The conflict between Russia and Ukraine lasted for four months. The Ukrainian army's fighting situation in the Donbass area was not optimistic. Not only was it forced to abandon Severodonetsk, but its defensive position in Lisichansk was also in danger. The reason for this is closely related to the fact that and Ukraine have long lost their battlefield air supremacy. Not only was the Ukrainian Air Force beaten to pieces, but even the limited number of field air defense systems were targeted and hunted by the Russian Aerospace Forces.
In this regard, Ukrainian President Zelensky has been calling on the West to provide a "powerful air defense system ". However, the previous "lazy" performance of the United States and other countries has made Kiev very angry. Zelensky said, “If they are true partners, not ‘observers,’ then they need to act faster,” which shows the urgency of the Ukrainian army’s need for air defense weapons. Now, the countries in the Western camp are finally taking action.
According to CCTV news, Zelensky said in his latest video speech that the Group of Seven (G7) plans to provide air defense systems to Ukraine, and Ukraine is waiting for the arrival of these weapons. A source in the Biden administration revealed that U.S. President Biden will soon announce the supply of NASAMS mid- and long-range missile defense systems to Ukraine, in addition to additional artillery, ammunition and anti-artillery radars. equipment. The development project of the
NASAMS system was born in the 1990s. It is a distributed and gridded medium- and long-range surface-to-air missile system with an air detection range of up to 160 kilometers and a range of 25 kilometers. Once Ukraine obtains this weapon, it may be used first to protect key areas such as the capital Kiev. After all, Kiev has suffered multiple rounds of air strikes this month alone.
It is not yet certain the specific model of NASAMS provided by the United States, but if it is the newer NASAMS-2 or NASAMS-3, it will have greater mobility. It is worth noting that the NASAMS system is very suitable for intercepting low-altitude cruise missiles, and this is currently one of the main means of the Russian army's attack on important targets in Ukraine. It once caused the Zelensky government a headache but was unable to do anything. Moreover, the system can continuously launch 72 missiles to intercept enemy aircraft or cruise missiles. It has strong anti-saturation strike capabilities and is very suitable for the current situation of the Ukrainian army.
Of course, after the arrival of NASAMS, Russia may change its tactics and reduce the use of traditional cruise missiles. Instead, use hypersonic weapons such as "Dagger" or medium and short-range ballistic missiles to reduce the interception of NASAMS. Success rate. In addition, considering that the Russian Aerospace Force has put the Su-57 stealth fighter into the battlefield, it cannot be ruled out that the Su-57 will directly compete with NASAMS when hunting high-value targets and air defense systems of the Ukrainian army. At that time, these two most advanced weapons belonging to different camps will usher in a real competition. We will wait and see who will win.
