Ukraine and the USA signed a memorandum on the joint production of weapons and the exchange of technical data.
The corresponding declaration was signed by the Pentagon, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, Minister Rustem Umyerov and the press service of the White House reported.
It is about air defense, repair and maintenance of equipment and production of critical ammunition. The agreement also provides for the production of hybrid air defense systems. It is noted that Ukraine has already been provided with technologies to start production of such systems as part of the FrankenSAM program.
The document was signed within the framework of the American-Ukrainian defense industrial base conference in Washington, which gathered almost 350 representatives of the industry and governments of the USA, Ukraine and Europe. The event discussed increasing the production of weapons to support Ukraine.
Washington notes that the State Department plans to send an adviser to the Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine to accelerate Kyivʼs transition to operationally compatible military forces, fight corruption and attract foreign investment. The United States has also created an interagency team that will support industry, Ukrainian and other partners who are ready for agreements and export requirements regarding the defense complex of Ukraine.
What is the FrankenSAM program?
In October of this year, the American newspaper The New York Times wrote that Ukraine and the United States have created a hybrid air defense system that combines advanced Western surface-to-air missiles with modernized Soviet-era launchers or radars.
The project implements three anti-aircraft missile complexes: the integration of RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles into the Buk air defense system, the integration of the AIM-9M air-to-air missile with the Soviet radar system, as well as another complex, which is called the most powerful. It is believed to have elements of the Patriot air defense system. According to media reports, the Patriot missile is being integrated into a launch station that works with older Ukrainian radar systems.
An official representative of the Pentagon said that the tests of this system in October of this year were successful. It is noted that variants of hybrid air defense systems were tested at military bases in the USA and were to be delivered to Ukraine in the fall.