Ukraine is anticipated to quickly obtain a lot of so-called VAMPIRE counter-drone methods, in keeping with Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder, who confirmed Washington’s dedication to provide Kiev with air protection capabilities. The assertion got here amid Russia’s continued missile and drone strikes concentrating on Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Ryder mentioned the US authorities has but to safe a contract for the laser-guided missile launchers however expects one to be reached inside the subsequent few months. “Proper now we’re anticipating supply to be mid-2023,” he defined, noting that “air protection continues to be a precedence.”
The VAMPIRE, or Car-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Gear, might be put in on the cargo mattress of virtually any civilian truck and makes use of laser-guided munitions able to hitting each floor and airborne targets, together with unmanned aerial autos. Though it isn’t explicitly marketed as an anti-drone weapon, methods much like the VAMPIRE have been used extensively in Ukraine for that objective.
These methods are a part of a $3 billion arms bundle for Ukraine introduced by the Pentagon again in August. This additionally consists of the Nationwide Superior Floor-to-Air Missile Methods, or NASAMS, which Washington additionally says will likely be arriving in Ukraine “within the very close to future.”
On Tuesday, a Pentagon official said that the US had dedicated a complete of eight NASAMS and the corresponding munitions, and that two of them can be in Ukraine quickly.
Kiev has been demanding extra superior air protection methods ever since Russia shifted its navy techniques in Ukraine to make use of cheap kamikaze drones to cripple Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure. Kiev’s Soviet-era and NATO-supplied air protection methods have thus far been unable to successfully cease the Russian UAVs.
Quite a few areas in Ukraine, together with Kiev, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, and Kharkov have been experiencing common blackouts because the huge strikes on Ukrainian vitality services started. The change within the Russian method got here after Moscow accused Kiev of terrorist assaults on its infrastructure, together with the strategic Crimean Bridge.
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