Turkey Proposes Largest Third-Party Transfer of US-Origin Weapons to Ukraine

The US State Department has informed Congress of Turkey's proposal to permanently transfer a $300M weapons package to Ukraine. The deal includes 70 M39 ATACMS ballistic missiles, which carry submunitions and have a range of approximately 165 kilometers. These missiles were originally acquired by Turkey for about $28M. Beyond the ATACMS, the transfer also involves 12 M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers, 2,524 M26 DPICM cluster munitions, and 47,000 M509A1 203 mm DPICM artillery shells.

The logistics chain for the transfer involves a mix of Turkish, Bulgarian, and American defense firms. Turkish company MKE A.S. is handling the seller side, while US entities Pansophico and Patriot Defense Group are managing the transaction's compliance and logistics framework. Bulgaria's involvement appears to be related to transit and facilitation.

The transfer follows formal procedures under the Arms Export Control Act. Congress has a review window of 15 to 30 days, after which deliveries could begin as early as late August 2026. This deal represents the largest third-party transfer of US-origin weapons to Ukraine facilitated by Turkey.