Officials Seek Partners To Send NASAMS To Ukraine

The U.S. government is seeking to obtain additional air defense systems from NATO allies and Middle Eastern partners for Ukraine, reports Defense One.

Last week, Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes said that Washington was trying to broker deals for NATO allies and Middle Eastern partners to send some of their National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has pledged eight NASAMS systems, the first two of which have been delivered. On Nov. 30, the U.S. awarded Raytheon a $1.2 billion contract for the remaining six NASAMS, which are scheduled for delivery in two years.

The goal is to get existing systems into Ukraine faster, while replacing the donated systems with new ones as they roll off the production line.

The NASAMS in Ukraine has achieved a 100-percent success rate so far, according to U.S. defense officials.