The US Army has awarded Raytheon a $1.2 billion contract to produce an air defense system for Ukraine as part of US military aid for the country.
The contract is for six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), a system the US recently began providing Ukraine. The funds for the contract are coming from the fifth package from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the US to purchase arms for Kyiv.
NASAMS typically take 24 months to produce, but the US Army said it will work to expedite the timeline. Either way, the systems will likely take at least about two years to deliver, demonstrating how the US is planning to support Ukraine against Russia in the long term.
Raytheon, the former employer of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, has benefited greatly from the US’s Ukraine policy. The company, and other US defense contractors, are getting contracts to make weapons for Ukraine, to replenish US military stockpiles, and for US allies in Europe.
Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes said last week that the US is looking to send NASMS deployed in the Middle East to Ukraine. “There are NASAMS deployed across the Middle East, and some of our NATO allies and we [the US] are actually working with a couple of Middle Eastern countries that currently employ NASAMS and trying to direct those back up to Ukraine,” Hayes said, according to POLITICO.
If NASMS in the Middle East are sent to Ukraine, Hayes said those systems would then be backfilled with new ones, meaning more contracts for Raytheon. Hayes said that sending already deployed NASMS gets the system into Ukraine’s hands much faster than producing new systems. “Just because it takes 24 months to build, it doesn’t mean it’s going to take 24 months to get in country,” he said.
Isn’t it fascinating that per Virginia business.com website “four of the top five major US aerospace & defense leaders [are] now based in Virginia” — cuddling close to Washington DC? Raytheon moving HQ to VA in 2022….
The operative word is “cuddling”…
Classic MIC, nothing to see here, move along.
They didn’t waste time did they?
Money makes the world go around…
In 24 months the Russians will be finished with the Ukraine exhibits for their war museums but the Ukraine gravy train is staying stoked and chugging for the MIC.
More instruments of death provided by you and me, the Amerikkkan taxpayer.
No legitimate negotiations in sight.
If we’re going to export that kind of money, I want it to SAVE lives, not take them. Famine has put millions of people worldwide in danger of starvation. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were to act as benefactors for them, rather than contributing to ever more deaths?
Oh wait, I just woke up…
You will be saving lives by preventing wars of territorial conquest from becoming the accepted norm – and thereby preventing a lot more wars from looking like a good idea for nations around the world, so do not be so despondent you are even if you are not aware of it part of a good project – I only wished that this could have been achieved without war, but that was not for us to decide.
Michael, that’s the most incredibly naive statement I’ve ever read. NEGOTIATIONS will stop this war and nothing else.
Additionally, war is a vastly unfortunate part of human nature. There WILL be future wars between various nations, for one supposed reason or another. And speaking of “ territorial conquest”, who’s stopping the United Snakes from gifting IsraHell with $4 billion a year in order to illegally seize ever more Palestinian land?
Do you see why your theory won’t work?
Yes that is by far the most likely – if those negotiations leads to anything that could be seen as a net gain for Russia then expect a lot more wars, an arms race and all nations that can to scramble to get their own nuclear weapons – so I think the negotiations will not grant Russia any territorial gains or if they do then the sanctions will stay on (some are bound to stay on if Russia is left with any part of Ukrainian territory as defined in 1994.
Certainly true, but if you make war a much better option for the aggressor nation (which is what allowing territorial conquest will do) then there will be far more of them.
Unfortunately no one which is likely why they still occupy Palestinian lands and are annexing parts of it outright – is that what you wish to have happening a lot of other places?
No you actually just confirmed it – Israel is one of the best examples without the protection of the US – there is no way that the Israeli government could have acted like it does – what allowing Russia to do the same would do is to make the Chinese copy it on Taiwan and other nations doing the same in the chaos that follows.
Your comparison between Israel and Russia/China is invalid. Russia and China are cases of civil war. Israel is a foreign conquest. Two different things.
