Canada's Minister of Defense Bill Blair announced that Canada has transferred to Ukraine the NASAMS medium-range anti-aircraft missile complex, which is already in Poland and will soon be shipped across the border. Blair noted that on the transfer of this system, they worked together with the Americans and the manufacturer Raytheon, which ensured the delivery of the complex to Ukraine.
According to him, the Prime Minister of Canada previously had a telephone conversation with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and informed about the successful delivery of NASAMS. The minister noted that this process is an important stage of cooperation between Canada and Ukraine in the framework of defense assistance. Blair also expressed hope that more information will be provided in the near future on the next steps in the process.
The NASAMS anti-aircraft missile complex that Canada purchased for Ukraine was announced in early 2023. The cost of this system is 406 million US dollars. It was previously reported that the delivery delay was due to funding issues from the US, which had to be resolved to complete the contract with manufacturer Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace.
Despite the difficulties, the transfer of the NASAMS complex is an important step in strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, as this complex is an effective means of defense against air attacks.
