DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ F-16s headed to Ukraine this summer will face their most dangerous battlefield ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine is slated to receive its much-anticipated fleet of F-16 fighter jets this summer. AdvertisementThe long-awaited delivery of F-16s to Ukraine is on the horizon, and these advanced American-made fighter jets can't come soon enough for its forces. The fighter jets are expected to arrive at some point this summer, reportedly as early as June. Romanian air force F-16 fighter planes fly above the Baza 86 military air base, outside Fetesti, Romania, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. US Air Force F-16's stand ready with bombs loaded to take off during the first daylight attack to liberate Kuwait in 1991.

Persons: —, Falcon, SAMs, Alexandru, Egypt —, John Baum, Russia —, Baum, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV Russia's, Tannehill, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte, Peter Dejong Organizations: Service, Russia's, Rygge Air Force Base, OLE BERG, Getty, NATO, Kyiv, Israeli Air Force, AP, US Air Force, Operation, Allied Force, Yugoslavia, Air Force, Defense Technical Information, Reuters, Storm, Russia, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, US Navy, SA, Russian, AIM, INA Locations: Ukraine, Balkans, Kyiv, Romania, Norway, AFP, — Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Lebanon's, Israel, Yom, Romanian, Fetesti, Storm, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Afghanistan, Islamic, Kuwait, Russian, Zhukovsky, Moscow, Bekaa, East, Syria, Russia, Ukrainian, Eindhoven, Rzeszow, Jasionka, Poland, Crimean

☆ US announces $6 billion long-term military aid package for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday a $6 billion long-term military aid package for Ukraine — the largest to date — which will allow the US to purchase new equipment produced by the American defense industry for the Ukrainian military. The announcement comes just days after the US announced a $1 billion package that would quickly provide equipment to Ukraine from US stocks, following President Joe Biden’s signing of a much delayed $95 billion supplemental aid package on Wednesday. Biden said moments after signing the legislation that shipments of aid to Ukraine would begin within hours. Equipment under the $6 billion package announced Friday, however, will take much longer to arrive. The USAI is intended to provide Ukraine with a long-term supply of weapons and equipment.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Austin, CQ, “ They’ve, ” Brown, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Organizations: CNN, US, Ukraine —, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Contact Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Ukrainian

☆ Russia's fighter pilots are 'no longer so impudent' after Ukraine's kill streak, says air force
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's air defenses downed 10 Russian planes in 10 days in a recent kill streak. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said it highlighted Ukraine's ability to disrupt Russian airforce operations. The Su-34 is the Russian air force's best fighter bomber, Forbes reported, and cost $50 million each. AdvertisementOnce accustomed to flying with relative impunity, the warplanes are now constrained by the increased threat of Ukrainian air defenses. AdvertisementOn January 14 and February 23, Ukrainian forces also successfully targeted A-50 aircraft, critical early warning aircraft for long-range radar detection and targeting.

Persons: —, Yurii Ihnat, Ihnat, Forbes, Su, Moscow's Organizations: Kyiv Post, Service, RBC, Ukrainian Air Force, Russian, Ukrainian, Russian Air Force, Getty, Crimean Locations: Russian, Azov, Kyiv, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, MAKS, Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, Russia, Ukrainian, Norwegian

☆ Ukraine's experimental 'FrankenSAM' weapons reveal a huge gap in the US arsenal, military expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US making experimental weapons reveals its lack of ground-based defenses, an expert told BI. AdvertisementUkraine's use of experimental "FrankenSAM" defense systems has highlighted gaps in NATO's own arsenals, according to a military expert. "The FrankenSAMs fill a critical gap" for Ukraine as its allies don't have enough ground-based air defenses to give it, Cancian told Business Insider. He said Ukraine desperately needs ground-based air defenses, with Russia launching major drone and missile strikes on cities and towns across the country. The Pentagon changed its strategy and embraced ground-based defenses again, Cancian said, but he described that realization as taking place "probably belatedly."

