The Army has awarded Raytheon Missiles and Defense [RTX] a $1.2 billion contract to provide six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) batteries for delivery to Ukraine.
The new deal, announced on Wednesday, follows the inclusion of the six additional NASAMS as part of a nearly $3 billion security aid package for Ukraine approved in late August to be procured with Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
Photo: Raytheon
“Acquisition speed and agility is a top priority,” Doug Bush, the Army’s top acquisition official, said in a statement. “The rapid award of this contract is another example of the Army’s ability to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities through our industry partners to our allies.”
The Army said in a statement Wednesday that it will work with industry partners “to shorten the 24-month production lead time associated with production and delivery of NASAMS.”
Raytheon and Norway’s Kongsberg jointly developed the NASAMS air defense system, which brings together Raytheon’s Sentinel radar and Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles with Kongsberg’s Fire Distribution Center.
“NASAMS are just the latest in the diverse set of air-defense capabilities we are delivering to Ukraine,” Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, said in a statement. “These are proven systems that will continue making a difference on the battlefield.”
Raytheon was awarded a $182.3 million deal in late August for delivery of two initial NASAMS batteries to assist Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia’s invasion (Defense Daily, Aug. 29).
The deal for six more NASAMS follows the Pentagon’s announcement that the first two batteries of the system are now in Ukraine and operational.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters earlier this month the initial NASAMS currently in Ukraine have had a “100 percent success rate in intercepting Russian missiles” (Defense Daily, Nov. 16).
The nearly $3 billion USAI package that included the six more NASAMS was designed to meet Kyiv’s medium to long-term security requirements with capabilities set to be delivered in several months to years, Pentagon officials said at the time (Defense Daily, Aug. 24).