{"id":62565,"date":"2022-10-12T18:00:08","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T18:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/10\/12\/us-pushes-patchwork-air-defense-for-ukraine-amid-russian-blitz\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:44:14","slug":"us-pushes-patchwork-air-defense-for-ukraine-amid-russian-blitz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2022\/10\/12\/us-pushes-patchwork-air-defense-for-ukraine-amid-russian-blitz\/","title":{"rendered":"US pushes patchwork air defense for Ukraine amid Russian blitz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON\u2015 Ukraine\u2019s allies<\/a> need to \u201cchip in\u201d to create a complex mix of air defenses as Russia bombards Ukraine\u2019s cities and the civilians in them, America\u2019s top military officer said Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley<\/a> and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin<\/a> led a meeting of more than 50 countries in Brussels, where defense chiefs pledged to supply munitions for Ukraine\u2019s air defenses. Even as Germany supplied its first IRIS-T air defense system to Ukraine, Pentagon officials highlighted the tough technical challenge ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov<\/a> said air defense systems are the country\u2019s \u201ctop priority\u201d after Russia unleashed a spate of missile and drone attacks this week across the nation that reportedly targeted energy and civilian services, killing at least 19 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe horrific and indiscriminate attacks against Ukrainian cities left civilians killed and civilian critical infrastructure destroyed,\u201d NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg<\/a> said Tuesday, according to media reports. \u201cThis demonstrates the urgent need for more air defense for Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a news conference at NATO headquarters on Wednesday, Austin said the Ukraine Defense Contact Group<\/a> discussed ways to increase training of Ukrainian forces, accountability measures of arms sent to Ukraine and the allied push<\/a> to \u201cgalvanize our industrial bases to fire up production for the systems to defend Ukraine while meeting our own security needs.\u201d He pointed to German and Danish investments in Slovakia\u2019s howitzer production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spotlight was on Ukraine\u2019s request for an integrated air and missile defense system, which Milley said allies would strive to fulfill. That would be made up of short-range, low-altitude systems; medium-range, medium-altitude systems; and long-range, high-altitude systems that together would neutralize the threat of Russian aircraft and missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat needs to be done here by all of the countries at the conference today is chip in and help them rebuild and sustain an integrated air and missile defense system, specifically old systems,\u201d Milley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t