In a letter, a bipartisan group of six senators asked the Secretary of Defense to deliver more medium and long-range air defense systems as a way to help the Ukrainian military defend cities and military installations. defense of Ukraine from Russian air and missile attacks.
US Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Robert Portman (R-Ohio) and Lindsey Graham (RS .C.) Sent a Letters to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, requesting that they immediately expedite shipments of military equipment to Ukraine in accordance with the Ukraine Supplement Act.
Passed on May 19, the law provided nearly $20 billion in military aid to the Ukrainian military. Recommended equipment for immediate delivery includes medium and long-range air defense systems, 155 mm cannons, High Mobility Missile Systems (HIMARS), armored personnel carriers, larger unmanned aircraft systems. and more capable (UAS) and Mi-17 helicopters.
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The senators said in a letter that “protecting Ukrainian cities, military infrastructure and forces on the ground from Russian air and missile attack requires systems ground-based air defense, anti-missile systems, artillery, mortars (C-RAM) and Avenger mobile anti-aircraft missile systems. Longer-range air defenses would allow Ukraine to target Russian aircraft and cruise missiles operating at altitudes inaccessible to Stingers. C-RAM will provide critical point defense against missiles and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) targeting civilian and military critical infrastructure.”
In addition, they also added that Avengers will provide Ukrainian forces with short-range air defense, maneuvering against low-flying aircraft, helicopters and UAS.
“Our support must be decisive, not incremental. We urge you to act urgently, while working with NATO allies and partners, to deliver this equipment to the Ukrainian army immediately,” the letter read.
The Avenger is a surface-to-air missile system commonly mounted on a highly maneuverable Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle, commonly known as the Humvee. The combined weapon system provides maneuverable protection against missiles, low-flying aircraft and, most recently, drones.
The Missile, Artillery and Mortar System, or C-RAM, was developed based on operational needs identified in 2004 during military campaigns in Iraq. The C-RAM mission has one goal; to protect civilians and structures from enemy missile, artillery and mortar fire by intercepting and destroying those threats in flight. Often recognized by the visual “gun” of the Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS), the C-RAM system is a number of subsystems that work together to identify, track, engage, and destroy enemies. threats from missiles, artillery and mortars.
