The U.S. Defense Department, in collaboration with industry partners, has supplied Ukraine with technologies for the production of FrankenSAM hybrid air defense system components, the White House stated in a press release on Dec. 6.

Buk SAM.

These systems are manufactured by integrating certain Western equipment into obsolete Ukrainian air defense systems.

The parallel production of these systems in both Ukraine and the United States aims to expedite fielding, allowing Ukraine to significantly contribute to the sustainment of its air defense capabilities, the statement reads.

This agreement not only expands U.S.-Ukraine cooperation and equips Ukraine for short-term success on the battlefield, but also supports its long-term economic recovery and defense, added the White House.

The FrankenSAM project, implemented by the United States, involves three variants: the integration of U.S. Sea Sparrow missiles into Soviet-era Buk launchers, the combination of the U.S. Sidewinder air-to-air missile with a Soviet radar, and another variant considered the most powerful, according to the Ukrainian military news website Defense Express on Oct. 29.

The New York Times, citing its own sources, had previously reported that two variants from the FrankenSAM program were tested on military bases in the United States over the past several months and were scheduled for delivery to Ukraine in the fall.