NASAMS Air Defense Systems Show Unprecedented Success in Countering Russian Missiles

Norwegian-supplied NASAMS air defense systems have proven highly effective in Ukraine, shooting down approximately 900 Russian aerial threats with a success rate of 94%, Norwegian media Aftenposten reported, citing an interview with Colonel Per Steinar Trøite of the Norwegian Air Force on February 24.

The system has played a crucial role in protecting Ukraine’s key infrastructure, including power plants, government buildings, and other strategic sites. Ukrainian forces trained in Norway have successfully deployed NASAMS in combat, significantly reducing the impact of Russia’s airstrikes.

Nearly 60% of the intercepted threats since November 2022 have been Russian cruise missiles, including Kh-101, Kh-555, Kalibr, Iskander-K, Kh-59, and Kh-69.

Ukrainian air defense, bolstered by NASAMS and other Western systems, forced Russia to rely on drones and long-range missiles, as its warplanes can no longer operate safely over Ukrainian airspace.

During a February 24 visit to Kyiv by Western leaders marking the third year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, NASAMS was likely deployed to safeguard the high-profile gathering.

“The system is in use every day to protect Ukraine’s most critical population centers, including Kyiv,” Trøite stated.

Norway, alongside the U.S. and Canada, continues to supply and train Ukrainian personnel on NASAMS. Norwegian instructors have praised their Ukrainian trainees for adapting quickly, with some heading directly into battle after completing their training.

“NASAMS has undoubtedly played a significant role in saving thousands of Ukrainian lives and preventing blackouts caused by Russia’s massive air attacks,” said Colonel Denys Smazhnyi of Ukraine’s Air Force.

NASAMS is a Norwegian-American medium-range air defense missile system produced by a consortium of the American corporation Raytheon Technologies and the Norwegian group Kongsberg.

The complex includes launchers, radars (radars) Raytheon AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel from the Raytheon and Kongsberg consortium.

The main tactical unit of NASAMS is a battery. It is known from open sources that Ukraine has about 12 batteries at its disposal.

The composition of a battery can vary, but it usually consists of three firing units, each of which includes 2 to 3 missile launchers, one AN/MPQ-64F1 Improved Sentinel radar, one control vehicle, and one vehicle with an MSP500 optical station.

Each mobile launcher has six containers with anti-aircraft missiles. The firing range of the anti-aircraft system in the NASAMS II configuration is up to 25 km, and the altitude range is up to 14-15 km.

The latest version of the NASAMS III system is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 40 km.

The air defense system uses short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles, such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM, to engage air targets.

The AIM-120 is one of the most widely used air-to-air missiles in the world. The stock of manufactured missiles of this family exceeds the number of any other missiles in its class.

Earlier, Norway pledged to allocate approximately $107 million to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.

The funds will be used to procure air defense systems from the United States through the American JUMPSTART program.