Canada delivers NASAMS to Ukraine to boost air defence capabilities

Bill Blair, Canada’s Minister of National Defence, announced that the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) donated by Canada has arrived in Ukraine.

This critical donation aims to enhance Ukraine's air defence capabilities against destructive air attacks targeting military sites, critical civilian infrastructure, and population centres, Caliber.Az reports citing the announcement posted on the website of the Canadian government. 

Since February 2022, Canada has also contributed over 300 air defence missiles from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) inventory.

In addition to Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s ongoing training mission in Ukraine, this donation builds upon previous deliveries of armoured vehicles, artillery, drone cameras, winter clothing, and the efforts of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to transport military aid to Ukraine from Canada, Allies, and partners.

“Canada remains committed to providing Ukraine with the military aid that it needs to defend itself from Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable attacks, including intensifying Russian air raids,” Blair stated.

He emphasized, “This ground-based air defence system will help Ukraine protect itself against destructive air attacks. Canada's support for Ukraine is steadfast, and we will continue to step up and build on our contributions to Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s invasion. We thank the United States, as well as our partners in Norway, for their collaboration and ensuring the safe arrival of Canada’s donation of this NASAMS to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

A NASAMS is a short to medium-range ground-based air defence system designed to protect against drone, missile, and aircraft attacks, boasting a high success rate. This high-priority donation was purchased from the United States and is a new build from Raytheon in partnership with Kongsberg, valued at approximately $406 million. This donation is part of the $500 million in military aid to Ukraine that Prime Minister Trudeau announced on November 14, 2022.

Since February 2022, Canada has committed a total of $4.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, with an additional $500 million announced at the NATO Summit in July 2024. Since late March 2022, the RCAF has been actively transporting military aid to Ukraine, with over 22 million pounds of donations delivered to date.

Currently, more than 350 CAF members are engaged in training missions in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Latvia while facilitating the delivery of military donations to Ukraine. Since the launch of Operation UNIFIER, the CAF has trained over 43,000 members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and this mission has been extended until March 2026.

By Tamilla Hasanova