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| US To Arm Ukraine With NASAMS To Repel Threats From The Air |
Washington - The United States will arm Ukraine with the National/Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), an advanced missile defense system that is also owned by many US allies. The US Department of Defense, in a press release, said it had awarded Raytheon Missiles and Defense a contract to manufacture NASAMS for Ukraine.
"Raytheon Co... was awarded a $182,295,333 contract for the procurement of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. Work will be carried out in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of August 23, 2024," the US Department of Defense or Pentagon said in a statement. reported on Sunday (28/8/2022).
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| The National/Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) |
Raytheon in its press release noted that NASAMS will be sent to Ukraine in response to the country's need to defend against enemy air threats. “Raytheon Missiles & Defense and our partners are working diligently to quickly deliver this important and proven air defense capability to help the Ukrainian people defend their homeland,” said Tom Laliberty, president of Land Warfare & Air Defense, Raytheon Missiles & Defense business area.
"Ukraine will join a dozen countries around the world relying on NASAMS to defeat many threats, including cruise missiles, aircraft and unmanned systems." NASAMS is a networked and distributed short to medium range ground-based air defense system developed by United States-based Raytheon and Norway-based Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KDA).
The system defends against unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, cruise missiles, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and aircraft. Indonesia is known to have operated the Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System 2 (NASAMS 2) which it ordered from Kongsberg in 2017.