Army awards Raytheon contract to provide air defense missile systems to Ukraine
Mike Brest
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The Army has awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Raytheon Technologies on Wednesday for six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems for Ukraine.
President Joe Biden’s administration has approved sending eight NASAMS to Ukraine, and two have already been delivered, while the other six will be delivered once they’re built.
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The production of the NASAMS takes roughly 24 months, though the Army and industry partners are going to work to shorten that time frame.
“NASAMS are just the latest in the diverse set of air-defense capabilities we are delivering to Ukraine. These are proven systems that will continue making a difference on the battlefield,” William A. LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said.
The NASAMS are one component of the fifth Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package. Announced on Aug. 24, the total value of this round of assistance was nearly $3 billion.
“Acquisition speed and agility is a top priority. The rapid award of this contract is another example of the Army’s ability to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities through our industry partners to our allies,” said Douglas R. Bush, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology.
The administration is contemplating sending the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine in an attempt to bolster its air defenses amid Russia’s assault against the country’s critical infrastructure.
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“At any given time, [the Ukrainians] have the most effective systems possible to deal with the threat they are facing,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week. “We just recently, for example, provided them with a very effective system called NASAMS that they are using very effectively. Before that, of course, we had the HIMARS, which they used to great effect both in southern and eastern Ukraine.”