Persons: —, cobbling, Mark Cancian, Cancian, NASAMS, it's Organizations: US, Service, NATO, US Marine Corps, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Business, Russia, AP, Pentagon, US Navy, AIM, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, Russia, North Korea, Iraq, Ukrainian, Crimea, China

☆ Ukraine and the US are mixing weapon systems that weren't built to play together to up Kyiv's defenses, and apparently they work
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They've seen success in using US missiles with Buk-M1 systems and HARM missiles on Soviet fighter jets. AdvertisementWith its air defenses working overtime to defend against constant Russian strikes, Ukraine is working with the US to create new capabilities by cobbling together Western and Soviet systems that weren't built to play together. Reporting earlier this year indicated Ukraine had found ways to modify the Soviet Buk air defenses to fire the RIM-7. The US and its Western allies have offered Ukraine air defenses like Patriot batteries, IRIS-T, NASAMs, and Gepard anti-aircraft guns, but Ukrainian forces continue to operate a number of Soviet air defenses, the Buk and the S-300 being among the most prominent. AdvertisementThe new capability was promising for Ukraine and indicated future modifications to its Soviet systems could be made, like firing US missiles from Soviet Buk vehicles, which are self-propelled, mid-range surface-to-air missile systems.

Persons: They've, —, Yurii Ihnat, Ihnat, SAMs, Richard, Diana Quinlan, James Hecker, Theodore Roosevelt, Seaman Anthony N, Olaf Scholz, Germany Organizations: Soviet, Service, Ukrainian Air Force, Kyiv Independent, RIM, American AIM, New York Times, IRIS, Amphibious, NATO, Valiant, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, US Air Forces, US, Politico, Marines, Thunderbolts, Marine Fighter Attack, Radiation, Nimitz, Communication, AIM Locations: Ukraine, Soviet, United States, American, Russia, Europe, Taiwan, Russian, Crimea

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The United States will provide $425 million worth of additional arms and equipment to Ukraine for its ongoing fight against Russia's invasion, the Biden administration announced on Friday. The package uses the last of the funds in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), a more than $18 billion fund that allowed the Biden administration to buy weapons from industry, rather than pull from U.S. weapons stocks. Biden, a Democrat, is calling on U.S. lawmakers to approve more aid for Kyiv. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022 the U.S. has sent about $44 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine. Reporting by Mike Stone and Susan Heavey; editing by David Ljunggren, Jonathan Oatis and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jonathan Ernst, Biden, Joe Biden, congressionally, Mike Stone, Susan Heavey, David Ljunggren, Jonathan Oatis, Leslie Adler Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, L3Harris Technologies, U.S, Reuters, Authority, Pentagon, Air Missile Systems, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Biden, Democrat, Kyiv, Republican, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, United States, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, Russian

☆ Kyiv official urges more cost effective weapons for countering Russia drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Roman Petushkov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 2 (Reuters) - A senior Ukrainian official called on Monday for a reassessment of Western anti-aircraft systems being supplied to Ukraine, saying simpler and cheaper weapons could be more cost-efficient in countering Russia's Iranian-made Shahed drones. "Thus, it leads to depletion of allied stockpiles and long-term weakening," Podolyak wrote. "The solution is obvious: in addition to mobile large-caliber machine guns, there are plenty of simpler and cheaper anti-aircraft systems available today that have proven themselves to be effective against Shaheds. Such scaling-down, Podolyak wrote, "will minimise the effect of Russian 'raids' and ensure long-term stability of Ukrainian skies and our neighbouring NATO countries". Zelenskiy and other officials have stressed in recent weeks the importance of developing Ukraine's own arms industry and in jointly developing weapons with Western companies.