I do not compare Russia and China to Israel I say that the SMO to other nations is just an other war with the aim of territorial conquest, very few in the international community sees the SMO as a civil war – while quite a few may see China taking back Taiwan as one.
EDIT: Actually not even Russia sees the SMO as a civil war – otherwise they would not have had to annex the partially occupied oblasts.
I’ve traveled in Russia, China, and Israel/Palestine. The SMO and Taiwan conflict are civil wars. Israel is a foreign conquest.
It does not matter how you see it, it matters how it is seen internationally – and as stated it is seen as a war between two nations both recognized by the UN and both recognized before the conflict by each other – thus most nation can see the war between those two as an example of how a war between them and one of their neighbors would play out.
In 1947-48, 15,000 Palestinians were killed, 750,000 forced from their land. The U.N. is calling for a end to Israel taking lands, bulldozing homes, killing Palestinians.
I repeat. Russia has no intention to “conquer” Ukraine. Putin’s mistake was not acting sooner, like after the coup. He could have saved thousands of live that were lost by the shelling of Donbas by Kiev.
I have not claimed that Putin wanted to conquer Ukraine – I have only stated that we cannot allow him to annex any part of Ukraine and not face sanctions so severe that it is clear to everyone that wars of territorial conquest is a very bad idea.
If Putin did not want people to die from shelling in the Donbas then he probably should not have allowed the people in his service to help start and sustain an armed insurrection in the Donbas nor should he have annexed Crimea- because at the time he did that they faced far less bad consequences.
Russia is not after “conquest” of Ukraine. The objective was clear from the beginning: protect the Russian speaking citizens of Ukraine. Minsk I and II were stalling tactic to allow Kiev to prep for the final assault. Merkel in an interview as much as said so. Now, the war could have been negotiated to a halt in April, 2022. The West sent its emissary, Boris, to stop negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. You do know the formatl name of Taiwan is Formosa. It has always been a part of China.
A war of territorial conquest does not mean that a nation wants or needs to take all of the nation they are at war with – what gave you that idea? So from the very start this was a war of territorial conquest even if we say it started in 2014 because Russia annexed Crimea.
Crimea and the Donbas territories voted nearly unanimously to become part of the Russian Federation. Give the people what they want.
No Palestinians voted to have their territory seized by IsraHell.
If the world is so keen against annexation, why aren’t they arming Palestinians?
What about your nation doing so? Or are you puppets of the United Snakes as well?
First two attempts at replying being held up in moderation so here a different formulation which may cause less delay:
The problems with that are that many of the residents had fled and the votes were not held before the conflict – so allowing this to stand would be to reward aggression – nota a good example to set for the rest of the world.
If after 8 years of Ukrainian control they still want to secede then I’m very much for them being allowed to do so – probably after even shorter time though it would require time for the displaced people to return.
Because the world is not so keen against annexation when it was Is…. doing it after having been attacked several times – or to put it more bluntly most of Europe were against it but easily shamed out because of our horrible history of treating the people living in Is,,,, very poorly.
We have been applying some trade restrictions – but we have to agree on this within EU and there not all agree – UK if I remember correctly was particularly keen to placate the US – so maybe things will change in the future.
The Palestinians had nothing to do with the way Jews were treated in Europe, yet they are paying the price.
The Bastard Brits, being colonial themselves, of course don’t give a flying f*ck.
The EU needs to pay attention to the Irish in this matter, they, of course, knowing a thing or two about having been occupied.
Yes this is the very regrettable fact i.e. that other innocents gats to pay for our bad conscience.
Them and a good lot of the right wingers who now see the Muslim migration to EU as the main threat to ‘our’ nations.
Agreed.
The problems with that are that many of the residents had fled and the votes were not held before the conflict – so allowing this to stand would be to reward aggression – nota a good example to set for the rest of the world.
If after 8 years of Ukrainian control they still want to secede then I’m very much for them being allowed to do so – probably after even shorter time though it would require time for the displaced people to return.
Absolutely true.
