Lithuania buys two NASAMS systems for Ukraine ahead of NATO summit
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The advanced air defense systems are scheduled to be delivered within three months.
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National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile NASMAS air defense system launching a missile during drills (Raytheon)
Lithuania purchased NASAMS anti-air systems and will transfer them to Ukraine within three months as part of the country's pledge to continue providing security assistance to Kiev.
NASMAS is a joint missile project between the Norwegian company Kongsberg and the American military tech giant Raytheon.
"The NASAMS launchers will reach Ukraine in the near future," announced President Gitanas Nauseda in a Facebook post during his trip to Ukraine to hold talks with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Even in such circumstances, when the stockpiles are empty, we find opportunities to help our friends," Nauseda said in a separate video.
On Twitter, the President reiterated his country's position "to support Ukraine by providing military, humanitarian & financial support" in order "to maintain world's pressure on Russia."
Today in a meeting with dear friend @ZelenskyyUa, I assured that Lithuania will continue to support Ukraine by providing military, humanitarian & financial support.
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) July 28, 2022
🇱🇹will keep working to maintain world's pressure on Russia.
We won't get tired. We'll stand with🇺🇦 until victory! pic.twitter.com/ceZpDvY7sR
Lithuania's Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas revealed that the air defense systems produced by Norwegian-based company Kongsberg will cost 9.8 million euros ($10.7 million).
Read more: Ukrainian forces receiving Howitzers training in Lithuania
Commenting on Nauseda's announcment, Zelensky said on Wednesday that he was "grateful" for his ally's contribution.
"This is an important and timely contribution to protecting Ukraine's sky and saving lives of Ukrainians. Together to victory!" Zelensky said on Twitter.
I am grateful to @GitanasNauseda for the decision to purchase and transfer two NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine. This is an important and timely contribution to protecting 🇺🇦 sky and saving lives of Ukrainians. Together to victory! 🇺🇦🇱🇹
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 28, 2023
The military aid package will also include hardware components for the NASAMS systems, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said, adding that the delivery will also include 10 M113 armored personnel vehicles.
In addition to munitions that are expected to be delivered to Ukraine later this year, Vilnius has so far funded Kiev's war efforts with over 500 million euros, the Ministry continued.
During his visit, the Nauseda will also discuss with Zelensky the NATO summit scheduled next month in Lithuania's capital, where Kiev hopes to see progress regarding its application to join the military coalition and the European Union.
In related news, the Pentagon announced in a press release on Tuesday that a new military aid package worth $500 million would be sent to Kiev.
The package will reportedly include a range of infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft systems, anti-armor missiles, High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs), along with other artillery and rocket-launcher munitions.
The United States and Germany transferred two Patriot battery air defense systems to Ukraine last month, one provided by the United States and the other jointly supplied by Germany and the Netherlands.
But concerns were raised over the efficiency of anti-air systems in Ukraine compared to Russia's advanced missile capabilities.
Just a few weeks after the American-made Patriots arrived in Ukraine, the Russian armed forces targeted one of the batteries rendering it out of service in a precision strike using Kinzhal hypersonic missile on its position in Kiev.
I counted 30 Patriot PAC-3 MSE launches here.
— Fennec_Radar (@RadarFennec) May 16, 2023
The FY2024 costs of these per missile is about $$5,275,000
That was $158,250,000 fired in about two minutes. And as we see, the battery or something else likely got blown up. So it failed in its mission. pic.twitter.com/9rwPnHkNGu
