Pentagon awards Raytheon $1.2 billion contract to deliver advanced missile systems to Ukraine

Europe, News, US December 3, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

The U.S. Army awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Raytheon Technologies for the six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine to help fend off incoming Russian missile and drone attacks.

The contract will fulfill the assistance package for Kyiv announced by President Biden that included orders for eight new NASAMS.

“NASAMS are just the latest in the diverse set of air-defense capabilities we are delivering to Ukraine,” said William A. LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. “These are proven systems that will continue making a difference on the battlefield.”

The contract effort was led by the Army’s Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, in partnership with components across the Department of Defense. The rapid contract award is an example of the U.S. Army’s “ability to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities through our industry partners to our allies” said Douglas R. Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology.

The U.S. Army has said it along with industry partners, will work to shorten the 24-month production lead time associated with the production and delivery of NASAMS, demonstrating the urgency of the U.S. government to acquire air-defense systems for allies. Ukraine received its first delivery of two NASAMS air defense systems in November.

*^{National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Raytheon. (Image Credit: Raytheon)}*

Raytheon Technologies, the world’s second-largest defense contractor, will develop the NASAMS in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. The work is expected to be completed by November 2025.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials are also attempting to broker a deal with NATO and Middle Eastern nations to send some of their NASAMS interceptors to Ukraine because the production of the six NASAMS interceptors is expected to take at least full two years.

The U.S. is working with Middle Eastern countries to send the advanced NASAMS systems to Ukraine in the next three to six months, Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes said in an interview. “Just because it takes 24 months to build, it doesn’t mean it’s going to take 24 months to get in [the] country,” Hayes said.

NASAMS

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) is a highly adaptable medium-range air defense solution jointly developed by Raytheon and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace. NASAMS combines Raytheon’s Sentinel A3 radar with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles with Kongsberg’s Fire Distribution Center.

NASAMS is the world’s most widely used air defense system in its segment. It provides air defenders with a customizable, state-of-the-art defense system that can maximize their ability to identify, engage, and destroy current and evolving enemy aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and emerging cruise missile threats, according to Raytheon.

NASAMS has been built on a modular, distributed, open-hardware and software architecture to embrace new technologies, capabilities, and features as required. The system is operated by 13 countries including the U.S., Norway, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, Oman, Lithuania, Indonesia, Australia, Qatar, Hungary, Ukraine, and one undisclosed country.