A Canadian-funded, US-Norwegian air-defense system intended for Ukraine has yet to materialize – one year after it was pledged, CTV News television network reported this week.
The Ukrainian military stated this week that the country was experiencing a shortage of anti-aircraft systems and munitions. It was therefore counting on foreign donors to provide more of them. Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said interceptors for Western-made systems were a “top priority that must be completed today, not tomorrow.”
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to fund the production of a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System or NASAMS for Ukraine in January 2023. To cut red tape, Ottawa decided to pay the money directly to the US rather than purchasing the weapon system itself. Funding of CA$406 million (US$304 million) was reportedly transferred to the US last March.
CTV News contacted the Norwegian-based defense firm Kongsberg, which co-produces NASAMS with the American giant RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon), and asked about progress on the manufacturing of the system. A spokesman responded that the company had yet to receive a contract.