US may send powerful JASSM missiles to Ukraine for F-16 jets

US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering authorising the transfer of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in what would mark a significant expansion of U.S. military aid.

According to sources familiar with the deliberations, the long-range air-launched cruise missiles would be integrated into Ukraine’s expanding fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Although Ukraine’s F-16s are older Cold War-era variants, they remain capable of operating effectively in a stand-off role, launching precision strikes from within friendly-controlled airspace.

The proposal to deliver JASSMs follows parallel reports on July 14 suggesting Washington is also reviewing the provision of an unspecified class of long-range missile with deep-strike capability into Russian territory.

The timing aligns with President Trump’s recent announcement that an additional Patriot air defence battery will be dispatched to bolster Ukraine’s strategic air defences. The president further alluded to forthcoming transfers of other advanced Western weapons systems.

The AGM-158 JASSM, which entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2003, combines low-observable characteristics with high-precision targeting capabilities and carries a 450 kg conventional warhead.

Operated by only four nations—including Poland, which has procured 110 units for its own F-16s—the missile has been subject to stringent U.S. export controls. Notably, a South Korean request for acquisition in the early 2010s was declined, underlining the platform’s sensitivity and strategic value.

Until now, this sensitivity is believed to have been a key factor preventing Washington from transferring the missile to Ukraine.

However, growing concerns over dwindling stocks of Franco-British Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles—already being deployed from Ukraine’s Soviet-era Su-27 and Su-24M aircraft—have intensified calls for American cruise missile support.

Should the JASSM transfer proceed, it is expected to considerably enhance the operational relevance of Ukraine’s F-16 fleet, providing the Ukrainian Air Force with a modern stand-off strike capability at a time when air dominance remains contested.

By Aghakazim Guliyev