LONDON, May 31 - The United Kingdom is asking the U.S. to sign off on a plan to send advanced, medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine within a few weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter and a document outlining the proposal, a move that follows President Joe Biden’s announcement that he’s sending similar weapons, Politico reported.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with Biden about the transfer of the U.S.-made M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems on Wednesday morning, to be followed by a discussion between U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday morning, the person familiar with the schedule said. The U.S. must officially approve the move due to export regulations, though the Biden administration is near certain to give the green light.

The person asked for anonymity in order to speak freely about sensitive discussions. The National Security Council, State Department and the British Embassy in the U.S didn’t return immediate requests for comment.

The M270 can strike targets roughly 80 km away.

The news comes a day after the Biden administration announced that it had decided to send the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and munitions with a range of 48 miles to Kyiv.

The HIMARS and MLRS provide similar capabilities and ranges, but the HIMARS is a lighter version that moves on a wheeled chassis. The MLRS moves on tracks, meaning it doesn’t move as quickly as the HIMARS, which can reach speeds of over 50 miles per hour, giving the Ukrainians the ability to fire and flee before Russian drones can spot them. The HIMARS can fire six rockets at a time, while MLRS can launch 12. (om/ez)