Raytheon will now replenish its supply of Stinger missiles, which were already shipped to Ukraine by the contract.
Pentagon has awarded Raytheon a contract worth $624million to replace more than 1400 Stinger anti-air rockets to the Ukrainian army. After President Joe Biden signed the bill authorizing $40B in military aid to Ukraine, this deal was made.
According to a notice on the Department of Defense’s website, the contract must be fulfilled by July 2026, giving Raytheon four years to manufacture the shoulder-fired missiles. Raytheon plans to produce 1,300 Stingers, according to company statements.
Although Raytheon stopped making these missiles in 2020, the defense firm won a contract in 2021 to start production again, mainly for foreign buyers, Reuters reported. Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes said in April that the US military has not purchased a Stinger in 18 years, and that some of the missile’s electronic components will need to be redesigned, as certain components are no longer commercially available.
Earlier this month, Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher (Wisconsin) warned that the US had seriously depleted its stocks of Stinger and Javelin missiles in its rush to arm the Ukrainian military following the launch of Russia’s military operation in February. According to reports in April, the Pentagon had at that point burned through a quarter of its Stingers and a third of its Javelins.
This contract will be paid for by the $40 billion bill of appropriations, which President Joe Biden signed last week. To replenish the US military stocks already sent to Ukraine, $8.7 million was provided by the bill.
The effectiveness of Stingers in Ukraine’s hands is unknown, as well as how many weapons make it to the frontlines. A US intelligence source told CNN last month that the agency has “almost zero”It is unclear where the US arms will end up when they reach Ukraine’s borders. “into a big black hole.”
Russia declared Western weapon stockpiles in Ukraine “legitimate targets,”They are frequently targeted with air or missile strikes.
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