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The strengthening of Ukraine's air defense with anti-aircraft systems by the US is demonstrated by an article published in the Wall Street Journal, which quotes US officials as saying that "the US is sending Ukraine Soviet anti-aircraft systems that were secretly procured decades ago to bolster the Ukrainian military as it tries to fend off Russian air and missile attacks."
LEFT BY LEFT HERE ALL DEVELOPMENTS
[/P]The hidden Soviet systems
In these systems, according to the American official, include the SA-8 (OSA A/K), which were secretly acquired by the US so that they could "examine the technology used by the Russian military that Moscow has exported around the world."
The US "covert" efforts came to light in 1994 when a huge Soviet-built transport plane was spotted at Huntsville Airport in Alabama, in front of a major highway. It was later revealed that the plane was carrying the S-300 air defense system that the United States had "secretly" acquired in Belarus, in a project that cost $100 million, according to a former official involved in the mission.
Some of the Soviet-style weapons were kept at the Redstone Arsenal camp in Alabama, which serves as the Army's "center for missile programs."
Ukraine already has some Russian air defense systems[/B], including the S-300. But it needs more such systems, which can operate at medium and long ranges to counter Russia's missile attacks. The Stinger missiles that the US and NATO countries are providing to Ukraine are only effective against helicopters and low-flying aircraft.
[BR][BR]The US hopes that providing additional air defenses will allow Ukraine to establish a de facto no-fly zone, since the US and its NATO allies have rebuffed Ukrainian calls for a no-fly zone over the country.
"We continue to work with our allies and partners to increase assistance to Ukraine, including Soviet- or Russian-origin anti-aircraft systems and essential ammunition," a U.S. official said.
Obstacles in Slovakia
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Slovakia last week to explore whether the country would send S-300s from its arsenal to Ukraine. Slovakia has said it is willing to make such a move if the US provided it with other suitable weapons systems to replace the S-300. This has not yet been agreed.
US-made weapons, such as the Patriot air defence system, are in short supply and require US military personnel or months of US training to operate. German and Dutch Patriot units could be sent to Slovakia as a temporary solution, the two governments said.
"We have discussed" with the U.S., Slovakia's defense minister said during a joint news conference with Austin on Thursday. "In case there is a suitable replacement or that we have guarantees that it will be provided to us in a certain period of time then we would be willing to discuss sending the S-300″[BR] system."
Source: in.gr
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