Ukraine begs US for monster 'FrankenSAM' weapon as Russia threatens power grid
As the Ukrainian fight against the bloodthirsty Russian invaders continues into its second brutal winter, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is begging the US for better air defence missiles from the monster 'FrankenSAM' program - an experimental weapons project that cobbles together air defence weapons for Ukraine from an array of parts from around the world.
President Zelenskyy's main concern is Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which was damaged badly in numerous attacks from Russian troops and bombs and, in the winter, could have devastating effects on the populace.
The Frankenstein-like program for surface-to-air missiles has become a lifesaver for Ukrainians. It is a reliable way to get working weapons to the battlefield quickly. The rapid delivery of these systems is necessary as Ukraine tries to make as many gains as possible before troops are slowed down by weather. Russia still occupies Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolayiv, and Zaporizhzhya Oblasts.
F-35 fighter jets during training (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima)A senior U.S. defence official said Thursday that the U.S. has been able to improvise and build a new missile launcher from radars and other parts contributed by allies and partners. The system will be able to launch AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, which the U.S. announced Wednesday it will send to Ukraine in the latest aid package.
At the same time, U.S. engineers have been able to work with Ukraine to modify a Soviet-era Buk air defence launcher so that it can fire RIM-7 missiles, which the U.S. has in large quantities. Ukraine has a number of the Buk systems, but its supply of missiles has been dwindling.
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The FrankenSAM program began months ago but has grown over time. Another portion of the program was described as more of a “Frankenstein” effort because it takes a somewhat obsolete air defence system the U.S. no longer uses and revamps it and similar versions that allies have.
The U.S. and its allies no longer use the Hawk air defence system, but they have a lot of missiles for it. The official said the U.S. has brought the system back to life, and it’s being used in Ukraine now. Laura K. Cooper, a senior U.S. defence official, says the FrankenSAMs are "contributing to filling critical gaps in Ukraine’s air defences, and this is the most important challenge that Ukraine faces today."
Ukraine has received a third Iris-T air defence system from Germany in time for winter fighting (Christoph Schmidt/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)The innovations have given the U.S. another way to pour weapons into Ukraine, even though Congress has not approved any new funding for the war. A small but vocal contingent of Republican lawmakers opposes sending U.S. money overseas for the fight against Russia and forced its removal from a temporary spending measure that prevented a U.S. government shutdown on Oct. 1.
This past week, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany also contributed to Ukraine's arsenal this week, taking some of the heat off the US, "As winter approaches, we are putting up a protective shield against renewed Russian attacks on energy, water and heating infrastructure," Scholz said on Tuesday.
"This is because it is becoming apparent that Russia will once again use cold and energy shortages as a weapon against the civilian population," continued Scholz.
Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram that: "Hitting 100 per cent of the targets is not easy, but we will get closer to it every day, strengthening our air defence."
The Pentagon still has about $5.4 billion available that it can use to pull existing weapons from its stockpile to send to Ukraine. That money is expected to last several months. The U.S., however, only has about $1.6 billion to replenish U.S. stocks that are needed by the military services, and there are greater worries about that running out.
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