America is moving its air defense systems from the Middle East to Ukraine.
According to this plan, the US will transfer its advanced surface-to-air missile systems (NASAMS) based in the Middle East to Ukraine in the next three to six months, Middle East Eye wrote on Friday night.
According to Greg Hayes, CEO of Raytheon Technologies, America will replace the systems of its Middle East partners with new ones in the next 24 months.
“Our Nasmas are deployed all over the Middle East,” Hayes told Politico. America and some NATO allies are consulting with several countries in the Middle East that currently use the NASAMS system to transfer them to Ukraine.
He added that due to the time required for the supply of parts and their delivery, sending these systems from the Middle East is faster than producing new systems for Ukraine.
NASAMS are medium- to long-range surface-to-air missile defense systems that can be used to shoot down cruise missiles, remotely piloted aircraft, and other aircraft. Ukraine received the first shipment of this system from America in November.
The US has provided five security aid packages to Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As part of the assistance, Washington has ordered six more NASAMS aircraft from Raytheon, but has indicated that delivery could take two to three years.
Ukraine has asked its Western allies for more air defense systems to counter Russian attacks allegedly targeting the country’s energy grid.
As winter approaches, Moscow has increasingly targeted its neighbor’s energy infrastructure with missiles and drones, putting millions of Ukrainians at risk of frostbite.
Hayes did not specify which Middle Eastern countries would provide the systems. The US Ministry of Defense did not respond to Middle East Eye’s requests in this regard either.
What is clear is that Oman and Qatar were approved by the United States to buy Nasmas systems. Oman received the first shipment in 2016, while Qatar’s request was approved in 2019.