Because the world is not so keen against annexation or to put it more bluntly most of Europe were against it but easily shamed out because of our horrible history of treating the Jews very poorly.
Michael, I can tell who you’re arguing with because she’s the only person I have blocked here, and it is 100% not worth your time.
I always enjoy your thoughtful responses but you will never make any inroads with her.
To tell the truth I do not expect to convert anyone, just to allow them to see that one can have reasons for supporting the Ukrainians in this without:
1) hating the Russians
2) loving the Ukrainians or Zelenskyy
3) liking the idea of war one little bit
4) liking what the US has done in any of its wars
5) Supporting Israel’s annexation of Palestinian territories
But just because one would not like war to become so much more of an attractive solution in so many places on earth.
The problems with that are that many of the residents had fled and the votes were not held before the conflict – so allowing this to stand would be to reward aggression – nota a good example to set for the rest of the world.
If after 8 years of Ukrainian control they still want to secede then I’m very much for them being allowed to do so – probably after even shorter time though it would require time for the displaced people to return.
Absolutely true.
Because the world is not so keen against annexation when it was Israel doing it after having been attacked several times – or to put it more bluntly most of Europe were against it but easily shamed out because of our horrible history of treating the Jews very poorly.
We have been applying some trade restrictions – but we have to agree on this within EU and there not all agree – UK if I remember correctly was particularly keen to placate the US – so maybe things will change in the future.
“NASAMS typically take 24 months to produce, but the US Army said it will work to expedite the timeline.”
Expediate = More cash. Those already ridiculously inflated prices normally paid these death merchants will be just a bit more exceedingly ridiculous. Remember Operation Warp Speed? Same thing.
Whatever, Russian drones will be ready and waiting. Maybe in 24 months Zelensky will be sitting by the pool in some unnamed country, his job done and his pockets full.
There will most likely soon be a substantially bigger contract to move artillery shell production to a production rate more suitable for a war and not a SMO.
I am astounded by reports that we really are running out of artillery shells, and that Russia outproduces us by a LOT.
Meanwhile, instead of upgrading our artillery units to be able to fire off continual shells without overheating, we introduce a new comedic, I mean scary Stealth Bomber.
Artillery shells and upgraded artillery units allow us to keep the conflict conventional. Stealth Bombers move the war closer to nuclear use.
It would be quite the debacle if their S-500s were able to shoot down our B-21s without the need for modification. I hope we never find out which would win
That’s great. Raytheon took a chance with Lloyd “A. A.” Austin and here’s the payoff, more “defense” spending!
There is a fly in the ointment. There probably won’t be a Ukraine by the time the weapons are ready in 2024, Ukraine being reduced to a rump state after Putin get through with it by spring. I suspect Poland to grab the Lvov region for itself.
WTF Thomas, one can’t type the J-word on this forum?
What about Hindu? Catholic? Presbyterian? Wiccan?
Oh apparently that’s permissible, since this comment isn’t being “ held up for moderation”.
Is a certain tribe being a bit sensitive about having their religion identified? Boy Howdy, ain’t THAT a good one.
Yes, one can type the J-word on this forum.
And then the comment will be held for moderation and, if it’s not one of the Stormfront-type comments that constitute the reason for holding such comments, it will be posted as soon as I see it.
If a similar problem arises with any of those other words, the same thing will happen.
LOL….yet I consistently refer to the English as the “bastard Brits”…
Yet, I can type the word Buddhist without my comment being held up for “moderation”.
WTF.
Correct.
You can also type the words “the,” “cookie,” “rhododendron,” etc., because none of those words have historically been used in spam/flood campaigns to saturate Antiwar.com with comments that violate our guidelines.
If anti-Buddhist bigots decide to flood Antiwar.com with slurs against Buddhists and Buddhism, those words will end up getting added to our “have a human look at this before it posts” lists.
I don’t mind explaining this over and over every time someone pretends to be surprised by it, but I am somewhat disappointed to see you in particular playing that dumb game.
🙄