Delay in delivery of NASAMS by Canada to Ukraine raises questions.

In January 2023, the Canadian government announced the purchase of an air defense system, the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), for Ukraine as part of increased support in response to the Russian invasion. The cost of this acquisition was $406 million, part of a larger $500 million military aid package announced in November 2022. However, as of 2024, this story has gained significant attention as the promised system has not yet arrived in Ukraine, and no delivery date has been communicated by Canada.
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National Advanced Surface to Air Defense Missile System (Picture source: Kongsberg)

According to an article in the Ottawa Citizen, the Canadian government has still not delivered the promised NASAMS, a commitment made over a year ago. To fully understand the situation, it's necessary to review the sequence of events.

Firstly, it's important to know what NASAMS is. The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System is a medium to long-range air defense system, primarily designed by Norway. This system uses missiles powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor and is capable of reaching targets up to a distance of 180 kilometers. The missile used in the NASAMS is the AIM-120C, which weighs approximately 152 kg and has a high explosive blast-fragmentation military warhead weighing 18.1 kg.

With a speed of Mach 2.7, the missile measures 3.7 meters in length, with a diameter of 0.18 meters and a wingspan of 0.53 meters. This combination of speed and range makes the NASAMS a very effective defense system against various aerial threats. It is therefore a very relevant tool for Ukraine, which still faces numerous challenges in terms of air defense, as recent attacks on Kyiv have demonstrated the need for such a system.

At the time of the donation announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had logically expressed his gratitude towards Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for this assistance, describing it as a solid shield for Ukrainian cities and citizens.

In April 2023, the then-Canadian Defense Minister, Anita Anand, declared that the system was on its way to Ukraine, contributing to the confusion surrounding this matter.

Despite this promising announcement, a year later, in January 2024, the promised NASAMS has still not been delivered. The details regarding the delivery schedules remain vague, with information indicating that the delivery processes and timelines were still being finalized between Canada and the United States. This situation has raised concerns about the transparency and efficiency of the Canadian defense acquisition processes.

In addition to assistance via NASAMS, Canada has committed more than $2.4 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, including M777 howitzers, ammunition, Leopard tanks, armored vehicles, anti-armor weapons, and rocket launchers. However, details about the sources of this equipment and the cost of replacing the donated material remain opaque. Questions also remain about the origin of the 2.4 million rounds of ammunition announced by Trudeau in April 2023, since Colt Canada, which was supposed to have placed the order, does not manufacture ammunition.

This situation has led to concerns among some parliamentarians regarding the transparency and accountability of Canada's defense spending. In the meantime, what is certain is that Ukraine has still not received its NASAMS system.