With long-range rocket launchers, Kyiv is supposed to fight Russia’s artillery. The air defense system NASAMS could make it impossible for Russian planes to bomb Kiev’s soldiers. Delivery should be soon.
As part of a new US aid package, Ukraine will also get modern air defense systems. NASAMS was developed by Norwegian company Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace and US company Raytheon Technologies. The delivery could be much faster than that of the Iris-T SLM for air defense promised by Chancellor Scholz (IRIS-T SLM – the Scholz protective screen against Russian jets). NASAMS do not have to be produced first. The wording of the US statement indicates that the weapons come from Norwegian stocks. But even so, extensive training would have to take place.
Conversion to Western weapons
With such deliveries, the equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is gradually being converted to NATO standards. These weapons are often far more modern than the systems used by the Ukrainian armed forces, which often date back to the Cold War. And this is the only way to continuously support Kyiv with fresh material during long-lasting battles. The old Soviet weapons and their ammunition are “leftover stocks” that should soon be exhausted. “This system, jointly produced by Norway and the US, is a NATO system, so it is important for us to start helping the Ukrainians convert their air defense systems from Soviet-style weapons and introduce modern technology,” said a senior official US defense official.
