US air defense systems to arrive in Ukraine soon – Pentagon

The US will send the first two NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine “in the very near future,” a Pentagon official said on Monday. With Russia targeting Ukrainian power infrastructure with missiles and drones, Kiev has lobbied the West for better air defense weaponry.

In a briefing to reporters, the defense official said the US has “committed eight NASAMS and associated munitions, and two of those will be in Ukraine in the very near future.” The official also said that Washington would send spare parts for Ukraine’s Soviet-era air defense systems, as well as various counter-unmanned aerial systems.

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) is manufactured by US defense contractor Raytheon Technologies, and fires AIM-120 or AMRAAM missiles at short ranges to bring down drones, missiles, and aircraft. The US announced in September that it would provide these systems to Ukraine, with National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby stating last month that deliveries would be expedited after Russia began nationwide drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian military and infrastructure targets.