The Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive drones from an American company. The deal will be financed by the UK
7 March 12:49
The Ukrainian Defense Forces will receive advanced attack drones as a result of a deal the British government has signed with the Anglo-American defense technology company Anduril. This is reported on the website of the British government, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
British Defense Secretary John Healey visited Anduril, which will supply drones, the day before a meeting at the Pentagon with his American counterpart Pete Hegseth.
The contracts with the manufacturer are worth nearly 30 million pounds. Anduril UK will supply advanced Altius 600m and Altius 700m drones. These are strike drones that survey the area before detecting and engaging a target.
The contract with Anduril UK was signed by the UK Ministry of Defense on behalf of the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), which is managed by the UK. The fund currently stands at over £1.3 billion, with contributions from 10 other countries. The UK has contributed £500 million.
The British government also recalled that in January, on behalf of the International Drone Coalition, which is jointly led by the United Kingdom and Latvia, it was announced that 30,000 drones would be sent to Ukraine.
The Drone Coalition has recently announced a new international tender
The subject of this, the third tender, is tactical-level multi-rotor reconnaissance drones. Ukrainian companies, as in a series of tenders for interceptor drones and FPV drones, can submit bids. Proposals are accepted until March 17.
To view the technical requirements and participate in the tender, companies need to register on the UK Ministry of Defense’s Defence Sourcing Portal and select the Drone Capability Coalition – Tactical Multirotor ISR UAV lot.
Ukraine’s defense forces have an urgent need for tactical multirotor ISR, which is why the Drone Capability Coalition decided to focus on these drones. They will allow the military to reconnoiter the area and increase the situational awareness of their units.
The previous tender included two lots: improved FPV and interceptor drones. It was the first time Ukrainian manufacturers were able to participate in the tender. According to the results, 14 companies were selected for the FPV drone lot and 5 companies for the interceptor lot. In January and February, these models were tested in Latvia. Next, the best drones will be tested in Ukraine, and if the declared characteristics are confirmed, the UK Ministry of Defense will sign contracts for bulk purchases from the Drone Coalition’s Common Fund.
The Drone Coalition was formed in February 2024 during the 19th Ramstein meeting. This idea was proposed by Latvia. Together with the United Kingdom, they coordinate the initiative. It currently includes 18 countries.
What is being done under the International Fund for Ukraine, which is managed by the UK
Allies and partners have pledged more than £190 million in additional funding to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), including
67 million from Denmark for equipment including drones, air defense systems and training equipment
59 million from Norway for specialized capabilities including drones and maritime training;
43 million pounds from Portugal for drones for intelligence and surveillance;
20 million from Sweden for the repair of Archer self-propelled artillery systems and maritime training;
4 million pounds from Germany for maritime training;
1 million pounds from Iceland to finance coastal radars.
Ukraine is the largest manufacturer of combat drones in the world
In 2025, Ukraine plans to produce 2.5 million combat drones, and 500 Ukrainian companies are working on this. These data were provided by the head of the Ukrainian government Denys Shmyhal.
According to him, it is not only about FPV drones and Mavic, but also about robotic systems, including electronic warfare systems that create electronic protection on the battlefield.