Persons: Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Shaheds, Podolyak, Gepard, Ron Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Shaheds, NATO, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Germany, The U.S

☆ Ukraine counteroffensive: Winter is coming to Ukraine, but Kyiv is adapting its tactics
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And Kyiv has dramatically increased long-range missile and drone attacks against Russian military hubs: command centers, fuel and ammunition supplies, transport hubs. There is anecdotal evidence of this from other sources, but not to the degree that the Russian military machine would be damaged. Alexander Ermochenko/ReutersBut just as they seek to degrade Russian air defenses, the Ukrainians have made strides in improving their own. “Our air defense system has become even more comprehensive and experienced … By the winter, it will become even stronger.”Energy production has increased too. Ryan, the former Australian general, says Ukraine’s western partners must recognize and plan for this.

Persons: Franz, Stefan Gady, Michael Kofman, they’ve, It’s, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, ” Tarnavsky, Fred Pleitgen, Tarnavsky, Tony Radakin, Ukraine’s, it’s, WarZone, Gen, Kyrylo Budanov, “, ” Tarnovsky, Oleksandr Ratushniak, ”, Mick Ryan, Futura, Timchenko, Alexander Ermochenko, Denys Shmyhal, Jens Stoltenberg, Antony Blinken, Ryan, outlast, Robert Rose, Sergei Supinsky, Max Boot, ” Boot, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, ”, Russian, Black, Sea Navy, Planet Labs, US Army Tactical Missile, Defense Intelligence, Aviation, Reuters, UK Defense Ministry, Arms Army, CAA, IRIS, Energy, US, Firefighters, Getty, Council for Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Kherson, Ukrainian, ” Ukraine, Crimea, Sevastopol, Russian, Crimean, Moscow, Russia’s, Australian, Mariupol, Donbas, Europe, United States, AFP, Russia

☆ New missiles could help Ukraine's future F-16 fighters to take on Russian jets, but the planes will likely be more useful for other missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Pentagon plans to send highly capable air-to-air missiles that the jets can carry. A US Air Force aircraft fuels craftsman marshals a US F-16 at Rovaniemi Air Base in Finland during Astral Knight 23 Part 6 on August 23, 2023. These capabilities, coupled with its physical design, make the F-16 a formidable opponent for Russian fighter jets like the MiG-31 and Su-35, experts and former pilots say. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 85th Test Evaluation Squadron flies a test mission March 19, 2019 near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Snodgrass said these missiles are "fairly comparable" to Russian air-to-air missiles like the R-27 and R-77.

Persons: Albert Morel Additionally, John Baum, Baum, it's, Guy Snodgrass, Russia's Su, Joshua Hoskins, Snodgrass, Biden, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Doug Birkey, Evgeniy, we've, Tannehill, ABIS Kayla Hayes, Moscow's, Perry Aston Organizations: Pentagon, Aviation, Service, AIM, US Air Force, Rovaniemi Air Base, Astral, Russian, Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Air Missiles, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Washington, Air Missile, US Navy, Getty, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, AP, Kyiv, Avionics, 3C Orion, Marine Corps Base, Australian Defense Force, NATO, Army Tactical Missile, Storm, Alabama National, 187th Fighter Wing, Joint Base, Sweden, Gripen Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Finland, Fla, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Crimean, Md, Stockholm

☆ Surface-to-air missiles are getting a workout in the Ukraine war — and not just shooting down enemy missiles and aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But reports show both Russia and Ukraine are also using SAMs to hit land targets. A S-200 surface-to-air missile system. On Sunday, a UK intelligence update said there were increasing reports of surface-to-air missiles striking land targets inside Russian-controlled territory. With the S-200s, Ukraine can strike Russia without breaking any promises to its allies. When used for attacks against land targets, the supersonic weapons are notoriously inaccurate and cause massive collateral damage.

