WP: Ukraine is developing air defense systems and an analogue of the American HIMARS

Air defense systems and an analogue of the American highly mobile artillery missile system (HIMARS) are being developed in Ukraine.

The Washington Post writes about this with reference to Ukrainian officials.

According to the publication, the Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin said last month that Ukraine deployed a locally produced missile with a range of more than 644 kilometers.

In addition, according to the publication, air defense systems and high-precision systems similar to the American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) are being developed.

However, Ukrainian capabilities are still far from producing high-tech systems that Ukraine needs to repel Russian attacks.

"It will take decades to master such production and build it," said the director of the National Association of the Ukrainian Defense Industry, Maksym Polyvyaniy.

Currently, local production is not enough to compensate for the loss of international support, especially arms from the United States.

At the same time, Ukraine already produces drones that changed the course of the war at the level of 90% of its needs. Ukraine also produces its own Soviet-style mortars and artillery shells of 122 and 152 mm caliber.

Defense companies of Ukraine are also trying to meet the urgent need of the military by producing their own 155-mm shells of the NATO standard, which are necessary for the artillery systems supplied by Ukraineʼs western partners.

There is a catastrophic shortage of these shells at the front, but a representative of Ukroboronprom said that production will begin no earlier than in the "second half of this year."