Poland Receives Canadian NASAMS for Ukraine Delivery

22 November, 2024 NASAMS air defense system with AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles of the Australian Army. November 2023. Photo: Ministry of Defense of Australia

The latest NASAMS air defense system purchased by Canada for Ukraine has been delivered to Poland. Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced this in Ottawa, according to the Ukrinform news agency. "We have been working closely with the Americans and Raytheon to assemble this system and deliver it.

It is now in Poland and should soon be transported across the border," Blair stated. He noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously had a telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky, informing him that NASAMS would soon be delivered. "We are working with Ukrainians to deliver this system purchased by Canada for Ukraine as soon as possible.

I expect that we will be able to say much more soon," the minister said. Last year, the Canadian government joined the order placed by the United States for the production of 10 NASAMS systems. The arrangements stipulated that Canada would reimburse the United States for the full cost of the new NASAMS system, while the United States would enter into a direct contract with Ukraine for the supply of these weapons.

This was to allow Canada to circumvent the requirement to obtain U.S. permission to re-export NASAMS to Ukraine. However, the project faced a number of bureaucratic obstacles that slowed its implementation. The radar can track up to 80 targets within a radius of 75 km.

The launcher is equipped with six launch containers.

The main weapon of the NASAMS system is the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, capable of engaging air targets at distances of 2.5 to 25 km and altitudes of up to 10 km.

At the beginning of November, it was reported that the United States will soon send Ukraine 500 interceptor missiles for the NASAMS and Patriot air defense systems.