President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast on Sunday, September 25, that Ukraine had received sophisticated air defense systems from the United States, Reuters reports. It was the first acknowledgment that Ukraine had received the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), long sought by Kyiv and whose shipment was approved by Washington late last month.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on August 26, 2022, announced a $182,295,333 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine. During a press conference of the DoD on September 16, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder announced that two NASAMS were expected to be delivered to Ukraine in the next two months. The operation has been completed much ahead on schedule, it appears.
The NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) is designed and manufactured by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace teamed up with Raytheon from the United States for the missile.