Trump Weighs 3,350 ERAM Missiles for Ukraine Strikes on Russian Launchers

3 articles · Updated · Robert Lansing Institute · Aug 3

$825 million in proposed ERAM sales could become the basis for U.S. approval allowing Ukraine to hit Russian missile launchers and support sites inside Russia, aiming to disrupt rather than destroy Moscow’s strike force.
ERAM’s projected 450-480 km range would threaten Iskander-M units that now operate from Russian territory with relative sanctuary, potentially forcing them to move farther from the border, disperse more often and devote more air defenses to self-protection.
That shift could cut the tempo and reach of Russian ballistic attacks on Ukrainian cities, infrastructure and air bases while reducing Ukraine’s need to expend costly Patriot interceptors against every incoming wave.
Washington would keep political control over target categories and geography, using authorization as scalable leverage in negotiations with Moscow while avoiding direct U.S. combat involvement.
The plan also supports a U.S.-led missile program backed by Denmark and the Netherlands, with Ukraine serving as the first large-scale combat test for a lower-cost long-range strike weapon.