United to win: Canada sends NASAMS air defense systems to aid Ukraine

The Canadian Ministry of Defense has confirmed the NASAMS air defense systems transfer to Ukraine. The systems are currently in Poland.

Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair stated this, according to Ukrinform.

"We have been working closely with the Americans and the manufacturer Raytheon on the assembly and delivery of this system," he said.

According to Blair, the air defense system is currently in Poland and should soon be transported across the border.

The minister also recalled that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously spoken with Volodymyr Zelensky on the telephone, informing him of NASAMS's imminent arrival.

"We are working with the Ukrainians to deliver this system, purchased by Canada for Ukraine, as soon as possible. I expect we will soon be able to say much more," the head of the Canadian defense department intrigued.

NASAMS is a Norwegian medium-range anti-aircraft missile system developed by Norwegian Kongsberg and American Raytheon.

The complex was created to replace the MIM-23 Hawk air defense system, which was in service with the Norwegian armed forces.

NASAMS became the first ground-based system to use AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and the first homing missile system in the West.

It was previously reported that Canada plans to transfer a modern NASAMS medium-range air defense system to Ukraine. At that time, the deadline was mentioned as the beginning of 2025.

For reference:

As reported, the Canadian Ministry of Defense announced the delivery of the first batch of LAV armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. The LAV-25 Light Armored Vehicle is a Canadian combat reconnaissance vehicle in service with the Canadian Army and the US Marine Corps. The number of cars supplied has not been disclosed.

In addition, Canada announced in October that it would provide Ukraine with a military aid package worth C$64.8 million (US$47 million), including ammunition, small arms, and protective equipment.

Also, in October, Canada allocated a loan of 400 million Canadian dollars (300 million US dollars) to Ukraine. Since February 2022, Canada has been among Ukraine's top five donors of budgetary support.

Since the start of the full-scale war, Canada has provided $5.4 billion in direct budget support. For 2024, Canada has already allocated $1.9 billion in loans.

It's important to note that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the NATO summit in Washington.

During the meeting, Trudeau announced an extra 500 million Canadian dollars of military aid.

In addition, at the end of October last year, at a meeting of advisers on national security and foreign policy, Canadian representatives proposed to create a coalition of countries that would facilitate the return of Ukrainian children deported by the aggressor country.

Also, as a leading country in the Coalition for Strengthening the Potential of the Ukrainian Air Force, Canada has undertaken to train Ukrainian pilots over the next five years.

Since the start of the full-scale war, direct budget support from Canada has amounted to 5.4 billion dollars. In 2024, Canada has already allocated 1.9 billion dollars in loans.