Two NASAMS air defense systems delivered to Ukraine
NASAMS system Photo: Raytheon Technologies
The Raytheon Technologies company handed the US government two sophisticated NASAMS air defense systems sent to Ukraine.
The company's CEO, Greg Hayes, reported this on the Squawk on the Street broadcast on CNBC, and Serhii Bratchuk, the Odesa Regional Military Administration spokesperson, said this on Telegram.
According to spokesman Bratchuk, two NASAMS air defense systems from the USA are already in Ukraine.
"We did just deliver two NASAMS systems. … We delivered two of them to the government a couple of weeks ago. They're being installed in Ukraine [imminently]," CEO Greg Hayes said on CNBC's Squawk on the Street.
"It is a short-range air defense system, and it can fire [an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile], and it could knock down everything in the sky from drones to ballistic missiles to fighter jets," Hayes said.
The company's general director noted that the transfer process occurred a few weeks ago. Systems will be installed in Ukraine shortly.
We will remind you that a week ago, amid attacks by Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, the US TV channel CNN, citing a Pentagon representative, reported that the US Department of Defense is trying to speed up the delivery of two advanced NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.
Pentagon officials said the first NASAMS were procured quickly because the bulk of the systems had already been manufactured.
About NASAMS
For the first time, the US announced its intention to transfer the NASAMS air defense system to Ukraine in August as part of international aid. After that, the Pentagon clarified that Ukraine would receive two batteries of this system. Subsequently, the USA announced its intention to transfer six more units within the Initiative to promote security in Ukraine.
During a call this month, US President Joe Biden promised Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to expedite shipments of NASAMS amid russia's barrage of missiles and flying drones.
A senior Pentagon official said Monday that the NASAMS were expected to be delivered "within the next couple of weeks" and that Ukraine would announce when they are in the country and operational.
The NASAMS system is in service or being delivered to 12 countries. The version of NASAMS II using AIM-120С AMRAAM missiles can fire at a distance of up to 25 kilometers, and the altitude range is up to 14-15 kilometers.
The Norwegian-developed weapons will provide medium- to long-range defense against russia's attacks, which bombarded Ukraine's civilian infrastructure over the last two weeks, including its power grid, using missiles and drones.
