BRUSSELS (AP) — The Pentagon calls it FrankenSAM — a project that cobbles together air defense weapons for Ukraine from an array of parts from around the world.

But now, as congressional gridlock delays funding for the war in Ukraine, the Frankenstein-like program for surface-to-air missiles has become more of a life saver and a reliable way to get working weapons to the battlefield now.

Both of those systems, the official said, are moving to Ukraine this fall, in an effort to meet critical air defense needs as it struggles to retake territory the Russians have seized and gain a solid battlefield footing as the muddy season hits ahead of the winter freeze.

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.

And Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the additional commitments of weapons and conversations with allies convinced him “we’re putting Ukraine in a good spot” going into the winter fight.

Another portion of the program was described as more of a “Frankenstein” effort, because it takes a somewhat obsolete air defense system the U.S no longer uses and revamps it and similar versions that allies have.

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