Last month, Washington pledged to send Ukraine National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to help counter Russia’s constant barrage of missile fire that has targeted civilian population centers and damaged critical infrastructure.According to the U.S. Army, this effort is a follow-on to the letter contract awarded to Raytheon on Aug. 26 to deliver two NASAMS batteries to the Ukrainian military as part of the third USAI package.“NASAMS are just the latest in the diverse set of air-defense capabilities we are delivering to Ukraine,” said William A. LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.“These are proven systems that will continue making a difference on the battlefield.”The Army will work with industry partners to shorten the 24-month lead time associated with the production and delivery of NASAMS illustrating the urgency the U.S. government is now taking in its approach to acquire the air-defense systems for its allies, as well as to replenish its own munition stockpiles.“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 NASAMS was developed by RMD and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace."