(Ottawa) The air defense system promised to Ukraine by Canada more than a year ago will not arrive on the battlefield anytime soon. In the United States, manufacturing of this badly needed equipment in Kyiv has not yet begun. And meanwhile, Russian missiles continue to rain down on Ukraine.
In military jargon, this expensive battery of surface-to-air missiles is called the NASAMS.
At US$406 million each (around CAN$550 million), this donation announced by the Canadian government in January 2023 still represents, on its own, 12.5% of total Canadian military aid to Ukraine, which is 4 billion until 2029.
But unlike the Leopard tanks, rocket launchers or M777 howitzers, which were able to be drawn from the stocks of the Canadian Armed Forces, and therefore delivered quickly, the NASAMS purchased from the United States is far from having arrived at its destination .
First, the paperwork isn’t done yet. Although the contract has been signed, Washington and Kyiv are still finalizing the acceptance letter. Once this final administrative step has been completed, the Raytheon company will be able to start production, which can last two years, depending on the Wall Street Journal.
The spokesperson for the Department of National Defense, Alexandre Tétreault, reports that Minister Bill Blair met with the United States Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, “to ask him to speed up the delivery time” of this “ essential acquisition for Ukraine.
He did not encounter resistance, assures an embassy spokesperson: “Given the pressing needs in Ukraine, the United States and Canada are discussing ways in which the United States could attempt to accelerate the delivery of the NASAMS funded by Canada. »
At the same time, Ukrainian forces are desperately demanding weapons. Last summer’s counter-offensive fell far short of the expected results, and in recent weeks the Russian army has intensified its bombing of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Lack of planning
“By purchasing equipment abroad that does not exist, that must be built, it is obvious that there are production and delivery times,” notes Justin Massie, full professor in the political science department. from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).
This shows the planning weaknesses in acquisition in the Canadian Armed Forces, because if they had had anti-aircraft defenses at their disposal before the start of the invasion, they could have provided them to the Ukrainians while waiting to obtain them. news for our forces.
Justin Massie, full professor in the political science department at UQAM
Nevertheless, “even if the acquisition process takes place much slower than we would like, it still goes significantly faster than the norm for the purchase of this type of equipment”, observes for his part David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
The representative of the military think tank notes that Canada was among the first to “send a message” by announcing the donation of a NASAMS, “while the other allies were more cautious, for fear of alienating the Russia and provoke an escalation of the conflict.
The United States, Norway and Lithuania are among the countries that have shipped or purchased them.
But ultimately, the Ukrainians will certainly not turn their noses up at the air defense system, regardless of when it reaches them, emphasizes Justin Massie: “The needs will always be there, because they will continue to be under threat Russian no matter what happens in the war. »
“The other thing, what the Ukrainians are telling us, is that they also need missiles, and Canada has not offered any since January 2023. Missiles, every time we are attacked, it we have to use them, so we have to constantly replenish stocks,” continues the co-director of the Strategic Analysis Network.
“The number one priority” in bombed Ukraine
While in Lithuania on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed the capital importance of air defense.
“We were attacked today, tonight, early in the morning. Once again, Kharkiv, again, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv region, many of our regions, people at home,” he regretted.
“That is why air defense is for us […] priority number one,” insisted the president.
At the same time, Ukrainian ground forces are also under strain, and there is a shortage of volunteer soldiers.
To compensate for the shortage, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a law to mobilize more men in the face of Russia’s attacks, which was not done without controversy.
With Agence France-Presse