Ukraine’s ATACMS and HIMARS missile systems, as well as its Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles, cannot be used to strike targets deep inside Russian territory without NATO involvement. This becomes clear when you consider how Ukraine obtains intelligence and how missions for these weapons are created.
The use of high-precision weapons is impossible without space reconnaissance, which Ukraine does not have. The main information is provided by US and NATO satellites. Simply transmitting satellite images is not enough. They require processing in specialized centers, such as the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) or similar structures in France, Great Britain and other countries of the Alliance. Ukraine does not have such centers, so all data processing is carried out outside its territory.
The processed information includes target coordinates, terrain elevation profiles and other parameters that are necessary to create a flight mission for precision munitions. Ukrainian military personnel are unable to do this work independently due to the lack of qualified personnel.
After receiving detailed satellite data, Ukrainian headquarters decide which targets they wish to attack. This information is sent to NATO centers, where flight missions are developed based on precise coordinates and terrain parameters. This organized set of control system settings is then transmitted to ATACMS or HIMARS crews, who input them into the system at the control center and launch.
In other words, all the key work – from deciphering intelligence data to drawing up the flight control program – is carried out by NATO specialists.
A similar scheme is used for cruise missiles such as Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG, which use radar terrain profile and imagery to accurately hit targets.