US looks to deploy air defense missile systems from West Asia to Ukraine

Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes has said that the US looks to shift its air defense systems from the West Asia to Ukraine.

According to Politico, Hayes said the US is working with West Asian countries to move a handful of their air defense systems to Ukraine.

The goal is to send National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine in the next three to six months, the CEO of the giant US weapons manufacturer said in an interview.

The US would then backfill those systems with new NASAMS in West Asia over the next 24 months, Hayes pointed out.

Hayes said it takes two years to build NASAMS and shifting systems from West Asia is faster than building them in the US. “Just because it takes 24 months to build, it doesn’t mean it’s going to take 24 months to get in [the] country,” he said.

Since Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine in late February, Kiev officials have been pressing the US and its allies to send advanced weapons to fight the Russian troops.

US arms manufacturers, however, have failed to supply the demand due to the huge amount of weapons and ammunition used by Ukrainian forces.