Persons: SAMs, Ukraine's, Weeks, Ercin Organizations: Service, Patriots, TASS, Russia pummels, UNESCO, Heritage, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, High, Artillery, Systems Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, NASAMS, SAMs, Crimea, Western, Russian, Odessa, Getty Images Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian

☆ Top US Air Force general was surprised that Russia 'gave up' trying to destroy Ukraine's Russian-designed air defenses so quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's limited use of its air force in Ukraine has surprised US Air Force leaders. Those leaders are surprised in large part because Ukraine is using air defenses that Russians designed. "I would say that I was somewhat surprised" by Russia's inability to control the air and knock out Ukrainian air defenses, Hecker said. Ukrainian forces are now using US-made Patriot missiles and the US-Norwegian-designed NASAMS to defend against long-range threats as well as several Western-designed systems for short-range air defense. US intelligence assessments leaked online this spring suggested Ukraine could expend its supply of surface-to-air missiles for several systems by mid-year.

Persons: James Hecker, " Hecker, Justin Bronk, Hecker, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Hecker, Charles Brown Jr, Brown, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Ed Ram Organizations: US Air Force, Service, Russian Air Force, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Russian Ministry of, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Sukhoi, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine, Ukrainian, International Institute of Strategic Studies, The Washington, Getty, Patriot, Russian, Ukraine Defense Contact Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russian, Russia, British, Soviet, Norwegian, Kyiv

[1/5] German Patriot air defence system units are seen at the Vilnius airport in Vilnius, Lithuania July 7, 2023. Many are also providing advanced air defence systems which the Baltic states lack. But for the region with total population of about 6 million people, this is not enough to sustain large militaries, invest in their own fighter jets or advanced air defence. NATO is NATO, and we feel ourselves safe because we are in NATO. He added that he feared waves of migrants at the border, or border violations, or military vehicles appearing at the border without explanation.

Persons: Janis Laizans, Joe Biden, Biden, Gitanas Nauseda, Caesar, Wagner, Edvard Rynkun, Elena Tarasevic, Col Steffen Lieb, Rustamas Liubajevas, Sabine Siebold, John Irish, William Maclean Organizations: Patriot, REUTERS, NATO, Belarus Allies, Baltic, European Union, Reuters, Wagner, Thomson Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Belarus, KANIUKAI, Russia, Baltic, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Spain, France, Finland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Poland, Kaniukai, Ukraine, Kaliningrad, Russian, Minsk

☆ F-16s are no 'wonder weapon,' but they could deal serious damage to Russian forces in Ukraine with the right missiles, former US Navy pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

After months of asking, Ukraine finally got the West to shift its stance on outfitting its air force with F-16s. But the fourth-gen fighter jets won't necessarily be a game-changer or give Ukraine air superiority. But the right weapon systems may allow F-16s "to strike targets that Ukraine might not otherwise be able to hit." "The decision to give Ukraine F-16s is not about helping it survive the next phase of the war, but helping it ensure its sovereignty in the long term." Two US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons US Air Force photo by Tech.

Persons: —, Biden, David Kujawa, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Tannehill, Charles Vaughn, Kevin Gruenwald, Matthew Lotz, JASSMs Organizations: US Navy, Service, RAND Corporation, US Air Force, Alpena Combat Readiness, Center, Pentagon Press, Air Force, RAND, AIM, Alabama Air National Guard, Air, Controller, Mirgorod Air Base, Tech, Incirlik Air Base, Staff of, Armed Forces, Fighting Falcons US Air Force, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Michigan, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Ukrainian, California, Kyiv, Turkey, Russian, Crimea

[1/4] U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley holds a news conference on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 15, 2023. Milley was speaking after a meeting of the U.S.-led Contact Group of some 50 countries that give military aid to Ukraine. Austin noted the group had already given Patriot, IRIS-T and NASAMS air defence systems that had protected Ukraine from Russian missile attacks. "I ask that the members of this Contact Group continue to dig deep to provide Ukraine with the air defence assets and munitions that it so urgently needs to protect its citizens," Austin said in opening remarks. Later in the day, NATO defence ministers met separately with Reznikov to discuss their support for Kyiv.

