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The United States has approved a potential $2.68 billion sale of air defense equipment to Ukraine that includes two little-known missile designs intended to work with Soviet-era air defense systems, including the S-300, according to a U.S. government notification released on September 18.
The package includes missiles designated as an “S-300 Clone” and the GAM-67, as well as extended-range, laser-guided air defense rocket systems, launcher equipment, mobile-launcher modification kits and RPS 202 radars designed to detect drones. The notification lists spare parts, software, technical documentation, and engineering and logistical support.
The approval does not mean the weapons have already been delivered to Ukraine. It authorizes a possible Foreign Military Sale, with the proposed purchase still subject to congressional review.
The U.S. government said Ukraine would finance the deal through a combination of European contributions and money from the U.S. Foreign Military Financing program that was appropriated under the previous administration.
The “S-300 Clone” appears to be the more direct effort to address Ukraine’s dwindling stocks of missiles for Soviet-designed air defense systems.
Despite its designation, Ukrainian media reported that the missile is not a copy of the Soviet 5V55 used by earlier versions of the S-300. It is described instead as a new design intended for S-300 systems already operated by Ukraine, with improved performance and a more modern guidance system.
The U.S. notification does not disclose the missile’s range, speed, warhead, guidance method or the number of rounds Ukraine has requested.
The GAM-67 is even less familiar. The weapon is a new development intended for medium-range air defense systems, including Soviet-designed systems already in service as well as newer systems under development, according to Ukrainian media.
The designation is completely separate from the original GAM-67 Crossbow, a U.S. weapons project all the way from the 1950s.
The two missiles fit a broader effort to adapt Western technology to Ukraine’s Soviet-era air defense architecture. The U.S. and Ukraine have already developed FrankenSAM systems that pair Western missiles with Soviet-designed launchers. One such configuration uses U.S. RIM-7 missiles on Ukrainian Buk-M1 launchers.
The development of the “S-300 Clone” and the new GAM-67 had been reportedly underway for some time, with funding increasing in recent months.
The air package shows that the U.S. is still supporting Ukraine, both financially and militarily. The missiles are clearly meant to address Kyiv’s growing air defense shortage. Nevertheless, considering that more advanced, combat-proven systems have failed to make a difference, it is unlikely that these FrankenSAM missiles will change anything.
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