The aid package was announced by Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair on September 6 at a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Rammstein format.
Points of attention
- Canada has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, including missile engines, warheads, rocket engines, machine guns, pistols, and armored personnel carriers.
- The aid package will also include the transfer of the NASAMS air defense system to Ukraine at a cost of over $300 million.
- Challenges have arisen during the implementation of the aid package, with bureaucratic obstacles and the lengthy manufacturing process for the NASAMS system causing delays.
- Canada's commitment to supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities is evident through the various equipment and resources being transferred.
- The aid is expected to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities and contribute to its security in the region amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Canada will provide missile engines and warheads to Ukraine
Minister Blair also announced that Canada will transfer 80,840 additional CRV-7 rocket engines and 1,300 warheads to Ukraine.
Aid will arrive in Poland in the coming months.
CRV-7 rocket engines were previously used by the Canadian Air Force on CF-18 fighter jets, but they were retired.
Canada will also transfer 970 C6 machine guns and 10,500 9mm pistols from its stockpiles.
At the request of Ukraine, Blair also announced the allocation by Canada of decommissioned chassis from 29 M113 and 64 Coyote LAV armored personnel carriers. It is planned that in Ukraine they will be repurposed or taken for spare parts.
Canada will transfer the NASAMS air defense system to Ukraine
Canada announced its intention to transfer the NASAMS air defense system to Ukraine at a cost of over $300 million on January 10, 2023.
The original agreements provided that Canada would reimburse the US for the full cost of the new NASAMS system, in exchange for the United States to enter into a direct contract for the supply of these weapons with Ukraine.
This was supposed to allow Canada to bypass the requirement to obtain US permission to re-export NASAMS to Ukraine.
However, the implementation of this project ran into a number of bureaucratic obstacles that slowed down its implementation. In addition, each NASAMS system takes about two years to manufacture.