Persons: Mark A, Milley, Yves Herman BRUSSELS, Kyiv's, It's, Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We'll, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Joint Chiefs, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, U.S, Ukraine, Russian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO, Group, U.S . Defense, IRIS, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian Defence, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Kyiv

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine's plans for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation remain on track, its deputy defence minister told Reuters on Saturday, despite an "unprecedented" wave of missile and drone attacks across the country in recent weeks. Havrylov called Russia's heavy use of ballistic missiles in May a "last strategic resort" and noted that his country's air defence systems had been "more than 90 percent effective" against the attacks. For Russia "it was a huge surprise to find that the effectiveness of (their ballistic missiles) was almost zero against modern air defence systems, which we received from our partners," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday his country was ready to launch a much-awaited counter-offensive. The addition of modern fighter aircraft such as F-16s would improve the country's air defence capabilities, Havrylov said.

Persons: Volodymyr V, Havrylov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ben Wallace, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Patriot, IRIS, NATO, British Storm, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Ukraine, Kyiv, Singapore, Russia, United States, Germany, Moscow, Vilnius, Lithuania, Crimea

☆ Russian missiles and drones had a 90% failure rate in May and that cost the Kremlin $1.7 billion, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Around 90% of Russia's drones and missiles fired in May were destroyed, the Kyiv Post reported. The bulk of Russia's munitions expenses stemmed from destroyed Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles, costing $1.48 billion, the Kyiv Post reported. The Kyiv Post also wrote that Ukraine used 401 Shahed-136 drones costing around $20,000 each, and that 362 were destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses. That failure rate eclipses earlier estimates from the US, which said in 2022 that as much as 60% of Russia's missiles never reached their targets. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in November that American NASAMS air defense systems sent to Ukraine had a 100% success rate of intercepting Russian missiles.

Persons: —, Pete Shmigel, They're, Ukraine didn't, Lloyd Austin, General Serhii Naiev Organizations: Kyiv Post, Service, Kremlin, Post, NATO, US, Joint Forces of, Armed Forces of, CNN, Patriot, Press Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Australian, Russia, Moscow, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian

National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby declined to comment specifically on the possibility of the US sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, but said broadly that the US has been forward-looking about “future capabilities” and needs. US lawmakers and congressional staffers have joined in the F-16 lobbying campaign, urging the administration to provide the jets so that Ukraine can establish control over its skies. US allies with F-16s could conduct training for Ukrainian fighter pilots, or the aircraft’s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, could carry out training as a private contractor. Without the jets, Ukraine is having to improvise, officials say. The Russian jets have largely been staying behind Russian defensive lines, making them difficult for Ukraine to target with shorter-range systems like NASAMs.

☆ How Western air defense weapons helped Ukraine turn the tables on Russia's aerial assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Until recently most analysts and even US defense officials simply doubted Ukraine’s air defenses would be up to the job of repelling a sustained Russian assault. The obvious answer, in the Kyiv region at least, is the deployment of the US-made Patriot air defense systems, which arrived in Ukraine last month. Reinforcements on the wayOn May 9, the US Defense Department announced a $1.2 billion package to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses and artillery stockpiles. Meanwhile, on Monday the United Kingdom confirmed it would send hundreds of air defense missiles to Ukraine. “Should Russia manage to wear down Ukraine’s air defenses through attrition and gain air superiority, the war becomes significantly more challenging for Ukraine,” Williams wrote.

☆ Can Ukraine use Patriot defense systems to knock out Russian hypersonic missiles?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here is what you need to know about the Patriot:WHAT IS THE PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEM? CAN PATRIOTS KNOCK OUT HYPERSONIC MISSILES? Ukraine has said it needs more air defense systems to protect against the barrage of missile and drones strikes from Russian forces. The United States has also provided a pair of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine. Raytheon has built more 240 Patriot systems and they are currently used by 18 countries, including the United States.

