- Hundreds of air defence missiles delivered five months early,
with production creating UK jobs.
- Follows Ukraine's largest drone producer investing £200m to
build drones in Britain, creating 500 jobs.
- Comes as the UK leads trade delegation to Kyiv to
increase military support for Ukraine.
Crucial missiles for Ukraine are months ahead of their delivery
schedule, as the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry,
, led a UK trade
delegation visit to Kyiv.
The missiles, manufactured in Belfast are used to defend
Ukraine's airspace and have been delivered five months ahead of
schedule under the UK gifting programme. The same weapons, known
as Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM), have offered Ukraine
protection against threats since Russia launched its illegal
invasion in February 2022.
The announcement comes as Belfast based Thales moves to the next
phase of work with their Ukrainian partners. The latest phase of
a £1.6 billion deal signed earlier in the year will enable those
battle winning missiles to be integrated further into Ukraine's
air defence system, in a significant step for Ukraine's own
sovereign capabilities.
The ongoing missile manufacturing work in the UK is directly
creating 200 jobs as well as supporting a further 700 existing
roles, driving economic growth and delivering on the Government's
Plan for Change.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, MP said:
“The UK is stepping up our ironclad commitment to help Ukraine
defend itself against Russia's illegal invasion. This year alone
we are spending £4.5 billion on military support for Ukraine,
more than ever before.
“It was an honour to lead this trade delegation to Kyiv, and to
see so many other countries participating in the event. Driving
industrial partnerships is essential so that we can learn from
their expertise and together build the industrial base we need to
defend the UK, deter our adversaries and support Ukraine.”
Businesses from NATO countries attended Ukraine's International
Defence Industry Conference, demonstrating a united multinational
industrial front with global allies and deepening industrial
cooperation and military support in the face of Russia's
continued invasion.
Deeper international collaboration between companies of all sizes
is critical to Ukraine's long-term defence industrial resilience
and bolstering its efforts in the war.
The industry forum saw hundreds of attendees come together to
showcase the collective support for Ukraine. Trade missions
between the UK and Ukraine have already resulted in more than 30
joint ventures and partnerships, leading to jobs, prosperity and
reinforced security in both nations.
Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS said:
“The UK's defence industry stands united in our efforts to
increase production capacity, develop innovative new
capabilities, and build a resilient industrial ecosystem that
endures against the most trying of circumstances. In what has
been the most multinational trade mission to Kyiv of its kind, it
has been an honour for industry to lead the UK in engaging both
within Ukraine and with our Ukrainian counterparts.
“This week has been a stark reminder of the need to increase our
industrial support and capacity across Europe. As illegal Russian
aggression continues to intensify, European nations must come
together and deepen their support. Continued industrial
collaboration, both with our government counterparts and
international allies, remains the only way we can secure a safe
and prosperous future for the people of Ukraine.”
The partnership with Ukraine has resulted in major investment by
Ukraine's largest drone manufacturer into the UK, as UKRSpec
Systems will invest £200 million in two new facilities in the UK,
creating 500 high-skilled jobs and boosting economic
growth.
This week's trade delegation visit follows a groundbreaking new
technology sharing agreement, Programme LYRA, that will see UK
will manufacture and jointly develop cutting-edge military
equipment with Ukrainian industry, supporting hundreds of British
jobs and strengthening both UK and Ukraine's national security.
This agreement recently saw an industrial partnership between the
UK and Ukraine to jointly develop an advanced new air defence
interceptor drone, named Project OCTOPUS. It will lead to the UK
mass producing thousands of drones per month to provide Ukraine
support in its ongoing fight for freedom.
These interceptor drones are considerably cheaper than regular
air defence missiles and are highly effective in countering the
waves of one-way attack drones Russia continues to launch at
Ukrainian cities.
As part of the historic UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership, UK
Defence Exports (UKDE) has created the 'Working with Ukraine's
Defence Sector' guide for SMEs. This first-of-its-kind resource
provides comprehensive guidance on procurement pathways,
coalition and donor mechanisms, partnership models, and contact
points.
