washington from those who worry about escalating the fighting if one of the missiles is actually used to sink a Russian ship.
Ukraine has already sunk one of Russia's warships - the Moskva (pictured) - using home-made missiles, but is not thought to have enough to threaten the rest of the fleet
The UK has sent Brimstone anti-ship missiles to Ukraine (pictured) but these only have a range of up to 40 miles, which is not far enough to break the blockade
Others are concerned about difficulties operating or maintaining the missiles, and the possibility that one could fall into Russian hands.
Ukraine has already managed to sink one Russian vessel - Black Sea flagship Moskva - using two of its home-made anti-ship missiles, which prompted Moscow to move its remaining vessels further from shore.
Those missiles - dubbed Neptune - have a range of 170 miles, but Ukraine is not thought to possess enough of them to threaten the bulk of Russia's fleet, which numbers around 20 warships plus submarines.
The UK has also sent Brimstone anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, but they only have a range of up to 40 miles.
Ukraine, dubbed the 'breadbasket of Europe', produces huge amounts of food each year - a fifth of the world's barley and rapeseed, a tenth of global wheat supplies and up to half the world's sunflower seeds.
Millions of tons of grain is currently sitting in silos in the country's ports waiting for export, with millions more to be added once this season's harvest arrives.
But it cannot leave port because Russian warships are parked just off-shore, waiting to shoot any vessels that leave.
Shipping accounted for 80 per cent of Ukraine's exports before the war, and its road and rail networks are not developed enough to pick up the slack.
Full story at the link