☆ Ukraine's fight to fend off Russia's superior air force hinges on its surface-to-air missiles, expert says, but leaked top secret documents show it may be running out
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's air force has an edge over Ukraine's aircraft, requiring Ukraine to rely on other capabilities. Fighting off Russia's air force is dependent on Ukraine's surface-to-air missiles, a new report says. One document in particular that was obtained and reviewed by Insider details Ukraine's air defense capabilities and the risks it faces. Soldiers of the German Armed Forces stand on a trailer with launching pads for guided missiles of the Patriot air defense system on a snow-covered field in southeastern Poland. "Our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said last week.

☆ A 1960s-era cannon is 'kicking ass' against Russia's drones, but the country that makes ammo for it won't send more to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But Switzerland, where Gepard ammo is made, is not allowing more of that ammo to be sent to Ukraine. The Gepard SPAAGA German Gepard anti-aircraft tank during an exercise near Munster in June 2007. German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann built 570 Gepards between 1963 and 1980 — 420 for the German Bundeswehr, 95 for the Dutch army, and 55 for the Belgian army. Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty ImagesAfter being criticized for its reluctance to send heavy weaponry to Ukraine, the German government promised some 50 Gepards to Ukraine in April 2022. In February, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that German firm Rheinmetall would restart ammo production for the Gepard.

☆ Ukraine's fighter jet fleet is slowly growing, but its weapons to bring down Russian jets are dwindling, leaked US document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The jets will bolster Ukraine's fighter fleet, which is still under fire from Russia's larger air force. But air-defense ammunition is a more urgent need, one underscored in recently leaked US documents. Berlin approved Warsaw's request to send jets to Ukraine on Thursday, the same day it was received. Both air forces have shifted tactics and now operate farther from the front line, playing to the advantage of the Russian aircraft, which have an edge at longer ranges. Without the threat posed by those interceptor missiles, Russian aircraft would have greater freedom to attack Ukrainian aircraft and bomb Ukrainian targets, including in support of Russian front-line troops, the leaked document says.

☆ US pledges $2.6 billion more in weapons aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday told the U.S. National Governors Association that the United States could protect its values by helping Ukraine. The weapons aid package was comprised of $2.1 billion from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funding which allows President Joe Biden's administration to buy weapons from industry rather than from U.S. weapons stocks. That segment of the package included a half a dozen types of munitions, including munitions for Patriot air defense systems, tank munitions, and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The package announced on Tuesday includes 61 heavy fuel tankers and recovery vehicles to help disabled heavy equipment like tanks. The U.S. has now pledged more than $35.2 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine since the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion.

☆ Factbox: What can Finland's armed forces and arsenal offer NATO?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HELSINKI, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland joined NATO on Tuesday, bringing the Western defence alliance significant military capabilities developed over the years. Finland's ground, naval and air forces are all trained and equipped with one primary aim - to repel any Russian invasion. Its most important anti-aircraft system is the NATO-compatible Norwegian-American NASAMS 2. AIR FORCEThe Finnish Air Force has a fleet of 61 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, which are being replaced by 64 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II jets, the delivery of which will begin in 2026. In addition to the jet fleet, the Air Force has dozens of training aircraft and surveillance radars, including ones that have a range of almost 500 km (300 miles).

☆ Munitions, anti-tank rockets in next $2.6 bln US pledge for Ukraine -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Military aid, delivered as part of the United States of America's security assistance to Ukraine, is unloaded from a plane at the Boryspil International Airport outside Kyiv, Ukraine February 11, 2022. Also slated for inclusion were precision aerial munitions, bridging equipment Ukraine would use to assault Russian positions, recovery vehicles to help disabled heavy equipment like tanks and additional rounds for NASAMS air defenses that the U.S. and allies have given to Kyiv. The aid was comprised of $2.1 billion in weapons aid coming from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funding that allows President Joe Biden's administration to buy weapons from industry rather than from U.S. weapons stocks. The U.S. has now pledged more then $30 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine since the invasion. Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "NASAMS"

25 mentions found